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    Home » Snacks » Green Olive Tapenade

    Green Olive Tapenade

    Jan 1, 2018 · Updated: Jan 13, 2023 by Dee Dine · Affliate links disclosure.

    Jump to Recipe

    A delicious green olive tapenade recipe that is oil free, only five ingredients, vegan and dairy free and made in five minutes! A healthy traditional green olive spread that is light in taste and supports low cholesterol.

    a sandwich stuffed with tomatoes, mushrooms, kale, and spilling over with green olive tapenade which is also on a spoon to the right.

    I love olive tapenade. ALL olive tapenades. But since they are almost always made from black olives, I decided to buck the trend and make them from green.

    Green olives tend to be saltier, so I reduced the normal amount of capers that typically found in tapenades. I also did not use oil to make my olive spread lighter in taste, after-taste and calories. Here, I served it on a whole wheat roll with tomatoes, mushrooms, kale, micro greens and it was perfect!

    a sandwich stuffed with tomatoes, mushrooms, kale, and spilling over with green olive tapenade which is also on a spoon to the right.

    How Olives Support Low Cholesterol

    Both black and green olives are superb at stopping cholesterol from forming. That's because they actually have compounds that blocks its oxidation.Those compounds include Oleic acid and vitamin E.

    Both work in tandem to bring down the LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol. This the bad cholesterol that your arteries do not want.

    However, high salt intake is not great for your heart so olives, which are quite salty, should be eaten in moderation. But as a sandwich spread, as a tapenade, is the perfect way to eat olives in moderation.

    What is Green Olive Tapenade?

    It is a paste of olives, traditionally capers, anchovies and olive oil. My version does not have anchovies because my recipe is plant-based and anchovies are a fish. And it doesn't have extra olive oil because I decided to just depend on the olives for the oil and it worked wonderfully.

    Where Does Olive Tapenade Come From?

    I love to investigate the history of traditional recipes, especially Mediterranean foods since my father's side of the family is from that part of the world.

    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

    Is tapenade the same as pesto? No, but there are loads of similarities.

    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.

    Tapenades are spreads. They seem similar to pesto, however tapenade ingredients are more often based on olives. The overlap with pesto is that they both often contain garlic and herbs. Tapenades are also uncooked and served on breads and crackers and in sandwiches.

    The Difference between Olive Tapenade and Bruschetta

    Oddly olive tapenade is also sometimes confused with bruschetta. Bruschetta is a bread that is topped with things like olives or pastes like tapenade. So now you know the difference? Haha, you probably already knew the difference

    What Does Green Olive Tapenade Taste Like?

    A dream. Light and not oily. Olive-y. Like a stroll through Tuscany. Haha. I've never been there, only read about it.

    How to Make Green Olive Tapenade

    My green olive tapenade is very easy to make. I made mine in five minutes flat.

    Just add the drained olives and capers to the blender jar (or food processor).

    Chop the parsley and garlic and add those. Add the lemon juice. Blitz and store in refrigerator. That is if you don't eat it all in one sitting. I have only done that seven times once.

    a sandwich stuffed with tomatoes, mushrooms, kale, and spilling over with green olive tapenade which is also on a spoon to the right.

    What Should I Put Tapenade On?

    Oh, let me count the ways..

      • bread
      • crackers
      • celery
      • roasted veggies
      • a spoon
      • pasta (move over pesto!)

    How Healthy is This Olive Tapenade Recipe?

    My green olive tapenade has only five ingredients: olives (obvs!), capers, parsley, garlic and lemon juice. So let's talk about the nutritional contributions of each ingredient to this recipe.

    Green olives are fruits from a tree, in case you didn't know. They are high in vitamin E and super high in antioxidants. Some studies push them higher for heart and disease protection. The healthy fats in olives come from, duh!, olive oil which has long been considered incredibly healthy, and is a vital part of the popular Mediterranean diet. Read more about the nutrition of olives here.

    Obviously olives, thus tapenade, are fairly high in sodium,  so take care regarding your situation and needs to balance sodium.

    Another superfood ingredient in this recipe is garlic, a veggie so lauded for its therapeutic effects, and high in vital vitamins and minerals.

    Parsley is nutritious and considered a strong detoxer. Lemon juice has vitamin C. Even the capers are good for you, with a strong ability to fight disease, according to ScienceDaily.

    Let me know if you try my easy olive tapenade recipe.

    Are you on pinterest? Perhaps share this image..

    a sandwich stuffed with tomatoes, mushrooms, kale, and spilling over with green olive tapenade which is also on a spoon to the right.

    a sandwich stuffed with tomatoes, mushrooms, kale, and spilling over with green olive tapenade which is also on a spoon to the right.
    a sandwich stuffed with tomatoes, mushrooms, kale, and spilling over with green olive tapenade which is also on a spoon to the right.
    a sandwich stuffed with tomatoes, mushrooms, kale, and spilling over with green olive tapenade which is also on a spoon to the right.
    a sandwich stuffed with tomatoes, mushrooms, kale, and spilling over with green olive tapenade which is also on a spoon to the right.

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    Vegan Green Olive Tapenade {oil-free}

    Green Olive Tapenade (oil-free, vegan)

    In five minutes, you can make this healthier version of the traditional green olive paste is full of salty olive flavor and garlic, yet light in taste, and calories because it is oil-free. It is also vegan, so only veggies in this delicious spread.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Total Time 5 mins
    Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
    Cuisine Mediterranean, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free
    Servings 8
    Calories 78 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 3 cups green olives
    • 1 teaspoon rinsed capers
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • 1 cup chopped parsley
    • 2 tablespoon lemon juice

    Useful Equipment

    • Blendtec with Small Twister Jar
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    Prep

    • Drain the olives. Drain a teaspoon of capers. Peel and crush 2 garlic cloves. Chop roughly the parsley.

    Make olive tapenade

    • Process until all ingredients until smooth. I use both a smaller blendtec twister jar, and a food processor. The twister jar is remarkable for pastes that might be harder to incorporate. I linked to the blender above, but a food processor will work too.
      For this recipe, I used green olives from a can. Whole Foods-brand bpa-free cans of green olives without pits but you can obviously use any olives you want.
    • Keep refrigerated in air-tight container; lasts about a week

    Nutrition

    Calories: 78kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 1gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 799mgPotassium: 63mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 831IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 38mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword low calorie spread, olive tapenade, sandwich spread, tapenade, vegan spread
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    About Dee

    Chocolate and ginger enthusiast. Dog and bird lover. I'm probably chopping chocolate in my Washington DC kitchen right now. More about Dee and Green Smoothie Gourmet »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. The Vegan 8

      January 03, 2018 at 8:02 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Debbie

        January 06, 2018 at 10:23 pm

        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

        Reply
    2. Elavegan

      January 02, 2018 at 8:59 am

      5 stars
      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. 🙂

      Reply
      • Debbie

        January 02, 2018 at 12:31 pm

        Hey Ela, that is great news! This recipe is quite easy and adds flavor to so many things! Have a great week, Dee xx

        Reply

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    Dee Dine of Green Smoothie Gourmet

    I'm Dee, sharing delicious, science-centric recipes using nourishing plant-based foods laser-focused on nutritional impact. No matter your tastes, I hope you'll find a recipe to love. About Dee →

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