Black Olive and Sun-Dried Tomato Tapenade

A delicious starter to any meal when served with crisp vegetables
or small bites of bread, this tapenade features some of the finest flavors in European cuisine. Use as a mix-in to stews and pasta dishes for a ton of added flavor with very little effort. Recipe and photo contributed by Allyson Kramer, from Great Gluten-Free Vegan Eats Around the World* © 2013 Fair Winds Press, reprinted by permission.

Makes: About 1 ½ cups

• 15 sun-dried tomatoes
• ½  cup water (substitute 3 tablespoons of water with
  white wine for an extra bit of zing)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 small red onion, diced 
• 1 clove garlic, sliced 
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, divided 
• 1 ½ cups pitted black olives 
• Flatbreads or gluten-free crackers
• Fresh cilantro sprigs for garnish

In a small bowl, soak the sun-dried tomatoes in the water for about 1 hour or until softened.

While the tomatoes are soaking, heat the olive oil in a medium-size frying pan. Add the onion, garlic, and 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt and sauté over medium-high heat until the onions are evenly browned and translucent, about 10 minutes.

Once the tomatoes have soaked, drain well and combine with the sautéed onions and black olives in a food processor. Add the additional sea salt and pulse until all ingredients are combined and the olives and tomatoes are very finely chopped.

Serve on top of flatbreads or gluten-free crackers with a garnish of fresh cilantro.

• Here are more tasty vegan appetizers.
  

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