Mushroom Free Pomegranate & Mint Olive Tapenade
Briny, bright, and just a little unexpected, this olive spread gets a stunning upgrade from juicy pomegranate arils and a generous handful of fresh mint. The combination of Kalamata and green olives gives it real depth, while capers, lemon zest, and a touch of cumin layer in complexity that makes it taste like something you'd find at a Mediterranean mezze table. Because the pomegranate arils and herbs are folded in by hand at the end — never blitzed — every bite has little bursts of sweetness and flecks of green that keep the whole thing feeling alive and fresh. Traditional tapenades can sometimes sneak in anchovy paste or other add-ins that complicate things, but this one keeps the ingredient list clean and entirely plant-based without sacrificing any of the bold, savory character you'd want. A short rest in the fridge is all it takes for the flavors to come together into something that tastes like it took far more effort than it did. Serve it with crusty bread, crackers, or spooned over grilled vegetables, and don't skip that final squeeze of lemon — it wakes everything up beautifully.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 1 ½ cups pitted kalamata olives
- ½ cup pitted green olives
- ½ cup pomegranate arils
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp capers, drained
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, loosely packed
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the Kalamata olives, green olives, capers, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, black pepper, and cumin in a food processor. Pulse 8–10 times until the mixture is coarsely chopped and no whole olives remain, but the texture is still chunky — not a smooth paste.
- 2
Add the extra virgin olive oil and pulse 3–4 more times until the oil is incorporated and the tapenade holds together loosely.
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