Vegan Lemon Garlic Herb Marinated Olives
Briny, fragrant, and impossibly easy to pull together, these warm marinated olives are the kind of appetizer that disappears from the bowl before you've even finished pouring the drinks. A mix of Castelvetrano, Kalamata, and Cerignola olives brings a range of textures and flavors — buttery, meaty, tangy — that makes every bite interesting. The real magic happens in the saucepan, where extra-virgin olive oil slowly blooms with sliced garlic, fresh rosemary, thyme, and a long strip of lemon zest until everything turns fragrant and golden. A pinch of turmeric and ground ginger adds a subtle warmth that you might not be able to name but absolutely will notice. Because every ingredient here is whole and plant-based by nature, there's no need to scrutinize labels or swap anything out — it just works. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and a scatter of fresh parsley, and you have something that looks and tastes like it came from a very good wine bar.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 2 cups mixed olives, drained (such as castelvetrano, kalamata, and cerignola)
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 strip lemon zest (about 3 inches long), pith removed
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the olive oil, garlic, rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, lemon zest strip, turmeric, and ginger in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Warm until the garlic is softened and fragrant and small bubbles form steadily around the herbs, about 4–5 minutes. Watch closely — the garlic should turn pale golden at the edges but not brown.
- 2
Add the drained olives to the saucepan and stir to coat. Continue to heat, stirring occasionally, until the olives are warmed through and have absorbed the aromatics, about 3–4 minutes.
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