MSG Free Castelvetrano Olive Tapenade
Bright, briny, and deeply savory, this olive tapenade is the kind of condiment that makes everything it touches taste more interesting. The buttery, mild Castelvetrano olives do the heavy lifting here, softening the sharper edge of the Kalamatas into something rich and balanced rather than aggressively salty. Fresh parsley and thyme keep the whole thing tasting alive and herbaceous, while a splash of apple cider vinegar and a little lemon zest cut through the fat just enough to keep you reaching for another bite. Store-bought spreads and jarred tapenades are notorious for sneaking in flavor enhancers and additives, so making your own with whole, recognizable ingredients is genuinely the smarter move. A food processor does all the real work in under five minutes, and the rough, rustic texture you get from pulsing — rather than blending — is exactly what makes it so satisfying to spread. Pile it onto crusty bread, swirl it into pasta, or spoon it over grilled fish; this one earns its place in the regular rotation fast.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 1 cup pitted castelvetrano olives
- ½ cup pitted kalamata olives
- 2 tbsp capers, drained and rinsed
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
- 1 tsp lemon zest (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the Castelvetrano olives, Kalamata olives, capers, garlic, parsley, and thyme in the bowl of a food processor.
- 2
Pulse 8–10 times, until the mixture is coarsely chopped and no large olive pieces remain — the texture should be rough and spreadable, not a smooth paste.
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