Featured Recipe

Savory Olive Vinaigrette

Name: Savory Olive Vinaigrette
Prep time: 6 min
Total time: 6 min
Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons olive brine; 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar; 5 pitted green olives; 1 teaspoon capers; 1 small shallot quartered; 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice; 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves; 1/4 teaspoon salt; freshly ground black pepper to taste; 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

By Kate

Created on 19 January 2026

An olive brine based salad dressing using sherry vinegar and capers replacing white wine vinegar and garlic. Olive oil slowly whisked in to emulsify. Adds complexity with fresh thyme instead of rosemary. Sharp and tangy, perfect to wake up any leafy green. Balanced saltiness with a touch from capers. Use blender or small food processor—pulse to keep herb texture. Best over crisp salads but versatile enough for roasted veggies. Adapt quantities to volume but keep acid to oil ratio right. Olive brine and capers add depth; swap with pickle juice if needed.

Prep: 6 min

Cook: 0 min

Total: 6 min

Serves: 1 serving

vegan salad dressing Mediterranean cuisine

Introduction

Start with olive brine—forgotten gem—salty, savory, gives depth. Swap typical white wine vinegar for sherry vinegar—adds nutty notes and brings brightness without sharp edge. Capers instead garlic here; their briny punch feels fresh yet restrained. Fresh thyme replaces rosemary for a lighter herbal touch—more subtle, less piney, blends smoother with lemon zest. Blend just enough to break down herbs and shallot. Coarse bits help dispersing flavor later. Emulsifying olive oil by slow drizzle is where magic happens—gets creamy, never greasy. Use sharp fresh lemon juice but measure cautiously—too much acid kills balance. Serve on green leaves or crunchy veggies, won’t disappoint. Keep it cold; flavors settle better.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive brine

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

5 pitted green olives

1 teaspoon capers

1 small shallot quartered

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1/4 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

About the ingredients

Use olive brine from quality canned olives—not just any brine; some are too salty or vinegary so sample first. If you lack sherry vinegar, red wine vinegar works; reduce lemon juice slightly to avoid excess tartness. Capers give salt and tang; pickled green beans or chopped pickles might replace if stuck. Replace fresh thyme with oregano if unavailable but use less since oregano stronger. Olive oil quality shows here—extra virgin preferred; cheaper oils ruin texture and taste. Fresh lemon juice essential; bottled juices lack vitality and fresh aroma. Shallots avoid harshness of raw onions but taste test before blending; old shallots bitter. Salt is just seasoning enhancer; adjust based on olive brine saltiness. Pepper freshly cracked, never preground, for pop.

Method

Chop olives roughly. Quarter shallot small enough for food processor chop.

Add olive brine, sherry vinegar, olives, capers, shallot, lemon juice, thyme, salt, and pepper into blender or processor bowl.

Pulse short bursts only. Look for small herb flakes but avoid complete pulverizing. Texture matters here.

With blender running on low, slowly drizzle olive oil in thin steady stream. Watch mixture thicken, turns creamy and shiny. Stop drizzling when fully emulsified.

Taste. Adjust salt or lemon juice if needed. Should brighten up but not overwhelm.

Serve immediately on greens. Holds about 24 hours refrigerated but fresh is best.

Technique Tips

Pulse blender briefly; overprocessing releases bitterness from herbs and shallot. Watch breaks in texture—small flakes remain, just enough to spread flavor without bruising leaves too much. Adding oil slowly while blender runs forces emulsification—tiny oil droplets suspended in vinegar mix. Start drizzle with very fine thread; rushing leads to slipping breakdown—separation occurs. Stop once mixture thickens, glossy, and holds together. Refrigerate after prep if not using—flavors meld but oil may harden slightly, whip again before serving. Same steps apply if swapping olive oil for avocado oil for smoother, less peppery note. Don’t over-salt initially; olives and capers are salty. Tasting throughout essential—prep evolves. Simple, fast, but precise timing key. If blender or food processor not available, whisk combined liquids vigorously while drizzling oil, but texture differs. Keep cold for best shelf life and freshest bite.

Chef's Notes

💡 Use high-quality olive brine. Just a few olives can bring saltiness, flavor depth. Change up brine if it’s too strong. Sample first—taste matters.
💡 Sub sherry vinegar with red wine vinegar. Adjust acidity levels, less lemon juice perhaps. Balancing act here. Avoid excess tartness.
💡 Fresh thyme has gentler flavor than rosemary. Use oregano if thyme's not available. Oregano’s stronger, so cut back but keep herbal notes.
💡 Pulse short bursts only when blending. Coarse bits of thyme, shallots remain. Releases flavors but avoids bitterness from overprocessing—textural hints.
💡 Slowly drizzle olive oil during blending to emulsify. Creates creamy texture without grease. Thin stream crucial, avoid rushing—emulsification magic.