Salty with a hint of sweetness, Sundried Tomato Olive Tapenade is a breeze to make. Use it as a topping for chicken or fish, or as a dip for crackers, this tapenade is delicious whichever way you use it!

Interesting Facts about "Tapenades"

Although loved by Southern France, the word "tapenade" is actually not French in origin. In the general sense, a tapenade is a sauce or mix spread over bread or pizza, made as an appetizer to be enjoyed with an apéritif or cocktail.

Technically speaking, a tapenade is an olive based spread. Just like pesto is a basil based spread, a tapenade without olives is just not a "tapenade".

With that in mind, the word "tapenade" actually comes from the Provençal word for capers (‘tapenos’). Capers are salty, pea-looking buds that come from a shrub found in Mediterranean climates. They have to be harvested by hand before they flower (so are very labour-intensive) and are traditionally used in most tapenades, with olives as the base component.

So what everyone thinks of as an olive dish is actually a caper one. In ancient times, after they’d been picked, capers were apparently kept in olive oil and came out mushy with the taste of olives – and so the Provençal tapenade was born.

Originally from Italy, Southern France fell in love with the spread and use it not only on bread but also on vegetables, fish and a variety of other dishes.

Once I had finished my research, I set out to create my own homemade version of a tapenade.

How to make Sundried Tomato Olive Tapenade

Step 1: Drain and rinse your capers

Whether they're brined or salt-packed, all capers should be rinsed before using to wash off any excess salt and let their delicate flavour shine through. Soak the capers for 5 minutes and then gently rinse them in a sieve. With salt-packed capers, you should repeat this rinsing and soaking 3 or 4 more times.

Step 2: Soften your sun-dried tomatoes

I always buy dehydrated sun-dried tomatoes as opposed to the ones that are marinating in oil. Because of this, the sun-dried tomatoes need to be softened in hot water for 3-5 minutes.

Step 3: Combining ingredients

Place all the ingredients in a food processor.

and pulse 5-10 times or until ingredients are combined. Do not over pulse otherwise you will end up with more of a puree than a chunky tapenade.

Next stir in your olive oil until the taste and desired consistency is met. If your mixture is too salty, add a little more olive oil to help mellow out the salt.

Simple and elegant, this tapenade is a nice addition to any dish.

This Sundried Tomato Olive Tapenade would go great as a dip with the following crackers:

Sundried Tomato Olive Tapenade

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Print Recipe

Trying to stay as true to its origin, this Sundried Tomato Olive Tapenade combines a multitude of flavours to create a great punch.

Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 24 tbsp 1x

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse 5 - 10 times to combine. Add additional olive oil and continue to add olive oil if spread looks too thick.
Store in the refrigerator.