Xanthan Gum Free Mediterranean Marinated Olives
Briny, fragrant, and impossibly easy to pull together, these marinated olives are the kind of appetizer that looks like you put in way more effort than you actually did. A warm bath of extra-virgin olive oil, sliced garlic, fresh rosemary and thyme, lemon zest, and a whisper of turmeric and ginger transforms a simple jar of mixed olives into something genuinely special. The technique is straightforward — you're just gently blooming the aromatics in oil until the garlic turns golden and fragrant, then pouring everything over the olives to steep. Because the entire recipe is built from whole, unprocessed ingredients, there's no need to scrutinize labels for hidden thickeners or stabilizers — what you see is exactly what goes in. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end brightens the richness of the oil and ties all those Mediterranean flavors together beautifully. They're great alongside a cheese board, tucked into a mezze spread, or honestly just eaten straight from the jar while standing at the counter. Make them a day ahead and the flavor only gets better.
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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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