Antipasto Salad with Peperoncini Olive Tapenade
⏲ ~47 min total · prep 17 · cook 30 · 4 servings
Sides⏱ 45 min total🔥 8.2g net carbs
By the KFI Test Kitchen · Tested & approved by Jason Lieu, KFI recipe editor
Published Sep 15, 2026 · Updated Sep 15, 2026
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup pitted Castelvetrano olives
- 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
- 6 peperoncini peppers, divided, plus 2 tbsp of the brine
- 2 tbsp capers, drained
- 1 small garlic clove, smashed
- 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 6 oz genoa salami, cut into 1/2-inch ribbons
- 4 oz provolone cheese, sliced into thin strips
- 3 cups baby arugula
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 English cucumber, quartered lengthwise and sliced thick
Instructions
- Pulse the Castelvetrano olives, kalamatas, 4 of the peperoncini, capers, and garlic in a food processor 8-10 times, until you have a chunky paste with visible olive bits — do not let it turn into a smooth purée.
- Add 2 tbsp of the olive oil and the peperoncini brine and pulse twice more, just to loosen the paste; scrape into a small bowl and refrigerate 20 minutes so the flavors sharpen and the tapenade firms up.
- Meanwhile, ribbon the salami, strip the provolone, halve the tomatoes, and thick-slice the cucumber; stack everything in a wide serving bowl with the arugula.
- Loosen the chilled tapenade with the remaining 3 tbsp olive oil and the red wine vinegar, stirring until it falls heavily off the spoon.
- Spoon the tapenade over the salad in 3 or 4 dollops and toss once or twice — the greens should come away streaked, not soaked.
- Slice the remaining 2 peperoncini into rings, scatter over the top, finish with cracked black pepper, and serve within 10 minutes so the arugula stays perky.
Why this recipe works
- Eight to ten pulses, and stop The processor cuts the olives, 4 peperoncini, capers, and garlic to a chunky paste with visible olive bits. A smooth puree turns greasy and coats the greens like glue.
- A 20-minute chill Refrigerated, the tapenade firms up and the flavors sharpen, which is why the dressing step waits. Loosened afterward with the remaining oil and vinegar, it falls heavily off the spoon instead of running.
- Dolloped, then folded once or twice Three or four spoonfuls across the salad, then a single turn of the bowl leaves the greens streaked rather than soaked. Arugula drowned in dressing goes limp within minutes.
Tips for making this recipe well
Taste before any salt
Castelvetranos, kalamatas, capers, and salami all bring salt to the bowl. The recipe seasons with cracked black pepper at the end, and that is usually all the bowl needs.
Cut the vegetables thick
Thick cucumber half-moons and cherry tomato halves stand up under a heavy tapenade. Thin slices disappear into the dressing and read as garnish.
Loosen to the heavy-drop stage
Stir the chilled tapenade with the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil and the red wine vinegar until it falls heavily off the spoon. Too loose and it sinks; too stiff and it clumps.
Serve inside 10 minutes
The instruction to serve within 10 minutes is about the arugula, not the clock. Dressed greens keep their snap for minutes, not hours.
Ribbon the salami cold
Cold salami slices cut into clean 1/2-inch ribbons; warm ones tear and stick. Work straight from the fridge.
Serving suggestions
8.2 net carbs a serving is the highest number on this list, and it is spent on the things you can see: salami ribbons, provolone strips, tomatoes, cucumber, and olives. Pile the dressed salad on a wide platter, scatter the sliced peperoncini rings over the top, and grind black pepper across it at the table. Set out forks and nothing else; the salad is the whole argument.
Storage and meal prep
The tapenade is the keeper: covered in the fridge it holds 3 to 4 days and wakes up with an extra spoonful of olive oil. The salad itself is a minutes-long food, since dressed arugula wilts and the salami weeps color into the dressing. Store the tapenade, the greens, and the salami mixture in separate containers and build plates to order across 3 to 4 days of lunches.
Variations worth trying
- Artichoke hearts Toss in 1 cup of drained quartered artichoke hearts with the arugula; they drink up the tapenade.
- Fresh mozzarella Torn fresh mozzarella replaces the provolone strips for a softer, milder salad.
- Pepperoni instead Chopped pepperoni stands in for the genoa salami ribbons and turns the bowl spicier and darker.
- No-processor tapenade Mince the olives, peperoncini, capers, and garlic by hand for a coarser paste; it takes a few minutes and reads even chunkier.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make the tapenade ahead?
Yes, up to 3 or 4 days ahead, covered in the fridge. It firms up when cold, so loosen it with olive oil until it falls heavily off the spoon before dressing the salad.
I cannot find Castelvetrano olives. Now what?
Use all kalamatas. The paste runs saltier and sharper, so taste the tapenade before it goes anywhere near the greens.
How long does the finished salad keep?
Not long, and the recipe says so: serve within 10 minutes. Arugula under an oil-heavy dressing wilts fast, so build only what the table will eat.
Is the tapenade very spicy?
Four peperoncini in the paste bring gentle heat, and the 2 sliced on top bring the visible warmth. Cut the top amount in half for a quieter bowl.
Can I use jarred tapenade instead?
You could, though you lose the olive texture and the peperoncini brightness the recipe builds. If you do, stir in a teaspoon of peperoncini brine to wake it up.
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