Lactose Free Vegan Crispy Olive Tapenade with Smoked Paprika
This bold, briny spread is the kind of appetizer that disappears fast — deeply savory from two types of olives and capers, with a smoky warmth from smoked paprika that makes every bite feel a little more complex than you'd expect from something so simple to pull together. The real magic is the crispy topping: sliced Kalamata olives roasted until their edges shrivel and firm up, adding a satisfying crunch that contrasts beautifully with the smooth, spreadable base underneath. Everything in this recipe is naturally plant-based and completely free of dairy, so there's no swapping or substituting required — it just works as written. The food processor does the heavy lifting on the tapenade itself, pulsing olives, capers, garlic, lemon zest, and olive oil into a rough, textured paste that's rustic and gorgeous on a board. A drizzle of good extra-virgin olive oil and a scatter of fresh parsley finish it off with a little brightness. Pile it onto crackers or sliced baguette and watch it become the first thing gone at any gathering.
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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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