Nitrate & Nitrite Free Garlic-Herb Olive Tapenade
Two kinds of olives — buttery Castelvetrano and briny Kalamata — come together with a generous handful of fresh herbs to create a spread that tastes like it came straight from a Mediterranean market stall. The garlic, thyme, rosemary, parsley, and bright lemon zest layer up into something deeply savory and aromatic, with a rough, textured consistency that clings beautifully to crusty bread or crackers. A splash of apple cider vinegar lifts the whole thing and keeps the flavors lively without relying on any cured or preserved meats that often sneak unwanted additives into traditional tapenade recipes. Every single ingredient here is clean and whole, so you know exactly what you're spreading on your plate. The food processor does most of the work in just a few quick pulses, making this an incredibly low-effort recipe with a seriously impressive payoff. Torn fresh basil stirred in at the end adds one more layer of fragrance if you want to push it even further. Spoon it over grilled vegetables, tuck it into a sandwich, or serve it as part of a grazing board — it disappears fast either way.
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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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