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Warmed castelvetrano olives with lemon & garlic

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Warmed castelvetrano olives with lemon & garlic: A beautiful vegan, gluten-free appetizer | cadryskitchen.com

Remember this garlicky appetizer for your next dinner party. Buttery Castelvetrano olives are sautéed with garlic, fresh thyme, and lemon zest. Vegan & gluten-free.

Hand reaching for blueberry on charcuterie board. Castelvetrano olives in bowl.

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. 

(Pro tip: You can use the brine from the jar in this vegan feta cheese recipe. And use any extra pitted olives in these fried olives!)

Where to buy them

You can find Castelvetrano olives at health food markets & gourmet grocery stores. I buy them at Natural Grocers. My favorite brand is Jeff’s Garden. 

They are also sold at Cost Plus World Market. Usually the brand they sell is Mezetta.

Some Walmart locations will also ship Mezetta olives for free to their store. 

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.

Warmed castelvetrano olives with lemon & garlic: A beautiful vegan, gluten-free appetizer | cadryskitchen.com

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.

Charcuterie board with olives in bowl, non-dairy cheese, berries, and bell peppers.

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.

Hand reaching for warmed Castelvetrano olives in bowl.

How to store leftovers

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.

Fingers holding olive & others in bowl.

Vegan charcuterie board with olives, berries, oranges, non-dairy cheese, and artichoke hearts.

What to serve with them

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.

Close-up blackberries and oranges on charcuterie board.

Overhead vegan charcuterie board with warmed Castelvetrano olives, crackers, non-dairy cheese, and berries.

Warmed castelvetrano olives with lemon & garlic: A beautiful vegan, gluten-free appetizer | cadryskitchen.com

Warmed castelvetrano olives with lemon & garlic

This appetizer feels fancy, but comes together effortlessly. Remember it for your next romantic evening for two or dinner party.
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Italian, Vegan
Keyword: finger food, starter
Prep Time: 1 minute
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 6 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 209kcal
Author: Cadry Nelson

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.

Video

Notes

These warmed olives reheat well and are even better the next day. Store in a covered container until ready to use. To reheat, put everything back in a skillet, warm over a low medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes and serve.
After the olives are gone, dip bread in the remaining garlic/lemon oil, or use it for salad dressing with a splash of vinegar.

Nutrition

Calories: 209kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 828mg | Potassium: 61mg | Fiber: 2g | Vitamin A: 280IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 0.7mg
Tried this recipe?Tag @cadryskitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #cadryskitchen!

Warmed castelvetrano olives with lemon & garlic: A beautiful vegan, gluten-free appetizer | cadryskitchen.com

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Posted On: February 14, 2017
Comment: Leave a Comment

About Cadry

Cadry Nelson is the writer, photographer, and recipe creator behind Cadry’s Kitchen, a vegan food & lifestyle blog started in 2009. Through approachable recipes, vegan travel guides, and down-to-earth discussions on the social aspects of being vegan, Cadry shows that living a vegan lifestyle is deliciously uncomplicated. Cadry has been featured on NBC News, Mashable, Today, Reader's Digest, Yahoo, Delish, Shape, and Huffington Post.

Comments

  1. Becky Striepe says

    February 14, 2017 at 3:21 pm

    Oh my goodness, I’d love to snack on these. Your snack tray looks super amazing, PS!

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      February 16, 2017 at 12:15 pm

      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!

      Reply
  2. Bianca Phillips says

    February 14, 2017 at 3:57 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      February 16, 2017 at 12:17 pm

      Yes, give them a whirl! Especially since you’re an olive fan already, I think you’ll love them.

      Reply
  3. Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day says

    February 14, 2017 at 9:42 pm

    I am so excited about this recipe, Cadry! I LOVE olives, and Castelvetrano are my favorite!

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      February 16, 2017 at 12:17 pm

      It sounds like this recipe was made for you, Amy! Aren’t Castelvetrano olives just the best?

      Reply
  4. annie says

    February 15, 2017 at 2:21 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      February 16, 2017 at 12:18 pm

      Excellent, Annie! I hope that you and your husband enjoy them!

      Reply
  5. Sarah says

    February 17, 2017 at 12:10 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      February 20, 2017 at 11:20 am

      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.

      Reply
  6. Hannah says

    February 18, 2017 at 8:27 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      February 20, 2017 at 11:21 am

      It’s so true that they are the most beautiful olive around. That green color is mesmerizing. 🙂

      Reply
  7. Sarah De la Cruz says

    September 6, 2018 at 9:51 am

    5 stars
    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!!!

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      September 6, 2018 at 10:38 am

      I am so glad to hear that you & your family love them, Sarah!

      Reply
  8. Heather says

    October 24, 2018 at 8:24 pm

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
  9. Janis Ware says

    March 24, 2019 at 12:47 pm

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      March 27, 2019 at 2:13 pm

      That’s awesome, Janis. It’s nice when dishes can feel fancy with so little effort. I’m glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  10. Beverly says

    July 23, 2019 at 4:03 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely amazing recipe! I added a few crushed red pepper flakes…unbelievable!! Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      July 23, 2019 at 4:41 pm

      Thank you for the wonderful feedback, Beverly! I’m so glad that you enjoyed the olives, and good idea adding red pepper flakes!

      Reply
  11. Carol Mayhew says

    December 25, 2019 at 3:25 pm

    5 stars
    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

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      December 29, 2019 at 8:41 am

      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!

      Reply
  12. Tilly says

    December 30, 2019 at 12:33 am

    Where can you find the olives? Can we make a large batch and then jar to give as gifts?

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      December 30, 2019 at 7:33 am

      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.

      Reply

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Welcome

Hi, I'm Cadry Nelson. I'm the recipe creator, writer, and photographer behind Cadry's Kitchen.

Cadry's Kitchen is a vegan food blog featuring comfort food classics. Most recipes are ready in about 30 minutes.

Contact me at cadryskitchen@gmail.com.

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