These warm olives constitute a simple yet savvy appetizer with just citrus, rosemary or thyme, olive oil, and chiles. Ready in less time than it takes to run and buy marinated olives from the store.
Let’s be honest, shall we? Most store-bought marinated olives, despite their exorbitant price tag, just aren’t that sexy. The flavors tend to be flat, tired, drab. And yet those same simple marinade ingredients, when consumed fresh and not packaged as in these warm olives, lend a vibrancy that’s inspired, impressive, and downright impossible to stop noshing. Here’s a homemade alternative that takes less time to toss together than it would to drive to the store.–Renee Schettler Rossi
☞ Contents
Warm Olives
Ingredients
- 2 cups assorted olives rinsed and drained
- 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 to 3 thin strips orange or lemon zest preferably olives
- 2 small sprigs rosemary or thyme
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Feta for serving (optional)
- Almonds for serving (optional)
Directions
- Toss the olives, oil, orange or lemon zest, and rosemary or thyme in a large skillet. Season with red pepper flakes.
- Bring to a gentle simmer and keep over the heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through, about 5 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the olives and seasonings to a bowl. (Reserve the oil for another use such as whisking it into a vinaigrette or drizzling it over roasted vegetables, fish, chicken, or pork.) Serve the olives warm alone or, if desired, alongside feta or almonds.
Notes
What You Need To Know About Choosing Olives
There’s no one particular kind of olives that’s best for this warm olives recipe. Actually, choosing an array of olives in varying shapes and sizes and colors makes this exponentially more enticing than if you’d just grabbed a jar of Kalamatas. Shown in the photo above are the Cerignola, Castelvetrano, Kalamata, and Niçoise, which we consider a lovely and pleasing mix, although opt for whichever olives you fancy.Show Nutrition
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We’d love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
It’s really hard to go wrong with warm olives. I tend to just toss some combination of these ingredients together at random minutes before guests drop by, although it’s handy and reliable to have this cheat sheet for how much of what. And be certain to do as the recipe directs and keep that olive oil handy for drizzling over all manner of things—including feta or goat cheese that you serve alongside the olives. Seriously, can’t go wrong with this.
Originally published July 19, 2019
HUNGRY FOR MORE?
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Are not all the packaged olives already in preserving oils, vinegars, spices, etc. ? Does the olive oil, citrus and herbs overcome those influences?Can you prep them and refrigerate for later warming and red pepper seasoning immediately before use?
Uncle Dick, all olives are treated or cured in some fashion but not necessarily with oils or spices or herbs. For some, it’s a simple brine. For others, it’s vinegar. Still others, it’s olive oil. If you look carefully at the olives available at your store, you’ll see that many are without added flavoring in terms of herbs or spices or chiles or citrus zest. This recipe is for those relatively unadorned olives. You would not want to make this recipe with olives that are already infused with (drab-tasting) store-bought marinades.
Thanks for sharing a link to my recipe! I also love adding olives when I’m roasting cauliflower or broccoli.
You’re very welcome, Olga. Love the notion of tossing olives in with roasted veggies!
I love olives and this recipe sounds perfect for the winter months and a gathering of friends. I especially like that it has orange zest, very different.
Nods. I quite like the orange as opposed to lemon, Vicki. I think you will, too.