Olive salad is a chunky salad composed of various types of olives along with peppers, pimentos, onions, and several other ingredients. The salad has a distinctly Italian flavor to it, although olive salad is a favorite around New Orleans. One of the most common uses of the salad is filler in a sandwich or pita bread pocket. The salad may be used along with pepperoni or other cold meats in the sandwich, or make a great vegetarian meal on its own.
Just about every olive salad recipe will call for using at least two types of olives. Most commonly, a mixture of black and green olives is recommended. All the olives are pitted and either crushed or finely chopped, then combined with other vegetables and a mixture of spices. While it is possible to prepare olive salad as little as a couple of hours before serving, many recipes provide instructions to allow the salad to marinate for at least a couple of days.
Along with green and black olives, picked carrots, celery and cauliflower are used in olive salad. Like the olives, the vegetables may be finely or coarsely chopped according to the preferences of the chef. To this mixture, crushed garlic cloves are added along with parsley, oregano, and green onions. Capers may also be added if desired. If pimento is not desired, it is possible to create the same texture using chopped red or green bell pepper. Crushed red pepper flakes can also be used.
To create the marinade for the olive salad, most recipes call for mixing red wine vinegar with olive oil, then adding a dash of salt and pepper. There should be enough marinade to completely cover all the vegetables and spices in the olive salad. After thoroughly tossing all the ingredients, it is a good idea to place the olive salad into a glass jar or a bowl equipped with a lid. The salad should be placed into the refrigerator and allowed to settle for at least a couple of days.
Olive salad can be served in several different ways. A simple presentation of olive salad resting on a bed of romaine lettuce leaves is visually appealing and also ideal for a light meal. The salad can also be used to stuff pita pockets, creating a meal that is filling as well as easy to consume while on the run. Olive salad is also a wonderful filler for muffuletta sandwiches and bruschetta as well.
