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    Whip & Wander » Recipes » Appetizers & Bites

    Published: Feb 12, 2019 · Modified: Sep 21, 2022 by Jenni · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Olive Tapenade

    This page may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure policy for details.
    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe
    a closeup of large olives and parsley resting in a white dish filled with Olive Tapenade
    a gold spoon in a white bowl filled with olives, parsley, and Olive Tapenade
    a hand holding a white bowl filled with Olive Tapenade over the top of a wood surface and a blue towel
    a white dish filled with Olive Tapenade resting next to some lemons, a baguette, and dark blue towel
    a white bowl containing Olive Tapenade, olives, and italian aprsley with a gold spoon resting int he dish with a baguette near the bowl and olives resting on the side
    olives, Olive Tapenade, and parsley in a white dish with a gold spoon resting in it
    a hand holding a gold spoon in a dish of Olive Tapenade in a white bowl and two lemons resting nearby

    Olive Tapenade in a white bowl with a blue towel, two lemons, and a baguette nearby

    Minimal effort, high reward

    I love having a few "super impressive - but nearly zero effort went into this - dishes" in my back pocket to bring to gatherings. Mostly because I love delicious food, but also because I appreciate having my ego fluffed while doing the bare minimum (the person that replenishes the chip bowl will always be a hero in my eyes). This Olive Tapenade fits the "super impressive, minimal effort" description to a T. It's the kind of dish that you can spend less than 10 minutes on, but will always be met with "oohs" and "ahs" and "oh, you fancy!" comments from anyone who eats it at said gatherings.

    This Olive Tapenade combines the briny umami of green and Kalamata olives with a punchy hit of citrus, garlic, and red pepper that seems to go well with just about everything it's paired with.

    Olive Tapenade in a white bowl with a gold spoon resting in it and a baguette sliced nearby

    closeup of Olive Tapenade in a white dish resting on a dark blue towel

    What to serve this Olive Tapenade with

    While I love eating this Olive Tapenade with a simple baguette or flatbread, it's also a fantastic way to amplify and elevate so many other dishes.

    I love to use this recipe in my Pasta with Olive Tapenade, a rich and hearty meatless dish that even the most carnivorous eaters will gladly go veg for the evening for. Another favorite way that I love to serve this dish is with thick and tangy labneh cheese and garlic roasted cauliflower (recipe coming soon!). If you find yourself making this Olive Tapenade on repeat and want to stuff it into everything (because it's just that good), I can vouch that it's really lovely packed into sandwiches (muffuletta anyone?), tossed in salads, as a topper for chicken breasts and pork roasts, and unreasonably good on eggs.

    a hand holding a white bowl full of Olive Tapenade about to set it down on a wooden surface with a dark blue towel

    finely chopped olives in a white dish with a gold spoon

    What tools do I need to make this recipe?

    • A food processor
    • A chefs knife (optional for pit safety check)
    • Measuring cups and spoons
    • A citrus zester/microplane

    Are you looking to upgrade to your cooking tools or replenish your pantry? Check out my kitchen tools shop page and pantry staples shop page to find my must-have kitchen tools, pantry items, and other Whip & Wander favorites.

    A note for special diets

    This Olive Tapenade is grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, and friendly for Paleo, Low-Fodmap, Whole30, and Keto diets. The net carb count for a generous ¼ cup serving is only 6 grams.

    a hand spooning Olive Tapenade from a white dish

    a gold spoon resting in a dish of Olive Tapenade in a white bowl with two lemons nearby

    Print
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    Olive Tapenade in a white bowl with a blue towel, two lemons, and a baguette nearby

    Olive Tapenade

    ★★★★★ 5 from 31 reviews
    • Author: Whip & Wander
    • Prep Time: 8 minutes
    • Total Time: 8 minutes
    • Yield: 10 servings 1x
    • Category: Appetizers & Bites
    • Method: No-Cook
    • Cuisine: French
    • Diet: Gluten Free
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    This Olive Tapenade is a fancy, yet easy, appetizer that takes less than 10 minutes to prepare. This recipe fits Paleo, Whole30, Low-FODMAP, and Keto diets.


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 223 g (about 1 ½ cup) pimento-stuffed green olives (Manzanilla)
    • 138 g (about 1 cup) pitted kalamata olives
    • 34 g (2 tbsp) non-pareil capers
    • 15g (about ¼ cup) flat-leaf Italian parsley
    • zest of 1 large lemon
    • 2 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil (may sub 2 tbsp olive oil + 2 minced garlic cloves)
    • ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
    • ¼ tsp cracked black pepper

    Instructions

    1. I like to start by doing a quick safety check on the kalamata olives for remaining pits by slicing each one in half before adding to my food processor. Although I purchase olives that have been labeled pre-pitted, I almost always find one olive in the bunch that still has it's pit (no matter what olive bar I buy them from). Though this is an additional step, its totally worth the extra couple minutes because you definitely don't want a pit in your lovely tapenade.
    2. Add all ingredients to your food processor and pulse on your lowest setting until the mixture is chunky and resembles gravel. My machine has three settings low, high, and manual pulse. I like to use the latter so that I am literally just giving the mixture a series of quick pulses like flicking a light switch off and on until it's reached the desired consistency. If you prefer a smoother, spreadable tapenade you can pulse for longer, but I like mine to be quite gravelly.
    3. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge.

