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Warm Marinated Olives

Name: Warm Marinated Olives
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 2 Cups Green Olives (pitted - I love using castelvetrano); 1 1/4 Cups Black Olives (pitted - I love using Kalamata olives); 4 Cloves Garlic (mashed); 1/2 Orange (zested - you'll only need the zest for this recipe, so feel free to eat the orange!); 1 Lemon (zested and juiced); 2 Teaspoons Fresh Thyme (stems removed and chopped); 2 Teaspoons Fennel Seeds (whole); 1 Teaspoon Aleppo Pepper (or substitute with a 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes); 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper; 2/3 cup High-Quality Olive Oil

By Nicole Modic ⎯

November 19, 2023

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A warm, cozy, vegan-friendly side dish or snack that comes together in just 10 minutes is exactly what the winter season is all about. After all, in a season meant for sharing food and company with the people that you love, there is nothing better than a cozy dish that everyone can snack on together. Introducing my Warm Marinated Olives, a simple and easy dish for everyone to enjoy. Made with just a few easy ingredients, it’s perfect for whipping up in a pinch and serving at a dinner party or Thanksgiving gathering!

An image of a bowl of the warm marinated olives, sitting on a countertop surrounded by other ingredients in the background

Friends, have you heard of the olive theory? This theory basically states that all successful marriages / romantic relationships are predicated on one person in the relationship liking olives, and the other person not liking olives. Apparently, if both people either like olives or don’t like olives, the relationship is destined to not work out. Now, I have no idea if this is true, but what I can say is this… I love olives, while my husband Greg hates them. In that case, the olive theory checks out! What do you think about this theory? Comment down below!

Regardless of what you believe though, I’m going to assume that you’re here because you’re someone like me who loves olives. I just can’t get enough of them! Recently, I was at a wine bar in San Francisco and was introduced to the delight that is warm olives. Think: warm, slightly toasty olives coated in spices and rich olive oil. It’s the perfect finger food to serve as a healthy appetizer or snack, or even to serve alongside your favorite charcuterie board or butter board. This year, I’ll be serving this dish at my family’s Thanksgiving celebration, too!

All of the ingredients needed to make these warm marinade olives, sitting on a cutting board on a countertop — To make this recipe, you will need olives, garlic orange zest, lemon, fresh thyme, fennel seeds, Aleppo pepper, ground black pepper, and olive oil.

a bowl, filled with the olives and spices, sitting on a countertop with the olive oil actively being poured into it — To make this recipe, you will need olives, garlic orange zest, lemon, fresh thyme, fennel seeds, Aleppo pepper, ground black pepper, and olive oil.

What You Need to Make These Warm and Cozy Olives

Olives: This recipe calls for both green olives and black olives. My favorite combination is castelvetrano olives mixed with kalamata olives, but any variety of green and black olives works.
Garlic: Freshly mashed garlic adds the perfect flavor to this recipe – don’t skip it!
Orange: Only the zest will be needed for this recipe, so be sure to save the rest of the orange as a yummy snack.
Lemon: Both the juice and zest of one lemon will be used in this recipe!
Fresh Thyme: Fresh thyme adds a much better flavor than dried thyme does, so I highly recommend it here.
Fennel Seeds: Fennel seeds have a slightly sweet, nutty flavor that tastes delicious when paired with these olives.
Aleppo Pepper: I like using Aleppo pepper for a little bit of mild spice. If you want more of a kick, you can also opt for crushed red pepper flakes instead.
Ground Black Pepper: A pinch of ground black pepper adds depth and flavor to these olives.
Olive Oil: Nothing goes better with olives than a little high-quality olive oil! My favorite is by Graza and adds the most delicious flavor to these olives.

A pot, sitting on a countertop, with the warm marinated olives being heated up inside of it — Toss the olives until they’re fully coated in all of the ingredients. Then, add them to a saucepan, on the stove, over medium-low heat.

How to Make This Easy and Elevated 10-Minute Side Dish

Making this dish is so quick and easy, it’s the perfect side dish to accompany a dinner party or Thanksgiving dinner! To make it, start by preparing the olives. Add the olives to a mesh strainer and rinse them thoroughly to remove all of the liquid.

Then, transfer the olives to a large bowl, along with the mashed garlic, orange zest, lemon juice and zest, fresh thyme, fennel seeds, Aleppo pepper, ground black pepper, and olive oil. Toss all of the ingredients together and fully coat the olives in the other ingredients.

A bowl of the warm marinated olives, sitting on a countertop with a spoon sitting inside of it — Next up, just heat a small sauce pan on the stove over medium-low heat. Add in the olive mixture. Allow the olives to cook until the oil begins to sizzle, about 4-5 minutes, then turn the heat down to low and let cook for 3-4 minutes more.

Remove them from the heat, let cool, transfer to a bowl, serve, and enjoy!

If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new.

** Photography by Tanya Pilgrim

Dairy Free/gluten-free/Grain Free/Nut Free/Refined Sugar Free/snacks/Vegan