Kalamata Olive Tapenade

Kalamata olive tapenade is an easy recipe made in minutes with a great Mediterranean taste. This tasty appetizer is low carb, vegan, paleo and grain free.

If you love the salty taste of olives, you will love this easy tapenade. It makes a great summer dish and can be enjoyed with crudites and low carb crackers.

What is tapenade?

Tapenade is a spread made from mainly olives with capers, olive oil and other ingredients (including anchovies which I'm omitting for this recipe to keep it vegan). It originates from France and the name comes from the Provencal name for caper, "tapeno".

What are Kalamata Olives?

Traditionally the olives are black olives from Provencal, but I've chosen to use plump Kalamata olives for their rich flavour. Kalamata olives are from Greece and have a more distinct flavour than the black olives in the USA.

Are olives keto?

Olives are a fruit as the come from the flower of the olive green. At only 0.5g net carbs per 100g they make the perfect low carb snack. Black or green olives do not differ in carb count either.

How to make kalamata olive tapenade

A traditional method of making a tapenade is with a mortar or pestle with a chunky texture. Here, I've blitzed the ingredients in a food processor. The texture can be as smooth or chunky as you want.

To serve, the tapenade is best after a few hours or even overnight in the fridge for the flavours to develop.

Recipe Tips

The secret to a good tapenade is good quality olives. As they are the main ingredient they need to be great tasting.

Try green olives or a mix of both black and green.

Be creative and add other ingredients for a different flavour. Try sun dried tomatoes or walnuts.

Ways to use vegan tapenade

• Spread over slices of low carb baguette.
• Stir through zucchini noodles with cherry tomatoes.
• Spread over low carb crackers.
• Serve with a vegetarian cheeseboard.
• Add to your avocado on chaffle.

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