How to Make Olive Tapenade

If you've ever tried olive tapenade before, then you know what a great choice it is for a tasty side dish or appetizer. Luckily, you don’t have to go to an expensive restaurant to enjoy it. While olive tapenade seems like a fancy dish, all you have to do is blend a few ingredients in a food processor! Yours will be ready in just a few minutes. After that, you have tons of choices for how to enjoy it.

[Edit]Ingredients

• of olives for 1-1 1/2 cups of tapenade
• 1-3 cloves of garlic
• 2 tsp (28.6 g) of capers
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) of olive oil
• 1-2 tbsp (15-30 ml) of fresh lemon juice
• 2 anchovy fillets (optional)

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]The Tapenade Recipe

1. Rinse off the olives in a bowl. Put about of olives into a colander. Rinse them under cold water to get rid of any leftover brine.^[1]
   
   • You can use any type of olive you want to for this recipe. Some common choices include green, kalamata, Castelvetrano, and nicoise. You could stick with one olive type, or mix them together.
   • Kalamata olives have a smoky, fruity flavor. Nicoise olives have a strong herbal taste, so it's best to only use a few. Castelvetrano olives have a more mild, buttery taste that could balance out stronger flavors. Green olives also have a more mild, nutty taste.^[2] Use one of these or a combination for a unique flavor.
   • This recipe yields about 1-1 1/2 cups of tapenade, so increase it if you want more.
2. Remove the olive pits. Olives might come with pits inside them, so always remove these before moving on.^[3] There are a few methods for doing this. You could slice away the olive exterior with a knife and get rid of the pit. You could also use a mallet or the side of a knife to press the pits out. Whichever method you choose, make sure all the pits are removed.
   
   • You could also buy pitted olives so you don’t have to go through the trouble yourself.
   • Always confirm that the olives don’t have pits before throwing them in to the
3. Mince up 1-3 cloves of garlic. The exact amount depends on how much you like garlic. You could either throw the garlic into the food processor before anything else and mince it up, or slice it up with a knife and add it with everything else.^[4]
   
   
4. Throw the olives, garlic, capers, lemon juice, and oil into a processor. After pitting the olives, throw them into a food processor. Then add the garlic, 2 tsp (28.6 g) of capers, and 2 tbsp (30 ml) of olive oil. Finish by squeezing in 1-2 tbsp (15-30 ml) of fresh lemon juice.^[5]
   
   
   • Some recipes also call for a few basil or parsley leaves. These can give the tapenade a sweeter, minty taste. If you like any of these flavors, then you can add them too.
5. Add 2 anchovy fillets for a salty, fishy taste. Traditionally, olive tapenade uses anchovies for some extra flavor. If you want to stick with the traditional recipe then throw in 2 small fillets before grinding all the ingredients together.^[6]
   
   
   • This is an optional step. If you’re a vegetarian or just don’t like anchovies, then you can skip it.
   • You could also adjust the amount of anchovies if you want to.
6. Stir in some red pepper flakes if you want a spicy tapenade. If you like a bit of spice in your food, then you can make your tapenade spicy too. Try adding 1/4 tsp (4.2 g) of red pepper flakes to give the tapenade an extra kick.^[7]
   
   
   • You can also add more or less pepper, depending on how much you like spice.
   • It's best to add the pepper a little bit at a time and see how you like the taste. You don't want your tapenade to come out too spicy!
7. Blend the mixture until everything makes a coarse paste. Put the lid on the food processor and grind all the ingredients together. Keep an eye on the ingredients and don’t liquify them. Stop when everything makes a thick paste with some large pieces of olive leftover. Now you can scoop it out and serve.^[8]
   
   
   • The precise texture depends on what you’re looking for. Some people prefer a thick, coarse texture, while others want it thinner.

[Edit]Ways to Enjoy Tapenade

1. Top crunchy bread with the tapenade. Olive tapenade is traditionally served as an appetizer on bread. Try cutting a crunchy baguette into slices and scooping some tapenade on top for an easy hors d'oeuvres.^[9]
   
   • For some extra crunch, toast the bread slices in the oven first.
   • You could also top the bread with tomatoes, oil, peppers, or cheese. Goat cheese pairs well with tapenade.
2. Dip crackers or cheese into the tapenade. This dish also goes great with a cracker and cheese plate. Put some in a small bowl and serve it with some crackers and hard cheeses for dipping. This is a perfect appetizer or side dish.^[10]
   
   • Hard cheeses like provolone or parmesan are best for dipping. These have strong, pungent flavors, so you might want to balance them with a mild olive type like green or Castelvetrano. You could also use softer cheeses like goat or burrata on a cracker. These have more mild, creamy tastes.^[11]
3. Put the tapenade on sliced vegetables. Instead of a cracker and cheese plate, you could also use tapenade as a dipping sauce for vegetables. Slice up some carrots, celery, cucumbers, and any other vegetables you like for a healthy snack.^[12]
   
4. Flavor hummus with some tapenade. Olive tapenade also works as a flavoring. Scoop some into hummus and mix it together for some extra taste. Then serve it with crackers, cheese, or vegetables for dipping.^[13]
   
   
   • If you prefer not to mix the hummus and tapenade, you could put them both out in separate bowls. That way, everyone can grab as much of each as they want.
5. Use it as a sandwich spread. For a unique flavor, spread tapenade on a sandwich or panini instead of other condiments. It goes especially well with other vegetables like eggplant.^[14] Try it out and see if you can make your favorite sandwich even better!
   
   
   • Some people also use tapenade as a spread on burgers or as a replacement for tuna salad.
6. Add tapenade to pasta sauce for extra flavor. You can scoop some in to other pasta sauces, or use the tapenade by itself. This will give your pasta a real Mediterranean flavor.^[15]
   
   • Tapenade also makes a great topping for cold pasta salads.^[16]

[Edit]Tips

• Olive tapenade pairs well with red wine, no matter how you eat it.
• Feel free to play around with the recipe as much as you want. You can experiment with different flavors and olive combinations to make a totally unique recipe.

[Edit]References

1. ↑ https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/tapenade-recipe-1916924
2. ↑ https://www.seriouseats.com/2014/09/guide-to-olive-varieties.html
3. ↑ https://www.fifteenspatulas.com/tapenade/
4. ↑ https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/165309/kalamata-olive-tapenade/
5. ↑ https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/tapenade-recipe-1916924
6. ↑ https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/tapenade-recipe-1916924
7. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/17/dining/171orex.html
8. ↑ https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/tapenade-recipe-1916924
9. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/17/dining/171orex.html
10. ↑ https://veggiechick.com/olive-tapenade/
11. ↑ http://www.simplecomfortfood.com/2011/04/28/olive-tapenade-crostini-with-goat-cheese/
12. ↑ https://veggiechick.com/olive-tapenade/
13. ↑ https://www.fifteenspatulas.com/tapenade/
14. ↑ https://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/recipes/sc-food-0417-prep-tapenade-20150413-column.html
15. ↑ https://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/recipes/sc-food-0417-prep-tapenade-20150413-column.html
16. ↑ https://www.fifteenspatulas.com/tapenade/