Vegetarian Mediterranean Marinated Olives
These olives are the kind of thing you set out at a gathering and watch disappear before the main course even hits the table. A warm bath of extra-virgin olive oil, sliced garlic, fresh rosemary and thyme, and a bright strip of lemon zest does all the heavy lifting here, coaxing deep, aromatic flavor into every olive. The addition of ground turmeric and ginger is a subtle but brilliant move — it gives the marinade a gentle warmth that makes the whole bowl feel a little more special than your average antipasto spread. Because everything comes together in a single small saucepan, the technique is genuinely low-effort, and the payoff only gets better the longer the olives sit in the fridge. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice stirred in at the end keeps things bright and balanced against all that richness. Serve them at room temperature with crusty bread, alongside a cheese board, or honestly just straight from the jar — no judgment here.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 1 ½ cups mixed olives (such as castelvetrano, kalamata, and cerignola), pitted or whole
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 strip lemon zest (about 3 inches), pith removed
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Drain the olives and pat them dry with a paper towel, then transfer to a clean jar or heatproof bowl.
- 2
Combine the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, lemon zest, turmeric, ginger, and salt in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Warm until the garlic is fragrant and just beginning to turn golden at the edges, about 3–4 minutes — watch closely, as the garlic can brown quickly.
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