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You only need seven different ingredients to prepare this delicious marinated olives and feta cheese appetizer or snack. Expect a riot of soft and pleasing Mediterranean flavours in every mouthful. Everything in there is tasty from the green and kalamata olives to the creamy feta, salty caperberries, and hints of garlic, red pepper flakes and extra virgin olive oil. If you love Greek appetizers, this might become your next favourite.
An easy marinated olives appetizer is always worth knowing, because this dish is ideal for any occasion, whether you just want to serve something simple with drinks, or you’re planning a smorgasbord of cold meats and cheeses and you want to add something more to the platter.
You might also like these heart shaped pork potstickers, but be warned – they are pretty addictive! Other tasty treats include crab cake egg rolls and sheet pan crab legs.
Why You’ll Love It
One of the simplest appetizers: Unless you especially want to make a complicated appetizer for some reason, you’re likely to be attracted to simple ones. Since all you have to do is combine the ingredients, you will love the simplicity here.
You can customize it: This marinated olives recipe is simple to tweak if you wish, and there are many different types of olive varieties you can use, or you might like to add a bright zing of fresh lemon juice or try a different variety of cheese.
Popular for any occasion: Nobody will be able to stop snacking on this flavour-packed appetizer. If they like olives, they’re going to love this. You can buy readymade feta and olive salads at the grocery store but honestly this homemade version is so much better, and you’re in full control of the ingredients.
Ingredients for Marinated Olives and Feta
Along with olives, you will need feta cheese, caperberries, minced garlic cloves, red pepper flakes, and a splash of extra virgin olive oil. Now, it’s worth using a good quality olive oil since you’ll be able to taste it clearly in this appetizer. Either a nice Italian or Greek extra-version olive oil will work well here.
How to Make a Marinated Olives Appetizer
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Combine the main ingredients: Mix together the kalamata and green olives, feta, caperberries, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
Add the oil and marinate: Pour the extra virgin olive oil on top and toss well, then let the olives and feta marinate in the olive oil mixture for at least 20 minutes.
Substitutions and Variations
Use any olives you like in this marinated Greek olives with feta recipe. You can use some green and some black, or whatever combination you wish for a more complex flavor. Any good olives will work.
Stuffed olives are also good, and you can get many varieties stuffed with anything from anchovies to lemon zest strips or almond slivers.
Sun-dried tomatoes also work in this marinated olives appetizer, or you could add some whole garlic cloves, jalapeno slices, or chunks of parmesan cheese or ricotta salata in place of feta.
Ricotta salata is the firm, salted, aged form of ricotta cheese, and it’s the closest Italian cheese to feta in terms of flavour and texture.
Fresh herbs like fresh rosemary or fresh thyme can also go into the mix, or you might want to add some lemon peel.
How to Serve a Pitted Olives Feta Appetizer
Serve this tasty Mediterranean-inspired appetizer in a serving bowl (maybe one of these with the olive branch motif) or as part of a Mediterranean charcuterie board. Marinated olives with feta cheese tastes best at room temperature but you can present it chilled if you prefer. Pair the appetizer with crusty bread or crackers – and don’t forget the napkins. Another idea is to use it as a topping for grilled fish or chicken.
How to Store Marinated Olives
Store: This feta olive appetizer will keep for up to a week in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Freeze: The olives in this appetizer would thaw out mushy, so freezing really isn’t recommended here.
Marinated Olives and Feta FAQs
Caperberries are like capers but they’re crunchier, milder and larger. If you are a caper fan, you’ll agree they’re also wonderful served in a muffaletta sandwich. They’re completely optional in this recipe though, so you can leave them out if you don’t like capers or you don’t have caperberries. You should be able to find them in the same aisle you’d get olives and capers. You can also buy them in a jar or fresh from a deli.
ust about anything goes here, so consider Spanish olives, Castelvetrano olives, manzanilla olives, or any other canned or leftover olives for this crowd pleasing appetizer. Oh, and if you’re an olive fan and love olives as much as I do, consider making this amazing martini dip recipe.
Feta with Marinated Olives Recipe
Marinated Olives with Feta
Ingredients
- 1 Cup kalamata olives, pitted
- 1 ½ Cups green olives, pitted garlic-stuffed
- 8 Ounces feta cheese, block, cubed
- 6 caperberries, with stems
- 1 Clove garlic, minced
- ½ Teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ Cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the kalamata olives, green olives, feta, caperberries, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes.
- Pour the olive oil on top and toss well to combine. Allow the olive and feta to marinate for at least 20 minutes before serving. Enjoy with crackers or toasted baguette.
Nutrition
This tasty, simple appetizer with marinated olives and feta is made with just 7 ingredients and only takes a few minutes to prepare. The juicy olives, creamy feta cheese and plump salty caperberries are marinated in a simple olive oil dressing, and anyone who loves olives is going to be pleased with this.
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
My family loved this recipe so much!! I’ll make this again soon! 🙂
I can never get enough of this. It’s been my go-to appetizer!
Olives and feta is such a winning combo. I totally dig Greek flavors, and this hits the spot.