Name: Olive Tapenade
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 3
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 ½ cup mixed pitted olives such as black, kalamata, or green, drained; 2 tablespoons capers, drained; 2 cloves garlic; 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves; 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, about 1/2 a lemon; 1/4 cup olive oil; A few grinds of black pepper

This recipe is for all of the olive lovers out there! This Olive Tapenade Recipe isn’t just delicious but its an easy no-cook appetizer and spread that only takes a few minutes to make!

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Olive Tapenade

I love olives. Like completely adore them, I’m honestly surprised I don’t have more olive recipes on this blog. I mean I do have Pasta Puttanesca which is loaded with olives and capers, and my Cuban Picadillo does have a healthy does of green olives. But nothing compares to Olive Tapenade.

This Olive Tapenade really celebrates olives and their unique brininess.

Originally from the south of France Olive tapenade is mashed olives and capers. Over time some variations include the addition of anchovies, some do not. Many started including the use of herbs and seasonings, which this one does.

One of the nice parts of making a batch of olive tapenade is that it can be used in many different ways and it keeps well in the fridge for quite some time. I have grown accustomed during recipe testing this to have tapenade and crackers for an afternoon snack and it is absolutely delightful.

Tapenade makes a great appetizer served with toast or crackers, but it is also fantastic overtop a nice piece of protein as a way to elevate a meal. You can even try it with pasta for a quick lunch or even on a delicious sandwich!

Olive Tapenade also would pair fantastically with this recipe for how to make bruschetta. And let’s not forget this would be a fantastic addition to any charcuterie board.

Overhead view of a wooden serving platter with pieces of toast and a bowl filled with homemade olive tapenade.

Ingredients

Mixed Pitted Olives – These can be any combination of black, kalamata, or green olives. You will want to make sure that the olives are drained.
Capers – Did you know capers are immature unripe flowers from the capers bush? These bushes naturally grow in the Mediterranean. Once capers are prepared they have the brininess of olives but with a more lemony floral taste.
Fresh Garlic – Just a little fresh garlic to flavor the tapenade.
Fresh Parsley – Some fresh parsley helps balance out the brininess and adds a good flavor as well, in a pinch you could use dried parsley instead but fresh is definitely best.
Fresh Lemon Juice – About 1/2 of an average sized lemon.
Olive Oil – You will want a good tasting olive oil, since nothing is being cooked the buttery flavor of the olive oil will come through in the dish.
Black Pepper -And just a few cracks of freshly ground black pepper.

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

Ingredients needed to make olive tapenade including black, green, and Kalamata olives.

Instructions

Add all of the ingredients to a food processor.

Pulse the food processor 6 to 7 times until everything is chopped and combined.

Transfer to a bowl for serving or and airtight container for storing.

Collage of a food processor showing the ingredients for olive tapenade getting added to the processor including olives, garlic, capers, and parsley.

A food processor open with freshly processed olive tapenade.

tips, tricks and questions

For your olive tapenade you can made it as chunky or as smooth as you please. Some prefer more of a paste consistency, in which you will want to leave it in the food processor longer. Some prefer it more chunky, just pulse it a little less in the food processor.

What do you eat with tapenade?

Tapenade is great served with cracker, pita chips, or toasted bread. Try serving it over toasts for Tapenade Bruschetta.

It can also be enjoyed on top of pastas or even served with vegetables. It also is a great topping for hummus or other dips like whipped feta.

What is a traditional tapenade made of?

Tapenade comes from the south of France. At its origin it consists of olives and capers, other ingredients also added are olive oil, herbs/spices, lemon, and sometimes anchovies.

Some variations and additions you can make to tapenade:

Anchovies or anchovy paste
Sun Dried Tomatoes
Add some nuts like pistachios or walnuts

How long does olive tapenade last?

2 weeks if stored properly in the fridge. Make sure you use a container with a lid. I find it helps to give it a good stir before using.

I find that a 15 ounce can of black olives is roughly 1 ½ cups. So I typically will use one can of drained black olives and then about 1/2 cup of kalamata and green olives when I make it for myself. You can really mix this amount up though to what you like.

Close up of a white and yellow bowl filled with colorful olive tapenade.

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Yield: 3 cups

Olive Tapenade

This recipe is for all of the olive lovers out there! This Olive Tapenade Recipe isn't just delicious but its an easy no-cook appetizer and spread that only takes a few minutes to make!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes