For an easy appetizer, make a batch of this herb and olive spread. It’s full of fresh herbs and briny green olives and it will be delicious on your favorite crackers.
Inspired by the herbal goodness of green goddess dressing, this spread can be made from a blend of the herbs that you have in your garden or on hand in your refrigerator. Put any of your favorite greens into the mix and it will be a beautiful shade of green and taste amazing. The chopped green olives add just the right amount of salty umami flavor.
You could try spreading this on a bagel or serving it as a dip with fresh vegetables.
This makes just over 1 cup of dip.
Tips
- I’m giving herb amounts as a rough guideline. Feel free to play with quantities.
- Here are some other herbs and greens that would taste great in this dip: tarragon, chives, cilantro, arugula, or basil. Try other herbs from your garden, but go light on the very strong ones, such as savory, thyme, sage, or rosemary.
- Wash all of the herbs and shake them dry or roll them in a towel to dry.
Ingredients
You need the following ingredients to make this herb and olive spread.
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup dill, large stems removed
- 1/2 cup parsley, large stems removed
- 2 tablespoons mint leaves
- 2 scallions, end root trimmed and scallions cut into large pieces
- 2 tablespoons of cream or whole milk
- Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 6 large green olives (or 12 small) with red pimento, chopped into small pieces
Directions
Add the cream cheese to the bowl of a food processor (or blender). Add the herbs and scallions and blend a bit. Check the thickness and add a little cream to thin it. Start with one tablespoon and blend everything until the herbs are well chopped and mixed into the cream cheese and the spread is green. If the spread is still thick, add the remaining tablespoon of cream. Add a pinch of salt and some pepper, then blend everything together.
Transfer the spread from the food processor into a bowl. Stir in the olives and let it sit for a few minutes to allow the flavors to merge. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
Chill the spread until just before serving it. Serve it with your favorite crackers or baguette slices.
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