Xanthan Gum Free Olive Tapenade
Bold, briny, and bursting with Mediterranean flavor, this olive tapenade comes together in minutes with nothing more than a food processor and a handful of pantry staples. Kalamata and green olives team up with capers, fresh herbs, lemon zest, and a generous pour of extra virgin olive oil for a spread that tastes like it came straight from a coastal trattoria. The technique is beautifully simple — a few pulses to get that coarse, rustic texture, then a slow drizzle of olive oil to bring it all together into a rough, spreadable paste with real character. Every single ingredient here is naturally free of thickeners and binders, so there's no need to scrutinize labels or swap anything out. This is one of those recipes where the clean ingredient list is just a bonus on top of how genuinely delicious the result is. Slather it on crusty bread, spoon it over grilled fish, or use it as a bold dip for crudités — it holds up beautifully in the fridge, so making a batch ahead is always a smart move.
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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)
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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