Paraben Free Herb-Marinated Olives
Briny, fragrant, and impossibly easy to pull together, these marinated olives are the kind of appetizer that looks like you spent way more effort than you actually did. A mix of Castelvetrano, Kalamata, and Cerignola olives gets warmed low and slow in extra-virgin olive oil with sliced garlic, rosemary, thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes, and a bright hit of lemon zest — the result is deeply aromatic and completely addictive. Gently heating the oil with the herbs and garlic first coaxes out every bit of flavor before the olives ever hit the pan, which makes a real difference in the final taste. One of the quiet wins here is that every ingredient is whole and recognizable — no jarred marinades, no preservative-laden store-bought shortcuts that can sneak in unwanted additives. After a 30-minute rest in the infused oil, the flavors meld into something that tastes like it came from a good Mediterranean restaurant. These keep beautifully in a jar in the fridge and rewarm in minutes, making them just as good for a casual weeknight snack as they are for entertaining.
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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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