Artificial Flavors Free Vegan Crispy Olive Tapenade with Smoked Paprika
Briny, smoky, and deeply savory, this olive tapenade is the kind of appetizer that disappears from the table before you've even finished setting it out. Kalamata and green olives are blended with capers, garlic, fresh lemon, and smoked paprika into a rough, spreadable paste that's bold without being one-note. The real magic is the crispy olive topping — sliced Kalamata rounds roasted at high heat until their edges shrivel and firm up, adding a satisfying crunch to every bite. Every single ingredient here is whole and recognizable, so there's no need to squint at a label wondering what "natural flavoring" actually means. The entire recipe leans on real pantry staples and fresh aromatics, letting the quality of the olives and that gorgeous smoked paprika do all the heavy lifting. Pile it onto crackers or sliced baguette and finish with a drizzle of good olive oil — it's effortlessly impressive and completely from scratch.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the tapenade
- 1 cup pitted kalamata olives, drained and patted dry
- ½ cup pitted green olives, drained and patted dry
- 2 tbsp capers, drained
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For the crispy topping
- ⅓ cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced into rounds
- 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
For serving
- 1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)
- crackers or sliced baguette, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 2
Toss the sliced Kalamata olives for the crispy topping with 1 tsp olive oil and 1/4 tsp smoked paprika, then spread them in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 18–22 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the edges are shriveled and the slices feel dry and slightly firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan — they will crisp further as they cool.
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