Seed Oil Free Herb-Marinated Olives
Warm, fragrant, and deeply savory, these marinated olives are the kind of appetizer that disappears from the bowl before anyone even sits down. A generous pour of extra-virgin olive oil forms the base of the marinade, which means you're working with a single-ingredient fat that's as clean and flavorful as it gets — no industrial seed oils, no mystery blends. Gently warming the oil with garlic, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and red pepper flakes coaxes out every bit of their aromatic potential before the olives ever hit the pan. The lemon zest added at the end brightens the whole thing and keeps the richness from feeling heavy. After a 30-minute rest, the oil transforms into something you'll want to mop up with crusty bread — it's that good. These keep beautifully in a jar in the fridge and are just as impressive pulled out for a weeknight snack as they are set out at a dinner party.
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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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