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Remember this garlicky appetizer for your next dinner party. Buttery Castelvetrano olives are sautéed with garlic, fresh thyme, and lemon zest. Vegan & gluten-free.
I have a weakness for foods that seem fancy but aren’t actually complicated to make. They have the benefits of those arduous recipes, eliciting impressed oohs and aahs, but they don’t take much time on task.
A prime example: buttery Castelvetrano olives warmed in a skillet with lemon zest, garlic, and fresh thyme.
Now, I’m an olive lover through and through. I’ll happily dig into a jar of briny kalamata olives or linger over chewy dry-cured olives…
(In fact, I’m such an olive lover that on our honeymoon, I tried one straight off the tree while walking through an olive grove in Assisi, Italy. Word to the wise: Don’t do that. It’s awful.)
David, however, isn’t a big fan of olives. His tune changes, though, when Castelvetrano olives are involved.
Castelvetrano are the Adele of olives. They woo even those who typically shy away. They are milder, more rounded in flavor, with less of that tinny quality that is common in a ripe olive.
Castelvetrano olives are easy to recognize by their bright green hue, the color of Kermit.
They’re commonly in the line-up on olive bars. Although, after seeing one too many adults sticking their hands into olive bars and chomping away, like some kind of Mediterranean apple bobbing, I stick to the jarred variety.
Whenever I see warmed olives on a restaurant menu, I have to order them. Warmed olives are similar to the marinated olives I’ve made over the years, but with less of a waiting period.
(Since I can enjoy olives straight out of the jar, it’s hard for me to want to whip up a marinade and then wait hours or days until I can enjoy them. I’m more likely to scrap it and just dig in with a fork.)
How to make warmed Castelvetrano olives
To make this warmed Castelvetrano olive recipe, simply sauté drained olives with lemon zest, chopped garlic, fresh thyme, and extra virgin olive oil. After the garlic is fragrant, turn off the heat, and allow the flavors to develop in the warm skillet until serving time.
One warning: While it usually takes me a while to work through a jar of olives, when they’re warmed and popping with the flavors of garlic and lemon, it’s easy to plow through half a jar in a sitting.
Should you have leftovers, they can be saved for later in the refrigerator, and gently warmed in a skillet again. After some marinating time, the flavors are a little more pronounced, but not to a tremendous degree.
After the olives are eaten, use the remaining flavored oil for dunking bread. Or pull out the sprigs of thyme, add a splash of vinegar, and make a flavorful salad dressing.
These warmed Castelvetrano olives are a wonderful addition to a vegan charcuterie board or nibbly night. On a cold February evening, having a warm dish in addition to the usual spread makes it even more satiating.
Pile it on to a board with any or all of the following: jalapeño cashew cheese or store-bought cashew cheese, hummus, roasted chickpeas, berries, sliced bell peppers, pickles, jalapeño slices, jarred artichoke hearts, dolmas, orange slices, and crackers.
A meal of finger foods feels a little luxurious and a little sexy – perfect for Valentine’s Day or just another Tuesday night.
Warmed castelvetrano olives with lemon & garlic
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 7.5 ounces drained weight Castelvetrano olives
- 6 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 2 Tablespoons chopped garlic
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest Roughly the zest of one lemon
Instructions
- Bring a skillet to a low medium heat with extra virgin olive oil, drained Castelvetrano olives, fresh thyme, garlic, and lemon zest. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant.
- Turn off heat and let the oil/olive mixture sit on the stove for 10 minutes, while the flavors meld.
- Pour the mixture into a serving bowl and serve warm.
Jenn says
Cadry, these pictures are gorgeous! While I am not an olive fan, my hubby and son LOVE them. This would be a perfect recipe for them. And, maybe I’ll try one, since you say they’ll woo everyone. 🙂
Cadry says
Aw, thanks, Jenn! This photo session was a joint effort from me and David, since we both took turns being hand models. Plus, at the end we got to sit down and dig in. So that’s a win/win! You should definitely give Castelvetrano olives a whirl, even if you don’t typically go for olives. They may just win you over!
Mary Ellen @ VNutrition says
Simple recipes are always so tasty. I love warmed olives and order them every time they’re on a menu too. They remind me of Italy and my honeymoon. I would have never thought to do a recipe with them – brilliant! 🙂
Cadry says
That’s so sweet that they remind you of your honeymoon too! One of the perks of traveling around Italy was definitely the complimentary bowl of olives at the start of every meal. Got to love that!
Dianne's Vegan Kitchen says
This is such a gorgeous platter! Dennis has always loved olives, but I used to hate them. Several years ago, we did a raw food challenge for a month, and I found myself shoveling olives from the fridge into my face for some reason. I think I needed the salty, grounding food to counteract all of the light greens I was eating. Anyway, I’m now a huge olive lover! I don’t think I’ve ever had Castelvetrano olives, though. I’ll need to change that ASAP.
