Burrata Crostini with Kalamata Olive Tapenade

This Burrata Crostini made with Kalamata Olive Tapenade is a healthy and delicious tapenade appetizer. It's packed with Mediterranean flavors, including olives, capers, roasted red peppers, and creamy burrata. This perfect Burrata Crostini Recipe is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser!

When planning dinner, this quick Kalamata Olive Tapenade spread with creamy burrata cheese is my go-to recipe. This classic Mediterranean Olive Tapenade comes together in just ten minutes. This healthy vegetarian appetizer includes roasted red peppers, salty capers, and garlic.

Make the olive tapenade in advance, toast the bread and assemble when ready for an easy make ahead appetizer. I love the combination of Castelvetrano olives and Kalamata olives, which contrast color and flavor. Fresh lemon juice, parsley, garlic, and burrata create a balance of flavors to satisfy the pickiest of eaters. Even my toddlers could not get enough of this bruschetta!

Why This Recipe Works?

• Make this recipe in advance for easy entertaining.
• The burrata cheese is creamy and rich.
• This recipe is easily convertible to gluten-free and vegan.
• It has the perfect blend of savory flavors.
• It is a toddler-approved appetizer.
• This recipe is the best Olive Tapenade Crostini ever!

Ingredients

This recipe uses easy ingredients found at any local grocery store. In fact, most of the ingredients may already be in your pantry.

• Pitted Kalamata Olives – Kalamata olives are dark brown and are very salty. You can make your own cured olives; however, my favorite store-bought brand is Divina Pitted Kalamata Olives.
• Pitted Castelvetrano Olives – Castelvetrano olives are much milder than kalamata olives and provide beautiful green color contrast. Similarly, another delicious mild green olive is Frescatrano olives. Frescatrano olives are bright green and buttery in flavor. Likewise, any pitted green olive of your choice will work.
• Roasted Red Peppers – Roasted red peppers can be found in a jar already roasted, peeled, and seeded with brine or olive oil. Alternatively, you can roast your peppers at home, which would be much less expensive. Other vegetables that go well with this burrata crostini are kale, mushrooms, and broccoli. 
• Capers - Capers are very briny and add a delicious pop of flavor and color. 
• Lemon Juice – The acid from the fresh lemon juice is necessary to tame the saltiness from the olives. Make sure to use freshly squeezed lemons and not lemon juice from a bottle. Lemon juice is pasteurized before it is bottled. As a result, the heat used to pasteurize the juice destroys vitamins C.
• Fresh Parsley – The addition of parsley adds freshness along with a beautiful balance of color. Cilantro or basil are also suitable alternatives.
• Garlic – A subtle garlic flavor is created by rubbing a garlic clove on the tops of crostini while still warm. As a result, I use this method with most crostini and bruschetta to instantly elevate the flavor.
• Burrata Cheese– Most cheeses are too salty to combine with the other ingredients in this appetizer. Burrata is made from fresh mozzarella and cream and has a deliciously rich flavor. As a result, it pairs perfectly with tapenade.
• Baguette – For making these olive tapenade crostini, any long loaf of bread will do. I slice my bruschetta and crostini about ½ an inch thick. The slices should be wide enough that they hold the weight of the burrata and tapenade once toasted.

Equipment Needed

• Food Processor
• One Large Baking Sheet
• Oven

How to Make Burrata Crostini with Kalamata Olive Tapenade 

Making the Tapenade

1. First, in a food processor, combine olives, coarsely chopped roasted red peppers, capers, lemon juice, olive oil, fresh parsley, and freshly cracked pepper to taste. 
2. Next, pulse a few times until ingredients are blended but still have texture, scraping down sides as needed.
3. Then, place the olive mixture into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Making the Crostini

1. First, preheat the oven to broil and brush the tops of each slice of baguette with extra virgin olive oil. 
2. Next, place crostini pieces on a large baking sheet oil side up, and broil for about 2 minutes until golden brown.
3. Then, remove the crostini slices from the oven as soon as they are golden brown. Next, immediately rub a peeled clove of garlic on top of each piece while they are still warm.

Assembling the Crostini

1. First, top each toasted baguette slice with about a tablespoon of burrata cheese 
2. Next, top with tapenade and garnish with more freshly chopped parsley.

How To Serve This Olive Tapenade?

• Spread on bruschetta or crostini.
• Use it as a sandwich spread.
• Add it to a pasta salad.
• Use it as a dip for crackers or pita chips.

Variations

• Vegan Crostini: The tapenade is entirely vegan, and by omitting the cheese it makes a delicious Kalamata olive tapenade bruschetta.
• Gluten-Free Crostini: The baguette used to make crostini can be used with gluten-free bread. Likewise, I've used cold sliced polenta slices to make tapenade crostini gluten-free.
• Try a different cheese: I love the flavor of burrata cheese to make this vegetarian crostini. However, this tapenade pairs excellently with feta and goat cheese.
• Artichoke Olive Tapenade:  Artichokes are low in fat and rich in fiber, making them a great substitute or addition to this tapenade. 
• Try another Vegetable: Mushroom olive tapenade would be a great choice if looking for a mild meaty flavor. In addition, mushrooms are low-calorie, and they easily fuse with the flavor of other veggies. Alternatively, other vegetables such as broccoli, kale, caramelized onions go well with crostini.
• Spicy Olive Tapenade: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the tapenade mixture before blending in the food processor for a spicy kick.

FAQ's

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