It's really an addicting starter for any meal, served as a topping on crusty bread or crudités.
It may be used as a condiment, as well on salads and some grilled meats.
Tapenade is also used in preparing fish dishes
Olive tapenade is loved in southern France but originally comes from Italy.
While the word and the tradition come from Provence, the first written recording of eating tapenade was made by Italians in the first century AD, and Cato the Elder included a tapenade recipe in his book On Agriculture.
This is a simple easy way to make it for dinner parties or just as a delicious snack any time of the day, and leftovers make a perfect topping as suggested previously.
To all my olives lovers, this is a must-try you will love it or you can also try my Tomato Tapenade and Avocado Tapenade.
Scroll down to the printable easy recipe to get started.
Easy Appetizer
This is a delicious olive appetizer.
The spread goes great on garlic bread or flavored crackers of any kind.
If you need an easy appetizer before an Italian meal, this isn't filling and the perfect choice,
Olive spread tapenade appetizer is famous in established gourmet 5 Star Italian Restaurants, and now you can make it at home easily with just a few ingredients.
Olives
You can use an assortment of olives or just two that you like or all the same it doesn't matter.
We have a fresh gourmet market to get non-bottled olives which is my first choice for this recipe.
I prefer to have a balanced color when using olives.
I love oiled cured Italian black olives.
The green large Italian olives can be purchased sometimes stuffed with garlic or almonds which adds another delicious flavor.
IF you use the canned of bottled types rely on a gourmet label with lots of great reviews.
Ingredients To Use
Scroll to the recipe card for exact measurements
- green olives with stuffed pimentos, plain or stuffed
- pitted black American olives or Italian black olives in oil (or use both)
- Kalamata olives
- olive oil
- aged balsamic vinegar
- garlic minced
- oregano
- fresh basil leaves
- freshly ground pepper a twist
- dash cayenne pepper optional
Tips:
- Always removed any pits
- Buying fresh olives in special gourmet shops are always the best choice
- Bottled olives are fine for this recipe if you can find fresh olives
- Use a good grade olive oil
- I also recommend an 18 year aged balsamic vinegar for the best flavor
- Spread on toasted rounds, crackers or pita bread
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Tools You Will Need
- Appetizer cutters or make large cookie cutter shapes
- Toothpick to thread olives for extras
- Food processor or sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Bowl
- Serving dish
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Appetizers
I love this simple recipe and if you're an olive lover, it certainly will be a hit at any party or family gathering.
The recipe is simple and can be made ahead of time.
You can even buy frozen garlic bread and bake it and this will eliminate any other step in the recipe for a quick appetizer to serve at any cocktail dinner party.
Olive Tapenade Appetizer
Yield: 6
Prep time: 3 MCook time: 6 MTotal time: 9 M
Olive Tapenade is served in many Italian restaurants as an appetizer and it' totally addicting. I usually use two of three different kinds and it's a chunky spread on top of toasted garlic bread, crackers and leftovers are perfect for a salad garnish!
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup green olives with stuffed pimentos, plain or stuffed
- 1/4 cup pitted Black American olives or Italian black olives in oil (or use both)
- 1/4 cup Kalamata
- 14 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 2 fresh basil leaves
- freshly ground pepper a twist
- Optional: 1 teaspoon capers folded in a dash cayenne pepper
Instructions:
- Add everything into a food processor (or chop by hand) then pulse around 6 times or till desired chunkiness.
- This is ready to spread on anything you like or top a salad with.
- Using cookie cutters or appetizer cutters of any shapes, cut soft bread (I use Italian Chicago Style bread) and you can either toast the cutouts or you can leave them plain.
- The cutters are great for a party theme whether is a holiday or just a nice touch for any dinner party appetizer.
- Note: For garlic toast, just drizzle olive oil on sliced Italian bread, sprinkle with garlic powder and oregano, a little grated cheese, and bake on high for 20 to 30 seconds just until it starts to watch so watch carefully it doesn't burn.
- Spread on toasted Italian garlic bread. crackers, or pita bread points.
Calories
60
60
Fat (grams)
4
4
Sat. Fat (grams)
1
1
Carbs (grams)
22
22
Net carbs
3
3
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Disclosure: This recipe was originally shared in 2014. It was edited and re-published in 2020.