Turmeric Free Herb-Marinated Olives
Briny, fragrant, and impossibly easy to pull together, these herb-marinated olives are the kind of appetizer that looks like you spent hours on it when really the stovetop did most of the work. A trio of fresh herbs — rosemary, thyme, and oregano — gets gently warmed in good olive oil alongside sliced garlic and a hit of red pepper flakes, turning a simple pan into something that smells absolutely incredible. The lemon zest brightens everything up, cutting through the richness of the oil and making each olive pop with flavor. Many store-bought marinated olives sneak in spice blends that can include unexpected ingredients, so making your own means you know exactly what's in the jar. The 30-minute resting period is where the real magic happens — the oil soaks into every olive and the flavors knit together into something deeply savory and aromatic. These are equally at home on a cheese board, alongside crusty bread, or just eaten straight from the jar while no one is watching. Make a batch ahead and keep it in the fridge; they only get better with time.
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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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