Sun-Dried Tomato Spread

Bright and immensely flavorful, this homemade Sun-Dried Tomato Spread is perfect for a cheese board, a vegetable sandwich or a dip for crusty bread. It is a super fast and easy recipe that's made with a whole jar of oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, olives, herbs, a hot pepper and garlic.

I have been on a sun-dried tomato kick lately. Just this week I posted a recipe for Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette and Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad. So when I had an extra jar to use up from all these tests, I decided to make a super simple spread that I could use for a cheese board or on a veggie sandwich. It's similar to a sun-dried tomato pesto (minus the nuts and cheese), a tapenade or even sun-dried tomato pate. In fact, this spread can be used anywhere a recipe calls for any of these ingredients.

These sweet, plump tomatoes are slightly tangy and bursting with flavor. They add a ton of rich flavor to pizza, pasta, risotto, salads and more. When blended with the oil from the jar, olives, herbs, garlic and a hot pepper, you get an incredibly versatile spread that will last in the refrigerator for at least 5 days. This is now one of my go-to recipes anytime I want an easy, yet special spread.

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• Ingredients that Matter
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Serving Suggestions
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top tip
• FAQ
• Appetizers
• Dinner Ideas
• Recipe

Ingredients that Matter

This recipe calls for a handful of pantry ingredients along with some fresh produce. Here are the ingredients you'll need for this recipe:

• Sun-Dried Tomatoes. Use all the tomatoes and oil from a 7 ounce jar of oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes. If you want to use regular dried tomatoes instead, simply soak 1 cup of the tomatoes in warm water, drain and use ⅓ cup of olive oil in place of the jarred oil.
• Olives. Technically you can make this spread by simply chopping the contents of a jar of oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, but what's the fun in that? Kalamata olives are the first of the add-ins that bring a ton of complimentary flavors to this spread.
• Garlic. Use 1 small clove of garlic, minced, to add a good amount of bright garlic flavor without making the spread too garlicky. Of course, if you want it to be too garlicky, add as much garlic as you'd like.
• Hot Pepper. This ingredient is, of course, optional as it's only here to add a touch of heat to the spread. Use your favorite hot pepper but reach for a red pepper, if possible, to maintain the vibrant red color of the tomatoes
• Parsley. I recommend using fresh parsley but you can also use basil, chives or even scallions.
• Salt and Pepper. A pinch of salt and pepper is plenty to season this spread.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

This recipe comes together in about 5 minutes and leans entirely on a food processor. If you don't have a food processor, you could use a blender or even chop everything by hand. Here is how the recipe comes together:

Hint: If you don't have a food processor I recommend draining the tomatoes (reserve the oil in a mixing bowl) and then finely chopping them. Do the same for the garlic, olives, hot pepper and parsley then add these ingredients to the bowl with the reserved oil. Sprinkle in salt and pepper and stir well.

Substitutions

There are plenty of additions or substitutions you can make to this recipe. This recipe is already gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan, but if you want to make some tweaks based on your preferences, try the following:

• Dried Sun-Dried Tomatoes - If you want to use regular dried sun-dried tomatoes, soak 1 cup in warm water for about 30 minutes. Drain the water and use about ⅓ cup olive oil instead of the jarred oil.
• Hot Pepper - Adding a hot pepper to the spread makes for a more intense, flavorful spread. You can always use a big pinch of crushed red pepper in place of a fresh hot pepper, or simply leave out the hot pepper if you don't want any heat.
• Herbs - I like parsley for it's simple, herbaceous flavor, but you could also use basil, chives or scallions. You could even use a big pinch of dried oregano, basil or Italian herbs if fresh herbs are not available.
• Garlic - Feel free to add another clove of garlic if you want bigger, bolder garlic flavor. You could also use a big pinch of garlic powder instead of fresh garlic.
• Roasted Red Peppers - Try adding a jarred roasted red pepper to this spread for a tangy, sweet pop of flavor.

Serving Suggestions

There are so many different ways you can use this bold sun-dried tomato spread. Use it in place of sun-dried tomato pesto or sun-dried tomato pate. It is particularly delicious spread on a toasted bread for a veggie-packed sandwich. Or add a small bowl of it to your next cheese or charcuterie board.

Try using this spread with these recipes:

• Smothered Skillet Chicken with Artichokes and Red Peppers
• Burrata Bruschetta
• Smoked Trout Tartines with Crispy Capers
• Tuna Croquettes
• Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad
• Sun-Dried Tomato and Artichoke Pasta
• Lemon Caper Pasta
• Easy Tuna Pesto Pasta (in place of the homemade pesto)
• Air Fryer Steak Fries
• Red Lentil Patties

Equipment

If you have a food processor, this recipe is incredibly simple. You just let the machine do all the work. I recommend either a small processor, like this KitchenAid 5 Cup Food Chopper, which has a relatively small profile plus a spout to pour in oil or other liquids.

You can also simply use a more standard size food processor like this Cuisinart Food Processor (14-Cup). I've had mine for more than a decade and use it for chopping or shredding vegetables, making breadcrumbs, blending soups or even making pizza dough.

Storage

Store leftover spread in an airtight container or mason jar for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Note that the longer it sits in the refrigerator, the stronger the flavors will develop. Also, the spread will thicken as it sits, so I recommend stirring in either a bit of olive oil or water to adjust the consistency to a spreadable texture.

I do not recommend freezing this spread. And be sure to refrigerate it after 2 hours of being at room temperature for food-safety.

FAQ

Appetizers

Looking for more appetizer recipes like this? Try these:

Dinner Ideas

Need some inspiration for dinner? Try out these recipes:

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