Turkey Free Pomegranate & Mint Olive Tapenade
This tapenade is a showstopper on any spread — briny, bright, and just a little unexpected thanks to the burst of pomegranate arils folded in at the end. Two kinds of olives, capers, garlic, and a hit of lemon build a deeply savory base, while fresh mint and a whisper of cumin push it somewhere genuinely exciting. The trick is keeping the food processor work minimal so you get a chunky, rustic texture rather than a muddy paste, and stirring in the pomegranate and herbs by hand so they stay vivid and intact. After a short rest in the fridge, the flavors meld into something that tastes like it took far more effort than it actually did. It's naturally free of poultry in any form — no hidden meat-based ingredients, no stock, nothing to second-guess — just clean, plant-forward pantry staples doing all the heavy lifting. Serve it with warm pita, spread it over crostini, or spoon it alongside roasted vegetables for an instant upgrade. Don't skip the final taste-and-adjust step; a small squeeze of lemon right before serving makes everything pop.
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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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