    Notes

    Nutritional information on Whip & Wander is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.


    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: ¼ cup
    • Calories: 122
    • Sodium: 1145 mg
    • Fat: 12 g
    • Carbohydrates: 6 g

    Keywords: Olive Tapenade, kalamata olives, green olives

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Anne Lawton says

      April 11, 2020 at 12:24 pm

      I have not made tapanade from scratch even though I love it. It looks so easy to make, I pinned so I can make it real soon!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    2. jennifer says

      April 10, 2020 at 5:46 am

      Well this lovely tapenade is amazing on nearly everything --- I'm making it for a fish topping this weekend.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    3. Donny says

      April 09, 2020 at 2:21 pm

      Love olive tapenade but never made it at home. This looks so fresh and more flavorful so I have to try it!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    4. Alisha Rodrigues says

      April 01, 2019 at 3:17 am

      I have a lot of green olives in my kitchen but never thought of making something like this one. To me, olives are always something you can top onto a pizza, burger or sandwich. This one looks so interesting and a must try as my family loves olives

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    5. Daniela says

      March 31, 2019 at 8:56 pm

      Wowie I can just imagine how flavorful this must be! Would be a stellar app! Thanks so much for sharing :).

      Reply
    6. Sharon says

      March 31, 2019 at 2:12 pm

      This olive tapenade is just the recipe I've been looking for dinner parties. This would be perfect for a pre-dinner appetizer.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    7. Deseree says

      March 30, 2019 at 5:40 am

      Oh. My. Goodness! I can't wait to make this tonight! I love olives and so do all my friends. We are having a game night, so this will be perfect!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Whip & Wander says

        March 30, 2019 at 1:35 pm

        I hope you and your friends love this tapenade. What a great addition to game night!

        Reply
    8. Claire | The Simple, Sweet Life says

      March 29, 2019 at 7:08 pm

      This looks so delicious and easy, while also looking totally upscale! I'm doing an Italian potluck with some friends so I'm definitely going to have to add this to the line up for what I'm bringing!

      Reply
      • Whip & Wander says

        March 30, 2019 at 1:36 pm

        I hope you do. It's the perfect addition for an Italian potluck!

        Reply
    9. Colleen says

      March 29, 2019 at 10:26 am

      I love tapenade, it's so delicious and it's super easy to make. Next time I'm going to use both green and black olives like you did here. It's so pretty!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    10. Rachel says

      March 26, 2019 at 10:58 am

      I always forget to put the blade in the food processor! Haha I'm happy I'm not alone! Also, love this recipe because it is simple and delicious but has a fancy feel to it. It's the perfect app or starter for a dinner or cocktail party. Definitely using this one!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    11. Jacquelyn Hastert says

      March 26, 2019 at 7:01 am

      I love all things olives! I can't wait to make this I know it will be a hit at our house.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    12. Sherri says

      March 26, 2019 at 5:20 am

      I will admit I am guilty of forgetting the blade too! I'm trying to get better at remembering, though. Your tapenade looks fabulous! I looooove olives, so I'd probably be eating it by the spoonful! So many possibilities for it!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    13. Katherine | Love In My Oven says

      March 25, 2019 at 8:00 pm

      I'm picturing myself making this during a summer bbq this year. I adore olive tapenade! Can you believe I had it for the first time at a Safeway? Hah! I didn't know what it was but it was delicious! Yours looks great!

      Reply
    14. Jo says

      March 03, 2019 at 5:14 am

      Olives are amazing, aren't they! I completely love this recipe. Tapenade looks colorful and the trick of using both green and black olives is amazing!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    15. Emmeline says

      March 03, 2019 at 3:42 am

      I am addicted to tapenade and this looks like a great recipe for it! I love that you use both green & black olives - stealing that trick 😉

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    16. April says

      March 02, 2019 at 7:10 pm

      I love being met with "oohs" and "ahs" which also means that I will love this recipe - no doubt! 🙂 And the fact that I can make olive tapenade in less than 10 minutes is just what I like to hear!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    17. Melissa says

      March 02, 2019 at 5:56 pm

      Yes, yes, yes to all of it!!!! I love a good tapenade, and I have to be honest, I have never had one with parsley in it!!! Sounds so incredibly good, and I love the addition of the capers as well, definitely trying this!

      Reply
    18. Priya Srinivasan says

      March 02, 2019 at 7:49 am

      Me too in forget the blade club!!! 🙂 This tapenade looks totally delish, love such simple recipes where there is no much preps and your machine does the rest of the job!!! Would love to try someday!

      Reply
    19. Kylee from Kylee Cooks says

      March 02, 2019 at 5:05 am

      This is the perfect entertaining recipe. Plus, the leftovers can be repurposed (like there'd be any) for a tasty topping on grilled meats! (or pasta, like you said)

      ★★★★★

      Reply
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