This olive tapenade recipe is an easy appetizer stuffed with daring, briny taste! Serve this French unfold with bread or on crostini.

In terms of easy and satisfying appetizers, this one’s on the prime of our record. This Olive Tapenade recipe takes simply 5 minutes and explodes with pure Mediterranean taste! This conventional French unfold is made with olives and capers, and the salty, briny taste is otherworldly. Unfold a smear on bread or a crunchy crostini, and the savory pop transports you proper to the South of France. This straightforward appetizer is ideal for anytime, although we find it irresistible greatest in the summertime for straightforward dinners and picnics.
Elements in olive tapenade
Tapenade is a conventional French unfold made with olives, capers and anchovies that originated within the Provence area of Southern France. It’s a preferred French meals eaten on bread or crostini, or as a sandwich unfold, with fish, and different methods. The phrase tapenade comes from the French phrase tapenas, which implies capers. Olive spreads just like tapenade are standard in different Mediterranean cuisines as properly, like Italian and Greek (a Greek variation is named pasta elias).
Tapenade offers me fond reminiscences discovering this tasty unfold on a visit to Southern France, and it’s a meals that’s at all times given me carefree, summer time vibes. Listed here are the substances in a basic French tapenade recipe:
- Olives: conventional are French Niçoise olives; they’re laborious to seek out within the US so we like a mixture of Kalamata and ripe black olives
- Capers
- Anchovy paste (optionally available)
- Garlic
- Parsley
- Olive oil

Sorts of olives to make use of
Historically a tapenade recipe makes use of French Niçoise olives, however they’re laborious to seek out right here within the US. Kalamata olives are an in depth substitute, however they’ve a stronger taste. So, we like utilizing a mix of olives right here to spherical out the flavour! Right here’s what to search for:
- Use a mixture of pitted ripe black olives and Kalamata olives. These olives have a milder, rounder taste to stability out salty Kalamata olives. Search for the cans which have complete olives.
- You need to use all Kalamata olives in the event you like, however remember that it makes a fair saltier, extra one-note unfold. We advocate a mixture if in any respect attainable.
- Or, use no matter olives are your favourite! Castelvetrano olives are a favourite inexperienced olive of ours, and it makes a pleasant distinction to the darkish purple Kalamata.
Use anchovy paste for conventional, or omit for vegan
Olive tapenade is historically made with anchovies, so we’ve known as for anchovy paste right here. Nevertheless, you possibly can completely depart it out and it’s simply nearly as good! Listed here are some notes on working with anchovy paste:
- Anchovies are a conventional Mediterranean ingredient that provides daring, savory taste to recipes. For instance, it’s a basic ingredient in Caesar dressing.
- You could find anchovy paste in your native grocery in a tube, then retailer it in your fridge for as much as 18 months.
- Omit anchovy paste for vegan! In case you’d like, you possibly can add a bit extra salt to compensate for the saltiness of the anchovies. However relying on the kind of olives you employ, it’s possible you’ll not want it.

How one can serve tapenade
All it’s important to do to make tapenade? Mix up the substances in a meals processor. In simply 5 minutes, you have got an excellent unfold that’s utterly versatile for appetizers, sandwiches, and extra. (Actually, My greatest good friend lately threw a celebration for me with Salmon Caesar Salad and crostini with tapenade and it was perfection!) Listed here are a couple of methods to serve olive tapenade:
How do you intend to your use your tapenade? Tell us within the feedback under.
Simpler appetizer recipes
Throwing a celebration? Or just desire a tasty appetizer or pre-meal snack? This tapenade recipe is ideal for straightforward summer time entertaining or as fast finger meals. Listed here are a couple of extra straightforward appetizer recipes you’ll love:
This olive tapenade recipe is…
Gluten-free and dairy-free. With out the optionally available anchovies, it’s vegetarian, vegan, and plant-based.
Description
This olive tapenade recipe is an easy appetizer stuffed with daring, briny taste! Serve this French unfold with bread or on crostini.
- ¾ cup ripe black olives, pitted*
- ¾ cup Kalamata olives, pitted
- 1 tablespoon capers, drained
- ½ teaspoon anchovy paste (optionally available for vegan**)
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced into a couple of items
- 1 small handful recent parsley (or recent basil or thyme)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Place the olives, capers, anchovy paste, garlic, and parsley in a meals processor. Pulse till roughly chopped. Scrape down the bowl. Then activate the processor and drizzle within the olive oil till a chunky paste varieties.
- Eat instantly or retailer as much as 2 weeks refrigerated. Carry to room temperature earlier than serving.
Notes
*We like utilizing a mix of olives for a sturdy taste. Search for ripe black olives, which have a extra delicate, rounder taste to stability the salty Kalamatas. In case you can’t discover them you need to use all Kalamata olives, but it surely makes a fair saltier unfold.
**In case you omit the anchovy paste, you possibly can add salt to style: however tapenade could also be salty sufficient as is relying on the olives you employ. Or, add 2 tablespoons sundried tomatoes to the combo.
- Class: Appetizer
- Methodology: Blended
- Delicacies: French impressed
- Eating regimen: Gluten Free
Key phrases: Tapenade, olive tapenade, olive tapenade recipe, tapenade recipe