Tomato Salad with Olive Tapenade (very French!) Recipe

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Right here’s one thing completely different for you – a French influenced Tomato Salad with Olive Tapenade! It is a sensible mixture – the salty briny tapenade actually brings out the sweetness and juiciness of tomatoes.

Attempt it. It is going to shock you!

Tomato Salad with Olive Tapenade on a platter

Welcome to Day 12 of the inaugural Vacation Salad Marathon, the place I’m sharing 30 salads in a row by way of to Christmas Eve – only for one thing completely different to the same old sugar-loaded baking countdowns!!

As we speak, one thing FRENCH(ish):

It is a nice tomato salad paying homage to the south of France with the usage of black olive tapenade.

You may throw this collectively in minutes should you’ve already received a pre-bought jar of olive tapenade mendacity round in your fridge, else it’s value making the tapenade your self from scratch should you’re simply seeking to make a tomato salad that’s slightly completely different!

Overhead photo of Tomato Salad with Olive Tapenade

The salty tang of the olive tapenade provides flavour curiosity whereas bringing out the sweetness within the juicy tomatoes. A couple of sprigs of parsley (or basil or oregano should you choose) to garnish, and you’ve got a vibrant plate beaming with summer time vibes in your desk.

Right here’s what you want – this consists of the elements for making the olive tapenade from scratch:

Tomato Salad with Olive Tapenade

Actually, the one key factor that issues within the above is JUICY RIPE TOMATOES!! You can simply slice them, sprinkle with salt, pepper and olive oil and it’s STILL knock-your-socks-off good!

Anchovy? I get it, not everybody likes anchovies. You may depart them out. In that case, add one other teaspoon of capers as an alternative.

What’s tapenade?

Tapenade is the French title for an intensely savoury, salty paste manufactured from olives, capers, anchovies, garlic and olive oil, normally related to Provence within the south of France. Different Mediterranean nations have comparable preparations, however we’re making the French model right here.

It’s usually used as a condiment, a dip or a diffusion. In our case, we’re utilizing it as a sort of dressing or “pesto” because it goes so effectively with contemporary tomatoes.

And it’s actually a dump-and-blitz job (I exploit my NutriBullet right here).

Olive Tapenade
Olive Tapenade

We do make extra tapenade than we want as a result of it’s impractical and tougher to make small portions of tapenade. However having leftovers is a bonus with this recipe as a result of tapenade is splendidly versatile and I present recommendations for makes use of later within the submit. You may by no means have an excessive amount of!

Hope you take pleasure in!

Fork picking up piece of Tomato Salad with Olive Tapenade
Tomato Salad with Olive Tapenade (very French!) Recipe

What’s the Vacation Salad Marathon?

That is my inaugural Christmas recipe countdown the place I’m sharing 30 salad recipes in a row till Christmas Eve – one thing utterly completely different to folks’s traditional baking countdowns!

These salads are along with my common 3 new recipes every week. As a result of aren’t you bored of the same old tomato-cucumber-lettuce backyard salad routine??

Click on right here to see all of the Vacation Salad Marathon recipes to this point, or join instantaneous updates and also you’ll obtain a free e mail alert each time I publish a brand new salad! 🙂

Measuring Dozer
Tomato Salad with Olive Tapenade (very French!) Recipe

Tomato Salad with Olive Tapenade (very French!) Recipe

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Serves: 4 Prep Time:
Nutrition facts: 79 calories 20 grams fat
Rating: 5.0/5
( 1 voted )

Ingredients

  • 5 tomatoes , medium sized, sliced into 1cm/ 0.2" thick rounds
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley leaves , left whole or roughly torn
  • Extra olive oil , for drizzling
  • 1 cup kalamata or other black deli olives , preferably unpitted (Note 1)
  • 2 tsp capers , drained or rinsed (if packed in salt), chopped
  • 1 garlic clove , medium, minced
  • 1 large or 2 small anchovy fillets (Note 2), minced
  • 1/4 tsp red or white wine vinegar
  • 4 – 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil , use your best stuff!

Instructions

  1. Season tomatoes: Place sliced tomatoes into a bowl. Sprinkle over the salt and toss well but gently. Leave to sit for 15 mins, then drain off any liquid the tomatoes have dropped. Meanwhile make the tapenade.
  2. Pit olives if required. Combine olives, capers, garlic, anchovy and vinegar in a blender or food processor. Smaller is better, eg. a Nutribullet.
  3. Add 4 tbsp of olive oil and blend until a rough paste forms, scraping down the sides as you go. If the paste is very thick and you are having trouble blending, add another 1 tbsp of olive oil to help it along.
  4. You should have a nice paste that’s combined to a smooth but not super-fine puree (we want a little character), and isn’t excessively oily.
  5. Drain your tomatoes one last time, then arrange slices overlapping on a large plate or platter. Dollop over the tomatoes 1/3 of the tapenade, or as much as you feel you want.
  6. Garnish with parsley leaves. Drizzle salad with a little more olive oil (~1 tbsp). Serve with some remaining tapenade on the side so people can help themselves.

Notes

1. Olives – Do not use the black olives you find unrefrigerated in jars on supermarket shelves, they lack the intense olive flavour and briny tang that is the heart and soul of tapenade. Buy fresh olives either from a deli or deli section of supermarkets, or in refrigerated tubs.
Try to buy olives that are unpitted and pit them yourself, because they have better flavour and are less soggy. The easiest way to pit olives I find is just squash them with your fingers or the flat of a knife, and pull out the seed.
You can use green olives if you wish but it’s less traditional and will look more like a pesto.
2. Anchovies – can substitute with 1/2 tsp anchovy paste. If you leave them out, add another teaspoon of capers instead.
3. Tapenade leftover – You’ll probably have leftover tapenade, it is hard to make a smaller batch. But it’s a bonus! It will keep for 2 weeks easily. Use for:
Stir through cooked pasta! Add more oil or salt it needed;
Spread on crostini or bread, or dot over creamy layer of ricotta, cream cheese or goat’s cheese. Also great in sandwiches!
Dollop generously over a ball of fresh buffalo mozzarella or burrata, serve as part of an antipasto platter;
Use as a dip for crackers or crudites (raw vegetables);
Serve as a condiment alongside fish, seafood, chicken and even lamb (a very Provençal combination, in fact);
Toss boiled potatoes in tapenade and chopped herbs of your choice;
Mix into mayonnaise to give it some perky flavour and colour;
Combine with softened butter and refrigerate. Use as a flavoured butter on meats or grilled veg.
4. Nutrition per serving assuming 6 servings, assuming half the tapenade is used.

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Sarah Miller
Sarah Miller

Hi, I’m Sarah Millar!
I’m a food blogger who loves creating quick and easy recipes that bring big flavor without the fuss. Cooking doesn’t have to be complicated — and I’m here to share simple, fast food ideas that anyone can make at home. When I’m not in the kitchen, you’ll usually find me tasting new dishes, exploring cafés, or coming up with fresh food hacks to make everyday meals more fun.

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