Walnut Free Ginger-Scallion Marinated Olives
These marinated olives are the kind of appetizer that disappears before you even sit down. A mix of plump, briny olives gets warmed in fragrant olive oil with scallions, fresh ginger, and thinly sliced garlic — a combination that feels unexpected but makes complete sense the moment you taste it. A hit of lemon zest and lemon juice at the end keeps everything bright and lively, while fresh thyme adds an herby, almost floral depth. The technique is simple: a quick sauté to bloom the aromatics, then a gentle warm-through for the olives so they soak up every bit of that infused oil. Letting the bowl rest at room temperature for half an hour is the move that takes this from good to genuinely great, giving the flavors time to meld and deepen. Store-bought marinated olives often come loaded with mystery oils and mixed-nut additions that can make them off-limits for anyone avoiding tree nuts — here, every ingredient is straightforward and easy to verify. Scatter some flat-leaf parsley over the top and set this out with crusty bread, and watch it become the most talked-about thing on the table.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 2 cups mixed olives, pitted or unpitted (such as castelvetrano, kalamata, or cerignola)
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp lemon zest (from about 1 lemon)
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
- 1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the olive oil, scallions, ginger, and garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the scallions are softened and the garlic is fragrant and just beginning to turn golden at the edges, about 4–5 minutes. Watch closely — the garlic can brown quickly at this stage.
- 2
Add the olives and thyme sprigs to the pan. Stir to coat the olives in the oil, then cook until the olives are warmed through and fragrant, about 2–3 minutes.
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