Almond Free Ginger-Lime Olive Tapenade
Briny, bold, and brightened with a twist you won't see coming, this tapenade swaps the usual Mediterranean predictability for a punchy hit of fresh ginger and lime zest that makes the whole thing feel alive. Two kinds of olives — Kalamata and green — give it depth and a little color contrast, while capers and garlic keep the savory backbone firmly in place. The food processor does the heavy lifting, but the key is keeping the texture rough and spreadable rather than blitzed into oblivion, so every bite still has character. A short rest at room temperature before serving isn't just a suggestion — it's where the magic happens, letting the ginger and citrus fully bloom into the olives. Store-bought tapenades can be a minefield of unexpected add-ins, but this one is built entirely from straightforward, easy-to-verify ingredients with no nuts anywhere near the recipe. Pile it onto crusty bread, spoon it over grilled fish, or use it as a punchy condiment on a cheese board — it pulls its weight in every direction.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 1 cup pitted kalamata olives
- ½ cup pitted green olives
- 2 tbsp capers, drained
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 1 tsp lime zest (from about 1 lime)
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 small garlic clove, roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the Kalamata olives, green olives, capers, garlic, grated ginger, lime zest, lime juice, and black pepper in the bowl of a food processor.
- 2
Pulse 8–10 times, until the mixture is coarsely chopped and no whole olives remain — the texture should be rough and spreadable, not a smooth paste.
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