Green Olive Tapenade (Olive Spread & Dip)
If you’re a lover of pickley, briny snacks, this Green Olive Tapenade is the perfect addition to your next cheese board. Unlike many olive dips and spreads, this recipe calls for vibrant, green Castelvetrano olives keeping it bright and inviting to the eye.
Green Olive Tapenade (Olive Spread or Dip)
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Zester or Microplane
- Food processor or high-powered blender
- Rubber spatula
- Serving bowl
Ingredients
- 3 cups pitted Castelvetrano olives
- ¼ cup high-quality olive oil such as Orange Fused Olive Oil from A Bit of Taste – Snohomish Olive Oil Company
- ¼ cup capers
- 2 cloves garlic
- ⅛ cup fresh orange juice
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- ½ teaspoon red chili pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Add the olives, capers, and garlic cloves to the bowl of a food processor or blender. Pulse until roughly chopped into a coarse mixture.
- Wash and dry the orange. Using a zester or microplane, remove only the outermost orange layer of the peel until you have about 2 teaspoons of zest.
- Add the olive oil, orange juice, orange zest, and red chili pepper flakes (if using) to the food processor. Pulse a few more times, just until the mixture is well incorporated but still slightly textured.
- Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve at room temperature alongside your favorite crackers, crostini, or fresh vegetables.
Notes
- For step 1 – If you do not have a food processor or high powered blender, use a sharp chef’s knife to roughly chop all of the ingredients until you get an even consistency. It will take more time this way, but you’ll still get delicious results!
- It’s normal for the oil to separate slightly from the olive mixture. Stir before serving to re-incorporate.
- Store covered in the refrigerator for up to one week. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Why We Love This Green Olive Tapenade So Much
This doubles as a dip or a spread and comes together in under fifteen minutes. I often use whichever pitted olives I have in the fridge – but my favorites are Castelvetrano or the garlic and jalapeno stuffed green olives I sometimes splurge on at Costco. You can use Kalamata or a combination of whatever olives you prefer.
I started making tapenade back in 2007 while working in a quirky cafe on top of Queen Anne Hill in Seattle. I can still smell the robust flavors of garlic, capers, and citrus marinating in the prep fridge. It was a customer favorite, spread over crunchy buttered toast.
Use this tapenade as a dip for veggies, crackers, and pita bread or spread onto a turkey sandwich for a bright pop of flavor that will take the boring out of any bite. It’s a guest-friendly recipe – naturally vegan and gluten-free – for anyone to enjoy. Trust the addition of citrus here. You won’t be sorry!
How to Make Green Olive Tapenade
Ingredients
- 3 cups pitted Castelvetrano olives
- ¼–½ cup high-quality olive oil, such as Orange Fused Olive Oil from A Bit of Taste – Snohomish Olive Oil Company
- ¼ cup capers
- 2 cloves garlic
- ⅛ cup fresh orange juice
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- ½ teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (optional)
Kitchen Tools
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Zester or microplane
- Food processor or blender
- Rubber spatula
- Serving bowl
Instructions
- Add the olives, capers, and garlic cloves to the bowl of a food processor or blender. Pulse until roughly chopped into a coarse mixture.
- Wash and dry the orange. Using a zester or microplane, remove only the outermost orange layer of the peel until you have about 2 teaspoons of zest.
- Add the olive oil, orange juice, orange zest, and red chili pepper flakes (if using) to the food processor. Pulse a few more times, just until the mixture is well incorporated but still slightly textured.
- Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve at room temperature alongside your favorite crackers, crostini, or fresh vegetables.
Notes
- It’s common for the oil to separate slightly from the olive mixture. Stir before serving to re-incorporate.
- Store covered in the refrigerator for up to one week. Enjoy!
If you love this recipe, please take a moment to leave a review. I appreciate it so much, and it helps our recipes get into more kitchens. Be sure to check out the other appetizers on the blog to balance out your spread!
