Seeds Free Basil & Olive Tapenade
Rich, briny olives meet fragrant basil and bright lemon in a spread that feels like it belongs on a sun-drenched Mediterranean table. Both Kalamata and green olives bring their own distinct character here — one deep and earthy, the other a little sharper — and together they create a tapenade with real complexity. A touch of turmeric and fresh thyme push it somewhere unexpected without overwhelming the classic olive-and-herb foundation. The whole thing comes together in a food processor in just a few pulses, landing at that perfect coarse, spreadable texture that clings beautifully to crusty bread or crackers. Many store-bought tapenades sneak in capers or other seed-adjacent ingredients, so making your own gives you full control over what goes in the bowl. Drizzle it over roasted vegetables, swirl it into pasta, or serve it as part of a grazing spread — it's the kind of condiment that quietly steals the show every single time.
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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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