Mushroom Free Garlic-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. A mix of buttery Castelvetrano, briny Kalamata, and meaty Cerignola olives gets warmed low and slow in extra-virgin olive oil with sliced garlic, fresh rosemary, thyme, and bright strips of lemon zest. Ground turmeric and ginger add a subtle warmth that you won't quite be able to place but absolutely won't want to leave out. The whole thing is completely plant-forward and built entirely from herbs, citrus, and spice — not a single fungus-derived ingredient in sight, so there's no need to scrutinize labels or swap anything out. That 30-minute rest at room temperature is the secret step: it lets the infused oil soak into every olive and turns the whole bowl into something deeply aromatic and complex. Serve them warm alongside crusty bread, or let them cool and spoon them over a cheese board for an instant upgrade. They also keep beautifully in a jar, with the flavors only getting better as they sit.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 2 cups mixed olives, pitted or unpitted (such as castelvetrano, kalamata, and cerignola)
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 strips lemon zest (each about 3 inches long), removed with a vegetable peeler
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 2 sprigs fresh oregano (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Drain the olives and pat them dry with a paper towel. Set aside.
- 2
Combine the olive oil, garlic, rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, lemon zest strips, turmeric, ginger, and oregano (if using) in a small saucepan. Set over medium-low heat and warm until the garlic is fragrant and just beginning to turn golden at the edges, about 4–5 minutes. Watch closely — the garlic can brown quickly and turn bitter.
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