Nitrate & Nitrite Free Garlic Ginger Herb Oil
This fragrant infused oil is the kind of kitchen staple that quietly transforms everything it touches — drizzled over roasted vegetables, stirred into pasta, brushed onto crusty bread, or used as a finishing oil for grilled fish or chicken. The technique is gentle and intentional: garlic and ginger warm slowly in olive oil until just barely golden, coaxing out deep, mellow flavor without any bitterness or burn. Fresh parsley, basil, and thyme then steep in that hot oil like a savory tea, leaving behind a beautifully aromatic base that tastes far more complex than its short ingredient list suggests. For anyone avoiding nitrates and nitrites, this kind of homemade condiment is a genuine win. Flavored oils and specialty finishing products at the store often contain preservatives or cured-ingredient derivatives that make label-reading a chore — here, every single ingredient is whole, fresh, and clean. There's no guesswork, no hidden additives, just extra-virgin olive oil and herbs you can see and smell. Strain it into a glass jar, keep it in the fridge, and you've got a versatile, preservative-free flavor booster ready to go all week long.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, roughly torn
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
- 1
Combine the olive oil, garlic slices, and ginger in a small saucepan over the lowest possible heat. Warm gently until the oil is fragrant and small bubbles form lazily around the garlic and ginger, about 8–10 minutes — the garlic should turn just barely golden at the edges but not brown. Watch closely, as garlic can scorch quickly.
- 2
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the parsley, basil, and thyme. Let the herbs steep in the hot oil for 15 minutes, until the oil is deeply fragrant and the herbs are wilted.
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