Roasted Red Pepper Tapenade

Fresh, vibrant and full of texture, this red pepper dip is perfect of meal prep and can be stored in the fridge for several days. It's a great way to add flavour to everyday meals while keep a nutritious homemade staple on hand.

Serve this versatile red pepper tapenade with veggie sticks, crackers, crusty bread, for an light lunch or easy snack. Or use it as a sandwich spread, easy pasta sauce, or to top grilled meat or fish, or roasted vegetables. The options are endless.

Jump to:

• Why you'll love this recipe
• Red pepper tapanade ingredients
• How to make red pepper tapenade
• Recipe variations
• What to do with red pepper tapenade
• Useful hints and tips
• FAQs
• Pin the recipe
• Additional recipe suggestions
• Roasted Red Pepper Tapenade

Red pepper tapanade ingredients

Find the full list of ingredients and quantities in the recipe card below.

• Red pepper - for ease I always use a jar of large roasted red peppers, draining them on kitchen paper to remove as much of the water as possible.
• Olives - I've opted for pitted green olives in this recipe.
• Lemon - fresh lemon juice adds acidity to the tapenade which balances out the salty olives.
• Garlic - I add fresh garlic for a really punchy flavour.
• Chilli - I like to add one red chilli for a little heat, you can leave this out if you prefer.
• Fresh herbs - I use both basil and parsley in this recipe, including both leaves and stalks as they all add flavour.
• Olive oil - for the best flavour I use a good quality nutty extra virgin olive oil.
• Seasoning - I season the dip with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Nuts - I add blanched almonds to texture and thicken the dip.

How to make red pepper tapenade

• Place all the ingredients, except for the blanched almonds, into a food processor and blitz for 1-2 minutes until smooth.
• Remove the lid, push down the dip from the sides of the food processor, and add the blanched almonds.

• Blitz again for 1-2 minutes until smooth, but with some texture remaining.
• Spoon the dip into a bowl, cover and chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

LESLEY'S TOP TIP: Taste the tapenade and adjust the flavours as needed, adding more salt or lemon juice if required.

Recipe variations

• Olives - I've used green olives, but you could use black olives or a mix of green and black.
• Nuts - swap almonds for walnuts, pine nuts or pecans.
• Fresh herbs - you can use any fresh herb, try basil, parsley, chives, coriander, savoury.
• Tomato - add some cherry tomatoes to the mix.
• Acidity - swap the lemon juice for some red wine or balsamic vinegar.

What to do with red pepper tapenade

This is a versatile dip, that can be used in a variety of different ways, I use it in much the same way that I would hummus. Serve it as a savoury dip, it's great with veggie sticks or crisps (chips) as I've done here, or with breadsticks.

You can also use it to spread on sandwiches, or toast. Add a bowl of tapenade if you're having a sharing cheese and charcuterie platter. You could even stir some through hot pasta for an easy pasta sauce. Or try serving it at your next BBQ as it tastes great with grilled meats and seafood.

Useful hints and tips

1. I always use a jar of ready roasted red peppers this saves a lot of time roasting the peppers and removing the skin yourself.
2. Take time to taste the tapenade as olives can be salty. You can always add more salt, or if the olives are particularly salty, add more lemon juice which will balance out the salt.
3. Containing no dairy this dip is suitable for dairy free and vegan diners.
4. Allergy advice: gluten free, dairy free, egg free, soya free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.

FAQs

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Additional recipe suggestions

If you like this recipe then try some of my other easy appetiser recipes:

• Red Pesto Pastry Pinwheels
• Sausage Puff Pastry Pinwheels
• Baked Camembert with toppings
• Spanish Chicken Chorizo Croquettes
• Potato & Cheese Croquettes
• Spiced Pork Bonbons
• Cocktail Sausages - 3 ways