Tapenade is a Mediterranean style dip which is made predominantly with either black or green olives, or a mixture of black and green olives. Tapenade is a versatile spread which can be used in a variety dishes.
One suggestion is to use the tapenade as a bruschetta topping by toasting slices of Italian bread and spreading them with a layer of the tapenade. Olive tapenade can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Additional Tapenade Suggestions
- sandwich spread
- topping for meat or fish
- tossed with oven roasted or steamed vegetables
- tossed with pasta or rice
- served on top of baked potatoes
- pizza topping, used instead of tomato sauce
- served as an appetizer dip along with an assortment of crackers and fresh vegetables
Ingredients for Olive Tapenade Recipe
- 1 cup kalamata olives - drained and roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup green olives - drained and roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon capers - drained
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 2 anchovy fillets - minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Directions for Olive Tapenade Recipe
- Add the kalamata olives, green olives, capers, garlic, anchovies and oregano to a larger mortar.
- Stir in the lemon juice and olive oil with a spoon.
- Coarsely grind all the ingredients together in the mortar using the pestle.
- A finer, paste-like texture can be created by briefly pulsing all the ingredients in a food processor. The mortar and pestle technique creates a chunky, rustic tapenade.
Olive Tapenade Recipe Tips and Suggestions
- Make a milder version of the tapenade by using all kalamata olives, instead of the black and green olive mixture.
- Canned black olives can be used in place of the kalamata olives.
- A spicy version of tapenade can be created by adding a few red pepper flakes, or a dash of hot pepper sauce to the recipe.
- Add 1/4 cup of roughly chopped sun dried tomatoes or roasted red peppers to the tapenade recipe for a more complex flavor profile.
- A vegan version of the olive tapenade spread can be made by eliminating the anchovy fillets.
- Any fresh herb can be used in the tapenade recipe. Instead of using oregano, try using basil or flat leaf parsley.
Additional Olive Recipe Suggestions
Spaghetti with Italian puttanesca sauce is a recipe for a Mediterranean inspired pasta dish served with an olive infused tomato sauce. Rustic tomato olive bread creates a loaf which is filled with fresh oregano, black olives and sun dried tomatoes. Greek vegetable salad is a hearty side dish loaded with olives, zucchini cilantro and feta cheese.
Lynn Smythe - ABOUT THE WRITER Born and raised in Rochester, New York, freelance writer Lynn Smythe obtained her bachelor's degree in Geology from ...
