Celery Free Herb-Marinated Olives
These olives are the kind of appetizer that disappears before you even sit down. Warm garlic, woody rosemary and thyme, a hit of red pepper flakes, and a bright pop of lemon zest all meld together in fragrant extra-virgin olive oil to create something that tastes far more impressive than the effort involved. The technique is simple: gently coaxing the aromatics in oil until the garlic turns golden and fragrant, then letting the olives soak up every bit of that flavor as everything cools. That resting period is the secret — the longer the olives sit in the infused oil, the deeper and more complex the whole thing becomes. Store-bought marinated olives often hide unnecessary additives or mystery seasonings, but here you control every single ingredient in the jar. Serve them straight from the container at room temperature, or give them a quick rewarm on the stovetop right before guests arrive. They're equally at home next to a cheese board, alongside crusty bread, or just eaten straight off a toothpick with zero apologies.
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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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