Restaurant-Style Olive Oil and Herb Bread Dip
This Carraba's bread dip copycat is packed with flavor and oh-so-easy to make!
Servings 6 servings
Calories 162kcal
Ingredients
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½-1 whole head of roasted garlic (see instructions for how to make it)
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp sea salt plus any extra to taste
- ⅛ tsp paprika
- a pinch of dried thyme
- a pinch of cayenne or white pepper
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
OPTIONAL EXTRAS
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese for topping
- balsamic vinegar for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F
- Prep garlic by cutting the top off a head of garlic until the tops of the cloves are exposed, approx. ¼-½ inch.
- Place garlic cut side facing up onto a piece of aluminum foil and drizzle the exposed cloves with olive oil. Wrap with foil to make a little foil pouch for the garlic, seal it, and place on a baking sheet to roast for 35-40 minutes. (Roasting time may vary based on garlic size with jumbo garlic taking a wee bit longer and smaller heads of garlic roasting faster.)
- Once the house starts to smell like heaven, resist the urge to dive in to the oven and spread the entire thing on toast. Better yet, roast a second bulb so you can do exactly that!
- NOTE: Alternatively, you can roast the garlic ahead of time and store in the fridge for up to four days, and simply whip this up whenever you're ready for some serious dippage. I typically roast a few bulbs and use the golden cloves in recipes throughout the week.
- Once the garlic is ready, the cloves should practically be bursting from the bulb. Remove anywhere from half the cloves to all the cloves in the entire head of garlic and blend together with the olive oil using a food processor or blender. You can also fork mash the garlic into the mixture for a more rustic dip. Anything goes!
- Add the herbs and seasoning blend and let it sit so the flavors can infuse the olive oil. You can dig in after 20 minutes or give it an hour or so, totally up to you!
Notes
Try not to skip the roasted garlic; it's too good to leave out! serve with the freshest baguette you can get your hands on! If you're crazy pressed for time you can try sautéing the garlic in oil on the stovetop until fragrant and tender... but the buttery roasted garlic is for sure my favorite part about this delish dip!
When using fresh herbs instead of dried herbs, simply add extra! The dried herbs are more concentrated in flavor so a little extra of the fresh stuff should do the trick! Let your tastebuds be your guide!
Lately I've been adding a little fresh squeezed lemon juice along with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar to the mix in place of the parmesan cheese - SO GOOD! The combination reminds me of my Marinated Tomatoes recipe that I'm so obsessed with!
Nutrition Facts below are estimated using an online recipe nutrition calculator. Adjust as needed based on choice of bread and optional parmesan cheese and enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 162kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 98mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 24IU | Iron: 1mg
