Easy Black Olive Tapenade Spread Without Anchovies

My friend, Farida, was kind enough to share with me this easy black olive tapenade spread after I ate the whole bowl at her home. This easy tapenade recipe only needs three ingredients and it takes less than 5 minutes to make. Not to mention, this olive tapenade does not use anchovies!

My favorite way to eat black olive tapenade is with some homemade fried za'atar pita chips.

What I Love About This Recipe

I love how quick and easy this olive tapenade is to throw together. It's an excellent appetizer for family gatherings and friend celebrations. I guess my favorite part about this recipe is it's unique and not something you would normally find on a party table.

What is Tapenade?

Tapenade originated in France but can be found all along the Mediterranean. Tapenade is a thick paste made traditionally from black olives, however more contemporary tapenade recipes use green olives instead. A tapenade is salty and can be made with a variety of ingredients including anchovies and capers.

We've put together a complete guide to black and green olives if you want to know a little more about the different types of olives and olive origins.

Ingredients You'll Need

• Black sliced olives: I bought my olives in a jar already sliced and pitted. The sliced olives look similar to pizza black olives, so you can't miss them at the grocery store. I've also made black olive tapenade using canned whole pitted black olives, which turned out equally as great.
• Garlic: You just need 1 clove of fresh garlic.
• Some EVOO: You need just a little bit of high-quality extra virgin olive oil.
• Salt: Just a pinch of salt to tie everything together.

How To Make Black Olive Tapenade

Rinse the olives after you drain them from the can/jar. Chop the fresh garlic a little bit prior to adding to the food processor (to reduce the chances of a single chunk of garlic landing in your mouth).

Add the olives, chopped garlic, and olive oil to the food processor. Blend then stop and scrape the sides of the food processor a few times (to make sure you get everything pulsed evenly).

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Do not add any liquid or water to the tapenade. The food processor should give an olive tapenade consistency like above.

Tips and Tricks

• Black olives come not salted usually. Add salt to taste after pulsing the olive tapenade.
• Make sure the olives are pitted!
• If using whole pitted olives in lieu of sliced olives, measure about 25% more into the food processor. So if using 2 cups of sliced olives, use 2.5 cups of whole pitted olives.

What To Eat With Olive Tapenade?

Serve olive tapenade as a dip. Here are some options to eat it with:

• Chips: fried pita chips, baked pita chips, or tortilla chips
• Crackers
• Bread: Homemade french bread, whole wheat toast, toasted croissants, pita bread, Algerian Kesra flatbread, the list is endless

How to Store

Store the black olive spread tapenade in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I do not recommend storing tapenade in the freezer or leaving it out on the counter.

Some Other Dips To Try

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