Fish Free Garlic-Herb Olive Tapenade
Traditional tapenade recipes almost always call for anchovies, which makes finding a fish-free version trickier than it sounds — most store-bought jars are off the table entirely. This version skips the anchovies without sacrificing any of the bold, savory depth you'd expect, leaning instead on two types of olives and a generous handful of fresh herbs to do the heavy lifting. Buttery Castelvetrano olives bring a mild, fruity sweetness that balances beautifully against the briny punch of Kalamata, while garlic, thyme, rosemary, and lemon zest layer in complexity at every turn. A splash of apple cider vinegar adds just enough brightness to tie it all together. The food processor does most of the work in under a minute of pulsing, and the result is a rough, textured spread that looks and tastes genuinely impressive. Pile it onto crusty bread, swirl it into pasta, or spoon it over roasted vegetables — it's endlessly versatile and keeps well in the fridge for easy snacking all week.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 1 cup pitted castelvetrano olives
- ½ cup pitted kalamata olives
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 tsp fresh lemon zest
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
- 1 tbsp fresh basil leaves, torn (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the Castelvetrano olives, Kalamata olives, garlic, parsley, thyme, rosemary, and lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 8–10 times, until the mixture is coarsely chopped and no whole olives remain.
- 2
Add the olive oil and apple cider vinegar, then pulse 4–6 more times until the tapenade reaches a rough, spreadable consistency — it should still have visible texture, not be a smooth paste.
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