Vegetarian Basil & Olive Tapenade
This vibrant spread is packed with bold Mediterranean flavor — briny Kalamata and green olives blended with fresh basil, garlic, lemon, and a whisper of thyme into a coarse, glossy paste that clings beautifully to everything it touches. The unexpected pinch of turmeric adds a subtle warmth and a gorgeous golden undertone that makes this tapenade look as good as it tastes. Everything comes together in a food processor with just a few pulses, so you get real texture rather than a smooth, featureless purée. Patting the olives dry before blending is the kind of small step that makes a big difference, keeping the final spread thick and scoopable rather than watery. Drizzle it over crusty bread, swipe it across a flatbread, or spoon it alongside roasted vegetables — it earns its place on any table. Since every ingredient here is whole, plant-based, and easy to source, there's no label-scanning or substitution stress involved. Make a batch, keep it in the fridge, and watch it disappear faster than you expected.
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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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