5 Delicious Greek Recipes with Olive Oil: Elevate Your Dishes with the Flavor of Olive Oil
- Ωlife Garden
- 13 hours ago
- 5 min read
Olive oil isn’t just for salads or dipping bread—it’s a versatile ingredient that adds richness, depth, and a hint of Mediterranean flavor to any dish. Whether you’re looking to bake, roast, or simply drizzle, there’s a recipe that can showcase the magic of olive oil. In this blog post, we’re highlighting five mouthwatering recipes that celebrate olive oil as the star ingredient.
1. Classic Greek Salad (Horiatiki) Recipe
This Greek classic is the best recipe in which olive oil richness and depth can be enjoyed.
Ingredients:
tomatoes
onions
cucumbers
olives
feta
olive oil
salt
pepper
oregano
Instructions:
Chop vegetables, season them and mix. For the best results use fresh, homegrown ingredients.
Place a piece of high-quality Greek feta on top.
Give it a good drizzle with extra virgin bio Greek olive oil. For the richer and deeper taste, use unfiltered bio olive oil such as Ωlife Bio Virgin Olive Oil.
2. Spinach and rice (Spanakorizo) Recipe
When speaking of a real comforting Greek dish, then spanakorizo takes the crown. This beloved dish of cooked rice with spinach, herbs and generous amount of olive oil is a perfectly creamy and flavorful comfort food in many Greek homes. It is also one of the Greek Lenten staples as it's a vegan dish.
Ingredients:
140g long grain rice
500g spinach
15g chopped parsley
108g Greek extra virgin olive oil
3-4 spring onions, chopped
480g tomato sauce
475g water
salt and pepper
freshly squeezed lemon juice, optional
Instructions:
Rinse rice in cold water and set aside
Rinse and chop spinach and parsley. Set aside.
In a large pot sauté onions with olive oil for 2-3 min, stirring constantly so they don't burn. Add spinach and parsley to the pot. It might appear there is too much spinach but as it heats it will wilt.
When spinach wilts add rice. Add seasoning up to your taste.
Add water and tomato sauce to the pot. Cover and cook for 30 min ove medium heat.
After 30 min check if the rice is cooked. If here is too much liquid in the pot, continue to cook, uncovered, for few more minutes.
Remove from heat, and let sit few minutes before serving.
When serving drizzle some olive oil on top. If you like, add freshly squeezed lemon juice.
3. Olive Oil Cookies (Ladokouloura) Recipe
Greek olive oil cookies, ladokouloura, are a traditional, aromatic treat. They are cherished for their simple, rustic texture and rich, citrus-infused flavor. These humble cookies are perfect for enjoying year-round with a cup of coffee or tea.
Ingredients:
1 cup olive oil (≈ 215g)
1/2 cup orange juice (≈ 120g)
orange zest
1 cup sugar (≈ 200g)
1/2 cup brandy (≈ 120g)
4 cup all purpose flour (≈ 500g)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 cup sesame seeds (≈ 145g), optional
Instructions:
Start by preheating oven to 170 degrees.
Add liquid ingredients - olive oil, orange juice, orange zest, brandy, to a mixing bowl. Add sugar and whisk until combined.
In a separate bowl mix dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves.
Add dry ingredients to oil mixture and whisk until combined. When it becomes too thick to whisk, mix it with your hands.
Set aside for 5 min. Prepare a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
Cut the dough into small balls (size of a walnut).
Roll the balls into logs, and set on the baking sheet in the shape of a letter "S" or a mini doughnut after dipping the top in sesame seeds. Leave some room in between each cookie to let them raise.
Bake in the oven for 20-25 min, or until golden.
Remove from oven and let cookies cool down before eating.
4. Green Beans Stew (Fasolakia ladera) Recipe
This beloved Greek dish slowly simmers in rich olive oil until tender and flavorful. It's that simple that even cooking newbies can master it fast. It's also vegan friendly.
Ingredients:
500g fresh or frozen green beans
3-4 potatoes, cubed
2 carrots, sliced
1 onion, chopped
3 grated tomatoes
1/2 tsp sugar
70g olive oil
15g parsley, chopped
salt and pepper
water
Instructions:
Heat olive oil in a large pot and sauté onion until soft and golden.
Add cubed potatoes and carrots and saute for 2-3 min.
Add beans to the pot.
Add grated tomatoes, parsley, sugar and spices and mix.
Pour water to half cover the beans.
Simmer for around 40 min with the lid on.
The dish is ready when all the ingredients are cooked and some water has evaporated to create a bit thicker sauce.
Serve in a plate with some feta and drizzle with olive oil.
5. Greek Stuffed Eggplants with Meat (Melitzanes Papoutsakia) Recipe
Melitzanes Papoutsakia, or "Little Shoes," is a classic Greek dish featuring hollowed-out eggplant halves roasted until tender, then filled with a savory mixture of seasoned ground meat and aromatic tomatoes. Capped with a rich, creamy Béchamel sauce and baked until golden brown, this comforting meal is one of the most elegant and beloved staples of Mediterranean cuisine.
Ingredients:
Eggplants
4 large eggplants
olive oil
Meat sauce
450g ground meat, half port, half beef
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
200g diced tomatoes (or a can of diced tomatoes)
2 tsp tomato paste
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 bay leaf
a bit of red wine
olive oil
Béchamel sauce
500ml milk
40g butter
4 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tbsp Greek yogurt
60g Gruyere cheese
1 egg
a pinch of nutmeg
Instructions:
Eggplants
Preheat your oven to 200°C.
Cut top and bottom of each eggplant and slice them in half lengthwise. Like this you will create 2 boats from each eggplant. Carve the flesh, creating deep criss-cross lines in each eggplant boat.
Place eggplant boats on a sheet pan lined with baking paper. The skin side of the eggplant should be faced down. Brush each eggplant generously with olive oil.
Bake for about 30 min, until nicely roasted on top and making the flesh soft.
While eggplant is baking, prepare the meat sauce.
Meat sauce
Heat olive oil in a pan.
Saute onion over medium heat until golden and soft.
Add the ground meat and garlic.
Add spices and stir in the tomato paste.
Pour a slash of red wine and give it a bit to evaporate and then add the diced tomatoes, bay leaf, salt and pepper.
Pour in about 250ml of hot water.
Simmer for about 25 min or until the sauce thickens.
When the sauce is thickened, stir in the parsley.
Béchamel sauce
To make a bechamel sauce, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
Stir in the flour and cook for about 2 min.
Pour in the milk and add nutmeg. Stir with a whisk all the time until sauce thickens to avoid flour lumps. Remove from heat.
Let it cool for about 10 min, and then stir in the egg and part of the grated cheese.
Start to assemble the papoutsakia by pressing the flesh of the eggplant with a fork to create some room for the meat sauce.
Add a spoon of the meat sauce in each eggplant and top with bechamel cream.
Sprinkle each eggplant with remaining cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven to 180°C for 45 min or until cream gets golden color on top.
Before serving let it rest for 10-15 min.
Why Olive Oil is Perfect for Cooking
Olive oil is incredibly versatile, offering health benefits from its heart-friendly fats, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties. Using extra virgin olive oil in cooking brings out a vibrant depth of flavor in dishes, from savory to sweet.
Whether you’re roasting vegetables, dressing a fresh salad, or baking a cake, olive oil enhances flavor and brings a dose of wellness to every recipe. So the next time you’re looking for a little extra flavor and a boost of nutrients, reach for the olive oil!
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