Carrageenan Free Herb-Marinated Olives
Warm, fragrant, and deeply savory, these herb-marinated olives are the kind of appetizer that disappears before anything else on the table. A mix of Castelvetrano, Kalamata, and Cerignola olives brings a range of buttery, briny, and meaty textures that make every bite interesting. The real magic happens when garlic, rosemary, thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes, and lemon zest are gently warmed in good olive oil — that slow infusion turns simple ingredients into something that tastes like it came from a specialty shop. Many store-bought marinated olives contain additives used as stabilizers or thickeners, so making your own from scratch gives you full control over exactly what goes into the jar. After a 30-minute rest in the infused oil, the flavors meld into something genuinely special — aromatic, a little spicy, and bright from the lemon zest. They're equally at home on a charcuterie board, alongside crusty bread, or just eaten straight from the jar with a toothpick. Make a batch ahead and keep it in the fridge; they only get better as they sit.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 2 cups mixed olives (such as castelvetrano, kalamata, and cerignola), drained
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tsp fresh oregano leaves
- 1 tsp lemon zest (from about ½ lemon)
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- ¼ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
Instructions
- 1
Combine the olive oil, garlic, rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, oregano, red pepper flakes, and black pepper in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. 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 at this stage.
- 2
Add the drained olives and lemon zest to the saucepan. Stir to coat and continue warming over medium-low heat until the olives are heated through and the oil is bubbling gently around them, about 3–4 minutes.
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