Pecan Free Pomegranate & Mint Olive Tapenade
This tapenade is a showstopper — briny, bright, and just a little unexpected thanks to the burst of pomegranate arils folded in at the end. The combination of Kalamata and green olives gives it real depth, while capers, lemon zest, and a touch of cumin keep every bite lively and complex. Folding the pomegranate and fresh mint in by hand rather than blending them is the move that makes this recipe special — the arils stay juicy and whole, and the herbs keep their vivid color and fragrance. A quick chill in the fridge lets all those bold flavors settle into each other beautifully. Many store-bought tapenades sneak in nuts or are processed on shared equipment, so making your own from scratch means you know exactly what's in the bowl. Serve it with crusty bread, spread it over grilled chicken, or spoon it onto a cheese board — it's versatile enough to anchor an entire appetizer spread. A final squeeze of lemon right before serving wakes everything up and makes it taste impossibly fresh.
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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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