Green Olive, Walnut and Almond Tapenade
The dark, anchovy-driven black tapenade gets all the attention — but a green version, built on toasted nuts and firm green olives, is fresher, milder and, to my taste, the better thing on a summer table. Think of it as tapenade’s herbaceous cousin, closer to a pesto than a paste.
Classic Provençal tapenade is black, salty and anchovy-deep. This green cousin is a different mood entirely: bright, nutty and herbaceous. The toasted nuts do the job the anchovy usually does — they carry the savoury weight — while a firm green olive keeps it fresh and slightly bitter rather than briny and dark.
What goes in, and why
Every element here pulls in one direction: freshness with backbone. Get the olive and the nuts right and the rest is seasoning.
| Ingredient | What it does |
|---|---|
| 200 g green olives, pitted | the fresh, slightly bitter base — use a firm Picholine or buttery Castelvetrano |
| A handful walnuts + almonds, toasted | savoury depth and coarse texture in place of anchovy |
| 1 tbsp capers | a sharp, salty lift |
| 1 small garlic clove | backbone, kept modest |
| Parsley + basil | the herbaceous, pesto-like note |
| Zest + juice of ½ lemon | brightness against the richness |
| Good olive oil | binds it; loosen to taste |
Method
Toast the nuts gently and let them cool — warm nuts turn a spread greasy. Pulse everything together to a coarse, textured paste; stop while you can still find pieces of nut and olive. Loosen with olive oil, brighten with the lemon, and taste before you add any salt, because the olives and capers already bring plenty. An anchovy or two is optional here — the nuts carry the weight without it.
Why the nuts matter
The toasted walnuts and almonds do two jobs at once. They replace the anchovy’s savoury depth, so this works for vegetarians without tasting like it is missing something; and they give the spread a coarse, interesting texture instead of a flat purée. Resist the urge to blend it smooth. You want to meet the nuts and olives in the mouth, not just taste their ghost.
- Cool the nuts before blending — warm ones make it oily.
- Keep it coarse — texture is half the pleasure.
- Salt last — olives and capers do most of the work.
- Serve it three ways: thick on toast with soft goat’s cheese, dolloped on grilled fish, or thinned with oil into a dressing for warm new potatoes.
Green tapenade: common questions
How is green tapenade different from black?
Black tapenade is anchovy-driven, salty and deep. This green version is brighter, milder and nuttier — herbaceous and closer to a pesto.
Which olives should I use?
A firm green olive with character: Picholine for a nutty bite, Castelvetrano for a buttery, mild one. Avoid bland pitted cocktail olives.
Do I need anchovy?
No. The toasted walnuts and almonds supply the savoury depth, which makes this a good vegetarian tapenade. Add an anchovy if you like, but it is optional.
Why toast the nuts?
Toasting deepens their flavour and keeps the paste from tasting raw. Just let them cool first, or the spread turns greasy.
How should I serve it?
Thick on toast with soft cheese, spooned over grilled fish, or loosened with oil into a dressing for warm potatoes or beans.
The mistake people make with any tapenade is over-blending it to a smoothie. Here it is fatal — the whole charm of a green, nutty version is the coarse grain, the little chips of toasted walnut and firm olive you find as you eat. Pulse, don’t purée. And spend your good oil at the end, stirred through raw, not cooked into it: a fresh, peppery extra virgin lifts the nuts and herbs in a way a tired oil never will.
A house recipe in the olives101 kitchen, a green, nut-based turn on Provençal tapenade.