Chicken Free Basil & Olive Tapenade
This vibrant spread is built entirely from the Mediterranean pantry — briny Kalamata and green olives, a generous handful of fresh basil, garlic, lemon, and a whisper of thyme and turmeric that gives it a subtle, unexpected warmth. Everything comes together in a food processor in just a few pulses, making it one of those recipes that feels far more impressive than the effort involved. The trick of patting the olives dry before blending keeps the texture coarse and spreadable rather than watery, so every scoop holds its shape beautifully on a spoon or a cracker. That drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil at the end ties it all together with a silky richness that store-bought versions rarely achieve. Spread it over crusty bread, swirl it into pasta, or serve it alongside roasted vegetables — it's endlessly versatile and completely plant-based by nature, with no animal proteins anywhere in sight. The lemon zest and fresh basil keep the flavor bright and lively, balancing the deep saltiness of the olives in a way that makes it genuinely hard to stop eating.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 1 cup pitted kalamata olives
- ½ cup pitted green olives
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
Instructions
- 1
Drain the Kalamata and green olives and pat them dry with a paper towel — excess brine will make the tapenade watery.
- 2
Combine the olives, basil, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, thyme, and turmeric in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 8–10 times until the mixture is roughly chopped and no large olive pieces remain.
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