This black olive tapenade might just become your go-to for a quick appetizer. It's one of my favorite easy recipes!
You know how it goes- you get that last minute call that friends are in the area. What to do?
Just serve this spread along with another appetizer or two, like these sweet potato bites and this Fig Appetizer with Blue Brie Cheese.
It also makes a perfect addition to this Brie charcuterie board.
Keep these black olive tapenade ingredients on hand and you'll always have a delicious and easy appetizer that only looks like you spent a lot of time preparing it!
Why We Love this Recipe
For starters, we are olive lovers, so this party appetizer is right up our alley. If you ever ran into me at the grocery store, you'd probably find me contemplating at the olive bar!
This is an easy recipe with rich flavor. Whether you're hosting a party or attending one, make things easy on yourself. You deserve a few extra moments to put your feet up and relax.
If you're anything like me, you'll take those extra moments to finish straightening up (or freshening up!)
What Goes Into This Recipe
- Kalamata olives, pitted
- Castelvetrano olives, pitted
- Capers
- Sundried tomatoes, in oil
- Roasted red peppers
- Fresh basil leaves
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Feta cheese
Scroll down to the printable recipe card to see full instructions and grocery store list for this simple recipe.
Variations
If you don't like black olives, use your favorite kind of green olives. Experiment with whatever you have on hand.
Some tapenade recipes use anchovy paste which is actually delicious, too. Fresh garlic is another nice add, but make sure it is very finely chopped.
You could try adding different kinds of fresh herbs, too. Fresh parsley or fresh thyme are both really nice additions.
A squeeze of lemon juice gives it a bit of a different flavor. Try it next time!
Try goat cheese if you don't care for feta.
We like this as a sandwich spread, too. It's delicious with thinly sliced chicken.
Speaking of chicken, this delicious olive tapenade also makes a wonderful garnish for roasted chicken. It adds so much flavor with so little effort.
How to Make Black Olive Tapenade
In a food processor, pulse the olives, capers, tomatoes and peppers until coarsely chopped.
Using quick pulses is the best way to chop and not purée. Some sharper food processing blades will puree quickly if you press for too long.
Add the basil leaves and drizzle with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and ground pepper.
Pulse again until a well combined spread is formed.
Spoon the olive spread into a bowl and add the feta cheese - mix gently with a wooden spoon as not to break up the cheese too much.
If needed, drizzle with teaspoon of oil just to keep moist.
Serve at room temperature with assorted crackers, toasted baguette rounds, or just put out a loaf of crusty bread.
Serve this Kalamata olive tapenade with a chilled Sauvignon Blanc like the Francis Ford Coppola Diamond Collection Yellow Label.
Recipe FAQs
We like to serve tapenade with light and crispy crackers, toasted and sliced baguette, or with pita bread
The traditional black olive tapenade recipe doesn't have sundried tomatoes or feta cheese, but it's often served with these ingredients. We decided to add it right to the dip and it's delicious!
Though Kalamata olives are technically from Greece, let's call it Mediterranean, because it has roots all over Europe.
Storage Recommendations
Store tapenade in the fridge for up to 7 days in an airtight container. You can also freeze it for up to about 3 months, again, in an airtight container. You could also spoon it into ice cube trays (remember those?) for smaller portions.
Top Tips
Be very careful not to completely puree the tapenade. It should be a spread but you should be able to tell there are olives in it.
Only use fresh basil. Dried just doesn't cut it in this recipe.
Remember to store any leftovers in an airtight container.
More Delicious Appetizers
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Olive Tapenade with Feta
Ingredients
- 1 cup pitted green olives
- 1 cup pitted kalamata black olives
- 1 teaspoon capers
- ¼ cup sundried tomatoes - packed in oil
- ¼ cup roasted red peppers roughly cut into pieces
- 6 fresh basil leaves
- Olive OIl - enough to drizzle
- fresh ground pepper
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- In a food processor "pulse" the olives, capers, tomatoes and peppers until coarsely chopped.
- Add the basil leaves and drizzle with about 1 TBS olive oil and ground pepper.
- Pulse again until a well combined spread is formed.
- Scrape out into a bowl and add the feta cheese - mix gently with a wooden spoon as not to break up the cheese too much. If needed, drizzle with teaspoon of oil just to keep moist.
- Serve at room temperature with assorted crackers or toasted baguette rounds.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was created by Jacqui who runs Your Best Friend's Kitchen.
This post was originally published on December 22, 2014 and has been updated for clarity.
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