Say hello to your new favorite California-inspired appetizer: this Burrata Smashed Green Olive Bruschetta. This easy-to-make appetizer combines the creamy richness of burrata with a bright and fresh olive relish that brings together citrus, mint, and roasted pistachios.
As a California-born professional chef who grew up eating farm-to-table, I love creating effortless, elegant recipes like this olive bruschetta.
Whether planning a casual aperitivo or needing a go-to appetizer for your next gathering, this bruschetta is the perfect way to showcase California’s love for olives. Plus, it’s make-ahead-friendly, simple to assemble, and can easily be made gluten-free!
Why You’ll Like This Olive Bruschetta Recipe
If you love snacking on olives, this bruschetta will be a new favorite because:
- Easy to Make: This recipe comes together quickly with just a few ingredients.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: The olive relish tastes better after it sits for a few hours, allowing the flavors to meld.
- California-Inspired: Using California-grown olives brings a local flair to this dish.
- Versatile: You can swap herbs, try different olives, or add heat to customize it to your taste.
- Burrata Lover’s Dream: Creamy burrata and tangy olives are a match made in heaven.
Ingredients To Make This Recipe
To make this Burrata Smashed Green Olive Bruschetta, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- California Green Olives: A key component that brings a nutty, slightly sweet flavor to the relish.
- Roasted Pistachios: Adds crunch and an earthy richness.
- Citrus: Orange and lemon zest brighten up the relish with fresh acidity.
- Fresh Mint: Brings a pop of freshness (add just before serving).
- Olive Oil: Use good-quality olive oil to tie the flavors together.
- Burrata: The creamy, decadent element that complements the briny olives.
- Toasted Bread: Rustic slices of baguette or sourdough work perfectly to hold all the toppings.
How To Make This Recipe
Follow these steps to make Burrata Smashed Green Olive Bruschetta:
- Prepare the Olive Relish: Finely chop the California green olives and mix with roasted pistachios, citrus zest, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Let it sit for a couple of hours to allow the flavors to meld. Add mint just before serving to keep it fresh.
- Toast the Bread: Slice your bread and toast it until golden brown. You want a crispy surface that can hold up to the toppings.
- Assemble the Bruschetta: Spread the torn burrata over the toasted bread, then spoon the olive relish generously on top.
- Serve: Finish with a drizzle of extra olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt.
The Key Are The Olives!
We created this recipe in partnership with our friends at California Ripe Olives to give you another easy way to use olives in your kitchen.
Thanks to the Mediterranean climate here, it’s prime olive growing territory and, as such, over 95% of the nation’s olives are produced in California. That amounts to over 50,000 tons of olives each year!
Sure, some of the olives grown in California are used to make the incredible olive oil we have here in the Golden State. But many of them are used to make snacking olives and end up at your grocery store canned and ready for you to use. The most common olive varieties grown are the Manzanilla and the Sevillano, which olives have a slightly sweet, smooth, and nutty flavor that works in many different dishes.
Variations On This Recipe
This Burrata Smashed Green Olive Bruschetta is easy to customize depending on your preferences or what’s available:
- Swap the Herbs: Try parsley, thyme, or dill in place of or in addition to mint.
- Add Heat: Warm the olive oil briefly with a smashed garlic clove and dried chile for a subtle heat kick.
- Try Different Citrus: Experiment with grapefruit, lime, or even use red wine vinegar for a different tangy flavor.
- Change Up the Olives: Feel free to use any green olives, but avoid Moroccan dry-cured olives, which may overpower the dish.
Variations On This Olive Relish
This relish can easily be riffed on depending on what you have on hand. Any olives you like can be used to make it aside from the dry-cured Moroccan olives as they’d make it too salty! Here are a few riffs we like:
- Use other herbs like parsley, thyme, or dill instead of or in addition to the mint.
- Warm the olive oil briefly in a pan and add in a garlic clove and a dried chile to bring in more heat
- Use another citrus in place of the orange and lemon (or even use red wine or balsamic vinegar)
More Recipes Using California Ripe Olives
Feeling inspired to make even more olive recipes? Here are a few of our readers’ favorites:
- California Greek Olive Salad Recipes
- Tea Sandwiches With Moroccan Braised Chicken
- Dirty Bloody Mary Cocktail
More Recipes Using Olives
Feeling inspired to make even more olive recipes? Here are a few of our readers’ favorites:
Smashed Green Olive Bruschetta Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For The Bruschetta:
- 6 (1/2-inch) slices ciabatta bread or gluten free bread to make gluten free
For The Smashed Green Olive Relish:
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for making the toasts and garnish
- 1 medium garlic clove peeled
- Maldon sea salt or other flaky sea salt, for garnish
- 1 1/4 cups California ripe olives green or black olives (from 1 can)
- 1 medium cara cara oranges zested and juiced (about 3 tablespoons juice)
- 1/2 medium lemon zested and juiced (about 1 tablespoon juice)
- 1/3 cup roasted shelled pistachios roughly chopped
- 15 to 20 fresh mint leaves torn
- 8 ounces fresh burrata cheese torn into 6 pieces
Instructions
- Make The Bruschetta Toasts: Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Place the bread slices on a rimmed baking sheet and brush each on both sides with olive oil. Bake until the toasts are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Make the olive relish while the bread toasts.Remove the toasts from the oven, rub them with the peeled garlic clove (it will almost dissolve into the toast), and add another drizzle of olive oil onto each toast. Add a pinch of flaky sea salt to each toast and set aside.
- Make The Olive Relish: Place the olives on a cutting board and use the back of a knife to smash them. Place the olives in a mixing bowl and add the three tablespoons of olive oil, the three tablespoons orange juice, the one tablespoon lemon juice, all the zest, the pistachios, and the mint stir to combine (all the remaining ingredients except the burrata). Stir to combine and set aside 5 to 10 minutes before using.
- Assemble The Toasts: Place the toasts on a serving plate, divide the torn burrata among the toasts, then spoon a generous helping of the olive relish on top. Drizzle olive oil over the toasts and add a pinch of flaky sea salt to each toast and serve.
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