Mushroom Free Garlic-Herb Olive Tapenade
Briny, herby, and deeply savory, this olive tapenade is the kind of condiment that makes everything it touches taste more interesting. Two varieties of olives — buttery Castelvetrano and bold Kalamata — get pulsed together with fresh parsley, thyme, rosemary, and lemon zest for a spread that's layered with flavor without being fussy. A splash of apple cider vinegar and good extra-virgin olive oil tie it all together, giving the finished tapenade a bright, balanced edge. The food processor does most of the work, and the whole thing comes together in just a few pulses — you're aiming for rough and textured, not smooth, so it's genuinely hard to over-think. Store-bought tapenades can be a minefield of unexpected add-ins, but every ingredient here is straightforward and easy to verify. Serve it slathered on crusty bread, spooned over roasted vegetables, or tucked alongside cheese for a crowd-pleasing appetizer that looks far more impressive than the effort required.
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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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