This dip is great served as an appetizer or a snack with raw, crunchy vegetable sticks or baked vegetable chips. They are also delicious served as a condiment with fish or chicken.
Makes 2 cups (480 ml)
Total Prep Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
1 cup (240 ml) button mushrooms, halved
1 red pepper
½ cup pitted black olives
2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh parsley or thyme
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and black pepper
Directions
Broil the red pepper whole, turning a few times, until the skin turns black. Transfer to a bowl and cover with cling wrap for a few minutes. Remove blackened skins, cut and seed.
In a food processor, pulse all ingredients until they have a coarse texture. Do not over process. It is best to let the flavors develop for at least half an hour before use.
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Mushroom, roasted pepper, and olive tapenade is a coarse, punchy spread that turns a plate of vegetables into an appetizer course. Blackened red pepper and briny olives dominate, with raw button mushrooms and garlic adding bite. Let it rest half an hour before serving and the flavors knit together beautifully.
Pro Tips
- Char the pepper skin genuinely black under the broiler and steam it under cling wrap afterward. The trapped steam loosens the skin so it peels away in one clean sheet.
- Pulse to a coarse texture and stop. Tapenade should be a chunky rubble you can see — over-processing turns it into a flat, baby-food purée.
- Resist skimping on the olive oil. It carries the garlic and lemon through the whole spread and gives the tapenade its luxurious body.
- Let the finished tapenade sit at least thirty minutes before serving. The rest is what transforms a bowl of chopped ingredients into a real tapenade.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does this tapenade keep?
Up to a week in a sealed jar in the refrigerator, covered with a thin layer of olive oil. The garlic mellows and the flavor improves after the first day.
What do I serve with mushroom tapenade?
Fresh vegetable crudités, endive leaves, or alongside grilled chicken and fish. It also makes an excellent spread for a lettuce-wrapped sandwich.
Can I use jarred roasted peppers?
Yes, in a pinch. Drain them well and pat dry, though you will miss some of the smoky char that fresh broiling gives the spread.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- Broil the red pepper whole, turning a few times, until the skin turns black.
- Transfer to a bowl and cover with cling wrap for a few minutes.
- Remove blackened skins, cut and seed.
- In a food processor, pulse all ingredients until they have a coarse texture.
- Do not over process. It is best to let the flavors develop for at least half an hour before use.
