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    Home » Recipes » Sides & Appetizers

    Published: Sep 18, 2016 · Modified: May 21, 2020 by Melanie McDonald · This post contains affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 35 Comments

    Black Olive Tapenade with Figs & Rosemary

    GO TO RECIPE PRINT RECIPE
    5 from 2 votes
    This rich, soft Fig and Black Olive Tapenade with Rosemary is my twist on traditional tapenade. Dark, deep & earthy olives are blended with ripe, plump & juicy figs to make an irresistibly delicious spread with a striking balance of sweet & savoury flavours.

    This rich, soft Fig and Black Olive Tapenade with Rosemary is my twist on traditional tapenade. Dark, deep & earthy olives are blended with ripe, plump & juicy figs to make an irresistibly delicious spread with a striking balance of sweet & savoury flavours.

    This rich, soft Fig and Black Olive Tapenade with Rosemary is my twist on traditional tapenade. Dark, deep & earthy olives are blended with ripe, plump & juicy figs to make an irresistibly delicious spread with a striking balance of sweet & savoury flavours.

    The inspiration for this recipe came from a local cafe called Pure Vanilla, the same cafe that the inspiration for my Raspberry Walnut Squares came from. We went there for lunch a few weeks ago and I ordered the Mezze Plate. The tapenade totally took me by surprise when I tried it. It was so incredibly delicious and had a flavour that I just couldn't put my finger on. When I finished eating I was so curious that I had to go check the menu again. It turns out that it had figs in it.

    As soon as we left I went on a fig hunt. I needed to recreate it stat and within an hour of returning home I had myself a lovely pot of beautiful, rich, soft Fig and Black Olive Tapenade with Rosemary. It was so good I ended up eating a lot of it straight from the food processor when I was decanting it. Mine tastes a little different to theirs but in a good way.

    This rich, soft Fig and Black Olive Tapenade with Rosemary is my twist on traditional tapenade. Dark, deep & earthy olives are blended with ripe, plump & juicy figs to make an irresistibly delicious spread with a striking balance of sweet & savoury flavours.

    The flavours in this Fig and Black Olive Tapenade are complex but mind blowingly delicious . The combination of deep, earthy black olives and sweet, ripe, roasted plump figs is a taste sensation and the addition of a little fresh and fragrant rosemary gives it an added pop. It makes a lovely change to standard tapenade and is great for people who tend to find the regular kind a little strong and olivey.

    This rich, soft Fig and Black Olive Tapenade with Rosemary is my twist on traditional tapenade. Dark, deep & earthy olives are blended with ripe, plump & juicy figs to make an irresistibly delicious spread with a striking balance of sweet & savoury flavours.

    Ways to use this Fig and Black Olive Tapenade with Rosemary:

    • With fresh crusty bread. It is particularly good with ciabatta, foccacia, baguette or pita bread.
    • As a dip with pita chips, crackers, bread sticks or chopped vegetables.
    • On crostini
    • As part of a platter with all of the above plus some good vegan cheese and a plentiful supply of red wine (great for parties and get togethers).
    • As a sandwich or wrap filling
    • As an alternative to tomato sauce on pizza
    • In a simple pasta dish - Toss quarter cup through a serving of cooked pasta. Sprinkle with vegan parmesan (I make a quick one one with brazil nuts, nutritional, yeast, salt, a small piece of lemon zest and a pinch of smoked paprika - whiz in a blender and you're done)
    • Stirred through freshly boiled and drained new potatoes for a great side or snack

    Black Olive Tapenade with Figs & Rosemary

    Author: Melanie McDonald
    5 from 2 votes
    This rich, soft Fig and Black Olive Tapenade with Rosemary is my twist on traditional tapenade. Dark, deep & earthy olives are blended with ripe, plump & juicy figs to make an irresistibly delicious spread with a striking balance of sweet & savoury flavours.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe SaveSaved!
    PREP TIME: 5 minutes
    COOK TIME: 20 minutes
    TOTAL TIME: 25 minutes
    Servings: 1 cup

    Ingredients
      

    • 6 fresh figs (any kind) or 6 plump Black Mission Dried Figs
    • 398ml | 14oz jar or can black olives , (a slightly smaller or larger can or jar is fine and in oil or brine is ok)
    • 1 small clove garlic
    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • ½ teaspoon fresh rosemary (see recipe notes)
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    INSTRUCTIONS
     

    • If using fresh figs preheat oven to 350°F
    • Cut the stems off the figs and place on a baking sheet. Cook in the oven for 20 minutes.
    • If using dried figs put them in a bowl and cover with boiling water to soften them up. Drain after about 15 minutes.
    • Drain the olives and add them along with all of the other ingredients, including the figs, to a food processor and process until well combined and to the texture you prefer.
    • Will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for about a week.

    NOTES

    Dried rosemary is ok to use but is a little harder and more brittle than fresh so you might notice little hard bits in the finished tapenade.

    NUTRITION

    Serving: 2½ tablespoonsCalories: 124kcalCarbohydrates: 12gFat: 8gSodium: 190mgPotassium: 118mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8g

    Nutritional information is provided for convenience & as a courtesy. The data is a computer generated estimate so should be used as a guide only.

    Tried this recipe?Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @avirtualvegan on Instagram and hashtag it #avirtualvegan
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    Comments

    1. Barbara says

      August 01, 2019 at 4:40 am

      Do drain liquid from olives before putting into processor

      Reply
      • Melanie McDonald says

        August 01, 2019 at 8:48 am

        You do drain them. Sorry it didn't mention that. I have just added that step to the recipe.

        Reply
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    Melanie McDonald

    I'm Melanie McDonald (but you can call me Mel), best-selling cookbook author and creator of A Virtual Vegan. I share well-tested, flavour-packed vegan recipes with clear, step-by-step instructions. My goal is to give you the confidence to cook amazing vegan food from scratch.

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