Green olive tapenade is a savory, flavorful paste or spread or dip that takes only five minutes to whip up. Delicious with a hint of umami, this recipe is made with fresh parsley and is without anchovies and without oil. A delicious paste, appetizer, dip, or spread.
Green olive tapenade uses including spread on toast, piling on a sandwich bun, or even just as a dip for crackers and fresh vegetables. My family brunch tables tend to be ladened with such flavorful dishes like this green olive tapenade recipe as well as my herbal stuffed mushrooms and my Italian seasoned chickpea meatballs.
What is Green Olive Tapenade?
Green olive tapenade is a paste made of olives. Mine is a green olive tapenade without anchovies and instead includes parsley, capers, lemon juice and garlic. Traditionally tapenades include anchovies and olive oil, but since green olive tapenade is vegan, fish aren't allowed. I also chose to leave off oil to make a lighter tapenade and it worked wonderfully.
Whether using this paste as a spread, dip or to boost the flavor of salads or main dishes, this tapenade explodes in the mouth with salty, meaty olive flavors.
Why You'll Love This
A spread full of flavor. This green olive recipe is delicious. Whether used as a sandwich spread or as a marinade for your main meal, this is one explosion of flavor recipe. The green olives are sweet and buttery, the parsley is fresh and green, the capers add a touch of umami, and the garlic is, well, garlicky.
Easy beyond easy to make. Got 5 minutes? Blend up olives, parsley, lemon juice, garlic and capers and you've got the best green olive tapenade ever.
Super nutritious. The 5 ingredients of my green olive tapenade pack a powerful nutritious punch. Olives are super strong at blocking disease and supporting the heart thanks to antioxidants. Parsley and lemon are excellent detoxers, and immunity boosters.
Ingredients
Green Olives. I recommend Castelvetrano olives because they are sweeter and without olive oil, a fat, the olive you choose must be buttery and sweet. A budget choice is Manzanilla, more bitter but easier to find at supermarkets. Buy pitted and unstuffed with red pimentos, or anything similar.
Parsley. Use flat-leaf parsley, also called Italian parsley, because while the flavor is more pungent than curly parsley, the flat leaves are easier to clean, important since this dish is not cooked, and chops more smoothly allowing the tapenade to have a smoother texture.
Capers. A very tiny amount is enough to provide the unami flavor that anchovies normally do. Rinse to soften the briny flavor.
Lemon juice. To brighten the green flavor.
Garlic. Use fresh and hand-chop before adding to the processor.
Equipment Needed
- food processor or blender
- measuring cups, spoons
- strainer, to rinse capers
- 2-cup storage container
Step by Step Instructions
Here are general steps to make this recipe. For specific measurements and instructions, scroll down to the bottom of this post for the printable recipe card.
Step 1: Prepare ingredients. Drain the olives whether you bought them in jars or cans. Rinse the capers. Peel and chop 2 garlic cloves. Chop parsley roughly.
Step 2: Make olive tapenade. Add all ingredients to a food processor or a blender that purees pastes. Process for about 1-2 minutes. The texture will be chunky. If you don't want the paste to be oil-free, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil here and process briefly again.
Step 3: Use it on a sandwich, or as a dip or as a flavorful paste. See more green olive tapenade uses below.
Variations
Olive oil. Add a light virgin olive oil to the food processor for a richer, smoother flavor. Oil is a fat that leaves a smoother aftertaste. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to this recipe as you process the other ingredients.
Miso paste. You can boost the umami flavor by adding 1 tablespoon of white miso paste to the recipe while processing. You can either add it with the capers or leave the capers off the recipe for a less salty, but more umami flavor.
Lower salt tapenade. To make a lower salt version of green olive tapenade, rinse both the capers and green olives with fresh filtered water. Then soak them both for up to two hours, rinse again and use in the recipe. The soaking absorbs some of the salt out of the meat of the olives and capers.
Storage
Keep this green olive tapenade refrigerated in air-tight container for about two weeks. After that, freeze it in ice cube trays and store in freezer bags for up to three months. To thaw, put a few cubes in a jar in the refrigerator overnight or microwave to thaw.
Uses for Tapenade
- Spread it on bread or crackers or use as a sandwich condiment.
- Add to salads and soups for a flavor boost.
- Use as a dip for crackers and raw veggies.
- Spread on roasted vegetables or any main dish before or after cooking.
- Toss pasta in green olive tapenade as you would pesto.
FAQS
Where Does Olive Tapenade Come From?
Olive tapenade is a Mediterranean recipe that originated in France nearly 100 years ago. The word comes from the French language. It is a paste or spread, and oddly is often confused with pesto.
The Difference between Olive Tapenade and Pesto
Pesto is a paste that is made by crushing (see the word pestle in there?) things like leaves and nuts and garlic. And the result is a sauce, often an uncooked sauce for pasta and other dishes. And generally pesto does not involve olives, more leafy greens.
What Does Green Olive Tapenade Taste Like?
Green olive tapenade tastes salty from olives and capers, tangy from lemon juice, green from chopped parsley, and flavorful with garlic and umami accents.
More Savory Recipes
- Chickpea Salad with Lemon Mint Dressing
- Chickpea Vegan Meatballs
- Quinoa Artichoke Vegan Paella
- Grilled Portobello Mushroom Steaks
- Italian Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms
- Jackfruit BBQ Sandwiches
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📖 Recipe
Green Olive Tapenade (paste or spread)
Equipment
- food processor or blender
- measuring cups and spoons
- 2-cup storage container
- strainer, to rinse capers
Ingredients
- 2 cups green olives Buy pitted and with no stuffing
- 1 teaspoon capers, rinsed
- 1 cup flat leaf parsley
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic
Optional
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
Prep
- Drain the olives whether you bought them in jars or cans.
- Rinse the capers.
- Peel and chop 2 garlic cloves.
- Chop parsley roughly.
Make olive tapenade
- Add all ingredients to a food processor or a blender that purees pastes. Process for about 1-2 minutes. The texture will be chunky.2 cups green olives, 1 teaspoon capers, rinsed, 1 cup flat leaf parsley, 2 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 cloves garlic
- If you don't want the paste to be oil-free, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil here and process briefly again.2 tablespoon olive oil
- Keep refrigerated in air-tight container; lasts about a week
The Vegan 8
Oh Dee, this has all of my favorite ingredients! I can just imagine how delicious and a wonderful salty bite this tapenade is and would be so incredible on sandwiches!
Debbie
Brandi, so you are another olive lover! I love them so much, though one of my daughters said she's prefer basil pesto, haha. Said this was too salty. Dee xx
Elavegan
This looks sooo delicious! To be honest, I never heard of tapenade before but it sounds incredible. Will definitely give your recipe a try because I love green olives. 🙂
Debbie
Hey Ela, that is great news! This recipe is quite easy and adds flavor to so many things! Have a great week, Dee xx