Walnut Free Pomegranate & Mint Olive Tapenade
Tapenade is one of those spreads that looks impressive on a board but comes together in minutes, and this version takes the classic in a genuinely exciting direction. Briny Kalamata and green olives get pulsed with capers, garlic, lemon, and a warm hint of cumin, then folded by hand with juicy pomegranate arils and fresh mint so every bite has a little burst of sweetness against all that savory depth. The hand-folding step is key — it keeps the arils whole and the herbs vivid green rather than blitzed into mush. Many store-bought tapenades sneak in walnuts or other tree nuts for texture, so making your own is the cleanest way to keep things safe without sacrificing anything. This recipe delivers all the richness and complexity you'd want from a good tapenade using nothing but olives, olive oil, and bright, fresh add-ins. A short chill in the fridge lets the flavors meld into something that tastes like it took far more effort than it did. Serve it with crusty bread, crackers, or alongside grilled vegetables and watch it disappear fast.
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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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