Olive oil through Ramadan: sahur and iftar

Ramadan changes how a kitchen runs. Cooking happens at unusual hours, often with limited time and energy, and dishes need to come together quickly. That actually suits the way olive oil is used.

We make no health or nutrition claims. The suggestions below are cooking suggestions only. For dietary advice while fasting, speak to your doctor or a dietitian.

Why raw preparations suit these hours

Olive oil is most useful when it is not cooked — poured over food after the heat is off, or used as a dressing with no heat at all. Dishes like that take minutes rather than half an hour.

It also means you can prepare most of a dish in advance and add the oil at the last moment.

For iftar

• Lentil or chickpea soup with a teaspoon of olive oil poured in once the heat is off
• Hummus with a pool of olive oil in the middle, served with bread
• Cucumber and tomato salad with olive oil, lime and salt
• Roast vegetables — potato, carrot, pumpkin — tossed in oil before they go in the oven
• Bread dipped in olive oil and za'atar
• Grilled fish with olive oil and a squeeze of lime as it comes out of the oven

For sahur

Sahur calls for food that comes together fast and without much thought. Olive oil is useful here because it needs no preparation.

• Scrambled eggs cooked slowly in olive oil
• Toast with olive oil and a pinch of salt, in place of butter
• Porridge or oats with a teaspoon stirred in
• Hot rice with olive oil and salt
• Savoury yoghurt with olive oil poured over
• Mashed potato with olive oil instead of butter

One practical note

A kitchen is in use more often through Ramadan, and it stays warm for longer. Keep the oil bottle away from the hob rather than on a shelf beside it — sustained heat is among the fastest ways to spoil oil.

If you buy ahead for the month, keep unopened bottles somewhere cool and dark, and open only one at a time.