Cadry says
That’s so interesting that a raw food challenge brought out the olive lover hidden inside you. Get your hands on some Castelvetrano olives. I think you’re going to love them!
Becky Striepe says
Oh my goodness, I’d love to snack on these. Your snack tray looks super amazing, PS!
Cadry says
Thanks, Becky! We do one of these “snacky” dinners at least once or twice a week. Somehow they always feel special and fun, even though they take almost no effort to put together!
Bianca Phillips says
Oooh, I’ve never heard of warm olives! But I love olives sooooo much. I’m sure I’d love these. I’ll have to try them!
Cadry says
Yes, give them a whirl! Especially since you’re an olive fan already, I think you’ll love them.
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day says
I am so excited about this recipe, Cadry! I LOVE olives, and Castelvetrano are my favorite!
Cadry says
It sounds like this recipe was made for you, Amy! Aren’t Castelvetrano olives just the best?
annie says
Woah. I love everything about this post. My husband is a gourmet olive addict — it’s totally adorable. But since they’re gourmet and all, we try to only have them once a month. I’m totally making this next time we splurge.
Cadry says
Excellent, Annie! I hope that you and your husband enjoy them!
Sarah says
Costco just started carrying Castelvetrano olives and we are plowing through an entire jar each week! We love them, and I think that your preparation will make us love them even more! These look delicious, and your pictures are gorgeous!
Cadry says
Thank you, Sarah! That’s so nice to hear. 🙂 I always have a variety of olives in the house, but the Castelvetrano are really something special. I’m not surprised you’re plowing through your jars from Costco.
Hannah says
There’s never been a more beautiful olive out there! I’m also an olive lover and would never turn them down, no matter how plain, but these would be an extraordinary treat. I tend to forget about Castelvetrano olives since they’re rather rare around here, but they’re easily on my top list of favorite varieties.
Cadry says
It’s so true that they are the most beautiful olive around. That green color is mesmerizing. 🙂
Sarah De la Cruz says
These are a family fave!!! I LOVE castelvetrano olives, and this just takes them to the next level! So good, and the simplest appetizer to throw together!!!
Cadry says
I am so glad to hear that you & your family love them, Sarah!
Heather says
I made this recipe for a dinner party a couple weeks ago and they were fantastic! I could have eaten only these for dinner. I recently bought the jumbo jar from Costco so I may just do that! Thanks Cadry!
Janis Ware says
These were so simple to make and so delicious! Felt so fancy! I had never even had this type of olive before but thought I’d give these a try. We really enjoyed this recipe!
Cadry says
That’s awesome, Janis. It’s nice when dishes can feel fancy with so little effort. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Beverly says
Absolutely amazing recipe! I added a few crushed red pepper flakes…unbelievable!! Thank you!!
Cadry says
Thank you for the wonderful feedback, Beverly! I’m so glad that you enjoyed the olives, and good idea adding red pepper flakes!
Carol Mayhew says
I came across your recipe this Christmas morning. To my happy surprise (not too surprised, haha), I have all the ingredients in the cupboard/garden… I made two batches!. Wow! Wow! Wow! incredibly delicious… such a buttery texture. Thank you for a wonderful Christmas gift! In fact I’m bringing a jar of these beauties to a friend’s Xmas party tonight! Solved my gift dilemma. I’ll give you 99% credit!! 😉 Happy holidays to you and yours
Cadry says
That’s so nice to hear, Carol! I’m thrilled that you enjoyed the olives, and I hope your friend did too. Happy holidays to you as well!
Tilly says
Where can you find the olives? Can we make a large batch and then jar to give as gifts?
Cadry says
Here are some options on places to buy Castelvetrano olives:
I buy Castelvetrano olives at Natural Grocers. My favorite brand is Jeff’s Naturals.
They are also sold at Cost Plus World Market. Usually the brand they sell is Mezetta.
My closest location of Walmart will also ship Mezetta olives for free to their store. It may do the same in your area, or they may just have them in stock.
One reader told me that she buys very large jars of Castelvetrano olives at Costco.
Castelvetrano olives are popular on olive bars. I’ve seen them at Whole Foods in the olive bar, and sometimes they also put small plastic containers of them near the olive bar in a refrigerated case.
Whole Foods also sells jarred Castelvetrano olives – their own in-house brand & Divina.
Finally, you can also buy them on Amazon.
Yes, you can make a large batch of olives and give them as gifts in a glass container. Be sure to tell your recipient to refrigerate them and eat them within a few days. If you’d like to increase the amount of olive oil, so that the olives are completely covered in the jar, they will last longer.