Shellfish 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 — come together with fresh parsley, thyme, rosemary, and a bright hit of lemon zest for a spread that feels effortlessly Mediterranean. A splash of apple cider vinegar lifts the whole thing, keeping it from tasting too heavy or one-note. The food processor does most of the work in under a minute, and you're left with a rough, textured paste that's far more satisfying than anything you'd find in a jar at the store. Tapenade from the grocery shelf can sometimes contain anchovy paste or other seafood-based ingredients, so making it from scratch here means you know exactly what went in. Smear it on 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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