Seed Oil Free Garlic-Herb Olive Tapenade
Rich, briny, and loaded with fresh herbs, this garlic-herb olive tapenade is the kind of condiment that makes everything it touches taste more interesting. Castelvetrano olives bring a buttery mildness that balances the deeper, more intense Kalamata variety, while rosemary, thyme, parsley, and a hit of lemon zest keep every bite bright and aromatic. The whole thing comes together in a food processor in just a few pulses — you're aiming for a rough, textured spread, not a smooth paste, which gives it that rustic, homemade character. Extra-virgin olive oil is the only fat here, which means you're completely clear of the industrial seed oils that sneak into so many store-bought spreads and dips. A splash of apple cider vinegar ties it all together with just enough acidity to make the flavors pop. Serve it on crusty bread, spoon it over grilled chicken, or use it as a bold base for a cheese board — it's endlessly versatile and genuinely hard to stop eating.
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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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