Capsaicin Free Olive Tapenade
Rich, briny, and bursting with Mediterranean flavor, this olive tapenade is the kind of spread that makes a simple cracker or slice of crusty bread feel like something special. Kalamata and green olives come together with capers, fresh herbs, lemon, and garlic for a bold, complex paste that takes just minutes to pull off in a food processor. For anyone avoiding capsaicin, the recipe is naturally free of hot peppers — the red pepper flakes listed are explicitly optional and easy to leave out entirely, so you get all the depth and punch without any heat. Black pepper provides a gentle, earthy bite that keeps things interesting without crossing into spicy territory. A quick pulse in the food processor is all it takes to bring everything together into a rough, textured spread that still has personality and chew. It's equally at home on a charcuterie board, stirred into pasta, or dolloped over roasted vegetables. Make a batch ahead of time and keep it in the fridge — the flavors only get better as they meld.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 1 cup pitted kalamata olives
- ½ cup pitted green olives
- 2 tbsp capers, drained
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Can be omittedred pepper flakes
Instructions
- 1
Combine the Kalamata olives, green olives, capers, garlic, parsley, thyme, lemon zest, lemon juice, and black pepper in the bowl of a food processor.
- 2
Pulse 8–10 times until the mixture is coarsely chopped and no large olive pieces remain, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula as needed.
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