Walnut Free Lemon Garlic Herb Marinated Olives
Briny, fragrant, and impossibly easy to pull together, these marinated olives are the kind of appetizer that disappears from the bowl before you've even finished pouring the drinks. A mix of plump varieties like Castelvetrano, Kalamata, and Cerignola gives you a range of textures and flavors, while a warm bath of olive oil, sliced garlic, rosemary, thyme, and lemon zest coaxes everything into something that tastes far more sophisticated than the effort involved. The gentle heat on the stovetop is the real trick here — it blooms the spices, softens the garlic to a pale golden sweetness, and lets the olives soak up every bit of that aromatic oil. A hit of fresh lemon juice at the end keeps things bright and balanced. Packaged marinated olives at the store often come with mystery ingredients and shared-facility concerns, so making your own means you know exactly what's in the bowl. Serve them warm straight from the pan or let them cool to room temperature — either way, they're stunning alongside crusty bread or a simple cheese board.
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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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