Vegan Pomegranate & Mint Olive Tapenade
This tapenade is the kind of appetizer that stops people mid-conversation — briny, bright, and just unexpected enough to feel special. The combination of Kalamata and green olives gives it a bold, layered saltiness, while pomegranate arils folded in by hand add little bursts of tart sweetness that play beautifully against the capers and cumin. Fresh mint and parsley keep everything lively, and a hit of lemon juice and zest ties the whole thing together with a clean, citrusy finish. Because every ingredient here is whole, plant-based, and easy to source, there's no need to scrutinize labels for hidden dairy or anything else that might sneak into store-bought versions. The food processor does the heavy lifting for the olive base, but the arils and herbs go in by hand so they stay intact and the colors stay gorgeous. A short chill in the fridge is all it takes for the flavors to meld into something that tastes like it took far more effort than it did. Serve it with crusty bread, crackers, or alongside roasted vegetables and watch it disappear.
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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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