Pork Free Citrus & Herb Marinated Olives
These marinated olives are the kind of appetizer that makes guests think you spent hours in the kitchen — when really, the stove does most of the work in under ten minutes. Warming the olive oil with garlic, rosemary, and thyme gently blooms all those aromatics into something deeply fragrant and savory. The addition of orange and lemon zest, a splash of fresh orange juice, and warm spices like turmeric and ginger gives the olives a bright, complex flavor that feels almost Mediterranean-meets-Middle-Eastern. Everything in this recipe is naturally free of pork and pork-derived ingredients, so there's no label-reading stress — just clean, whole-food pantry staples doing their thing. The key move is letting the finished olives rest for at least 30 minutes before serving, which gives the infused oil time to soak into every olive and really deepen the flavor. Serve them warm or at room temperature alongside crusty bread, a cheese board, or just a cold drink — they disappear fast either way.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 2 cups mixed olives, pitted or unpitted
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp orange zest (from about ½ orange)
- 1 tsp lemon zest (from about ½ lemon)
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp fresh orange juice
Instructions
- 1
Combine the olive oil, garlic, rosemary sprigs, and thyme sprigs in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook until the garlic is softened and just beginning to turn golden at the edges, about 4–5 minutes — watch closely, as the garlic can brown quickly.
- 2
Add the olives, orange zest, lemon zest, turmeric, ginger, and salt to the pan. Stir to coat the olives in the oil and spices, then cook until the olives are warmed through and fragrant, about 3–4 minutes.
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