How to Use Tapenade

We are huge fans of tapenade, the robustly flavored olive condiment born in Southern France. So much so that we created three different tapenades each with a unique flavor profile. Tapenade is not just a dip or a spread, it is incredibly versatile as a flavoring ingredient, you’ll want to keep a jar of it in your fridge at all times. We’ve compiled a list of 18 ways to use tapenade for you here.

1. 1. 1. Toss tapenade with boiled new potatoes, blanched green beans, and shallots.  Chill.  Add a few tomato slices, hard-boiled egg, and tuna for a Niçoise-esque potato salad.
      2. Add a dollop to your morning avocado toast.  Sprinkle with red pepper flakes.  Fried egg highly encouraged.
      3. Thin the tapenade out with more olive oil and add a touch more lemon juice.  Bam!–Olive Vinaigrette for salads!
      4. And speaking of salads, think green salad, pasta salad, potato salad — just before you dress it, stir some tapenade into the dressing, whether it’s mayo or a vinaigrette.
      5. If you’ve ever had a muffuletta, you know that olives are great on sandwiches. Mixing some tapenade in with mayonnaise is a simple way of having a muffuletta-style experience without having to travel to its native New Orleans.
      6. Take that tapenade mayo and put it on a burger. Even better, make it a lamb burger.
      7. Swirl it into a simple soup.
      8. Dress a bowl of pasta.  Use a little pasta water to loosen it up.  Shower with parmesan and fresh mint and/or parsley.  Yum.
      9. Another pasta idea? Stir some tapenade into your red sauce (the plainer, the better, so the flavors of the tapenade aren’t lost) and toss with hot noodles.
      10. Rub it under the skin of your next roast chicken.  Roast some potatoes in the same pan to catch the olive-y drippings.
      11. Mix the tapenade into softened butter and spread on grilled sweet corn.  Sprinkle with chives.  This move will change your life.
      12. Take some of that softened tapenade butter and place it on a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment and roll it out into a 1- to 2-inch thick log and chill to harden. Cut slices to set on top of grilled or seared meats or fish. The heat from the meat will melt the butter, creating a delicious sauce as it mixes with the juices from the meat.
      13. Stir it into hummus, make a cucumber salad, and grab a bag of pita chips on your way to the park.  Picnic!  Don’t forget a bottle of wine.
      14. Grill steaks or fish and smear a spoonful over the top.
      15. Pizza. This may sound crazy, but, trust me, it’s delicious. Especially if you’re making homemade pizza, just spread some tomato sauce over the dough, spoon some tapenade over and sprinkle with julienned red onions.
      16. Add it to sandwich salads, like tuna salad, chicken salad, egg salad, they’d all benefit from a spoonful of tapenade stirred in. Or, save yourself the trouble and use the tapenade mayo from above when you make the salad in the first place.
      17. Eggs! Tapenade and eggs are a great combo in just about any form. Just remember that the tapenade is so powerful, a little goes a long way. Smear some across the interior side of your omelet just before folding or stir it into your eggs before scrambling. For over-easy eggs, just after you crack your egg into the pan, spoon a little tapenade into the still liquid whites. When you flip the egg, the tapenade gets cooked in.
      18. And don’t forget deviled eggs. Tapenade is a terrific topper for deviled eggs.

   Thanks to The Strawberry Plum for tapenade ideas and inspiration.

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