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    Home » Appetizers

    Marinated Olives with Walnuts (Zeytoon Parvardeh)

    Published: Mar 30, 2018 · Modified: Dec 28, 2020 by Shadi HasanzadeNemati · This post may contain affiliate links .

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    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Marinated olives made Persian style with walnuts and pomegranate molasses.

    Marinated olives made Persian style! Try delicious olives marinated with walnuts, pomegranate molasses and herbs - a fantastic combination that is full of flavor!Olives are a big part of my food life, I simply cannot imagine a day goes by without me munching on a dozen olives, especially if I have these exceptionally delicious olives in my fridge!

    Jump to:
    • What makes this marinated olives recipe different than others?
    • How to make marinated olives with walnuts?
    • Notes and tips to make this Recipe:
    • More Persian Recipes
    • Step-by-Step Recipe
    THE COMPLETE PERSIAN FOOD BUNDLE INCLUDES…

    Can we please take a moment and talk about my obsession with pomegranates and walnuts? From Fesenjan to pomegranate guacamole and walnut pomegranate cheese ball to stuffed fish with pomegranates and walnuts, my love for this unique combo is something I can't deny. It's the ultimate ingredient combo!

    The recipe I'm showing you today represents two members of Team Good Fat: walnuts and extra virgin olive oil, both containing fat that is good for your body and are also very delicious! We try to use good fats in different recipes as much as possible because they help our bodies function better and make us feel so much better!

    These Persian marinated olives, called Zeytoon Parvardeh, are another creation based on my favorite flavor combination. They're a tasty twist on the usual marinated olives. They are tangy because of pomegranate molasses, nutty thanks to walnuts, and absolutely addictive. They are originally from the northern part of Iran, particularly Guilan province, and are usually made with Choochagh, a local herb that's only found in northern Iran. Here in the US, the closest herb to that would be mint.

    What makes this marinated olives recipe different than others?

    The ingredients used in making these Persian style olives are what makes this recipe unique. the acidity of pomegranate molasses mixed with mint and infused into olives makes a great combo that is completed by the use of walnuts which bring creaminess and a subtle balance of flavor to the recipe.

    To make marinated olives. you need olives, walnuts, pomegranate molasses, garlic, extra virgin olive oil and mint.

    How to make marinated olives with walnuts?

    Start with olives. Green olives are best for this recipe. Place them in a bowl and add walnuts, chopped mint, garlic and walnuts to it. Next, add in pomegranate molasses and olive oil. Using a spoon, mix all the ingredients well until they're fully combined. It's important to refrigerate these for at least an hour before serving. However, I suggest refrigerating for one or two days so the flavors are fully infused and combined.

    To make these marinated olives, mix all the ingredients, pour pomegranate molasses into the bowl and mix well.

    Notes and tips to make this Recipe:

    • This Persian spicy marinated olives recipe with walnuts and pomegranates calls for green olives. Depending on the size of the olives, you can either use them whole or chopped. 
    • Walnuts can be used chopped or ground in this recipe. Traditionally, walnuts are ground and mixed with garlic, salt, mint, pomegranate molasses and olive oil to form a paste, then mixed with olives.
    • The more these olives stay in the fridge, the tastier they get.
    • If you're a big garlic fan, add more than seven cloves to this recipe.
    • Serve marinated olives with barbecue, grilled meat, rice dishes or even sandwiches.
    Let the marinated olives chill in the fridge for at least a night.

    These marinated olives are so dear to my heart that we used to have them every time we visited northern Iran, my dad would stop at this row of olive shops and we would go inside every shop, try their Zeytoon Parvardeh and buy some. We would literally buy them from every shop because each of them had their own personal addition that would make their recipe special and unique. Now here in America, far away from where these marinated olives where first born, I'm making my very own zeytoon parvardeh with walnuts that are just as good as the ones we used to have on the road. I'm so thankful that my food memory is strong enough to recreate flavors of years ago.

    I hope you give this classic Persian recipe a try and enjoy it!

    This post is sponsored by California Walnuts. As always, all opinions are mine. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Unicorns in the Kitchen.

    Serve marinated olives as an appetizer or side dish with different rice dishes.

    More Persian Recipes

    • Persian Spinach and Eggs - Nargesi
    • Persian Celery Stew - Khoresht Karafs
    • Persian Dolmeh Recipe [Video]
    • Sabzi Polo (Persian Herb Rice)

    Did you make this recipe? I'd love to hear about it! Please comment and leave a 5-star🌟 rating below. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest or subscribe to our newsletter to get a free e-Cookbook!

    Step-by-Step Recipe

    Marinated Olives with Walnuts

    Shadi HasanzadeNemati
    Marinated Olives made Persian style! Delicious olives marinated with walnuts, pomegranate molasses and herbs make a fantastic combination that is full of flavor!
    4.81 from 36 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Chilling time 2 hrs
    Total Time 15 mins
    Course Appetizer, Side Dish
    Cuisine Persian
    Servings 10 servings
    Calories 267 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 cups Green Olives See Note #1
    • 1 ½ cup Finely Chopped Walnuts See Note #2
    • 7 cloves Garlic Minced
    • 1 cup Fresh Mint Chopped (See Note #3)
    • ⅔ cup Pomegranate Molasses See Note #4
    • 4 tablespoon Olive Oil Extra Virgin
    • 1 teaspoon Salt

    Instructions
     

    • Place olives, walnuts, garlic and mint in a large bowl, stir well. 
    • Add in pomegranate molasses and olive oil. Mix well until all the ingredients are combined. 
    • Season with salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours. 
    • Serve cold. 

    Notes

    1. Some like the olives to be whole and some like them chopped, this completely depends on you. If you decide to chop them, make sure the pieces are not too small. 
    2. Walnuts can be either chopped or ground. If you grind the walnuts, the combination with the rest of the ingredients (except the olives) will form a paste which is how it looks like in Persian shops in the North of Iran. 
    3. If fresh mint is not available, use two tablespoons dried mint. 
    4. Start with ⅔ cup pomegranate molasses, add more after two hours of chilling if you'd like the marinated olives to be more sour. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 267kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 3gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 661mgPotassium: 129mgFiber: 2gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 297IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 1mg
    Did you make this recipe? Let us know how it was by leaving a comment and a 5-star review!

    Have you made this recipe? Let us know by commenting and rating on this recipe. Take a picture and tag @unicornsinthekitchen and #unicornsinthekitchen for a chance to be featured!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mairi

      April 24, 2022 at 1:19 am

      Looks amazing. How long will they keep once made? Thanks

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        April 25, 2022 at 6:35 am

        About a week!

        Reply
    2. Francie M

      April 15, 2022 at 10:51 am

      Hi, I'm assuming you are using the sweet pomegranate molasses f0r this recipe...yes? Thank you.

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        April 18, 2022 at 7:53 am

        I usually use pomegranate molasses without any added sugar therefore it's more sour.

        Reply
    3. Emily

      December 23, 2021 at 4:00 am

      5 stars
      It’s going to be soooo hard to leave these in the fridge for two days! It tastes amazing just having made it xxx

      Reply
    4. Bethany

      October 25, 2021 at 3:26 pm

      Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe! I love Persian cuisine, but have never had these, and they are delightful! I bought some Frescatrano green pitted olives through Misfits Market, and knew I had to use them for this recipe. If you don’t mind me asking, what brand do you use? There are many types of green olives available. Thanks in advance!

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        February 07, 2022 at 7:26 am

        Hi Bethany, I usually use the pitted and jarred olives in brine. If they are stuffed with peppers, I usually let them be, but you can also take it out.

        Reply
    5. Lisa

      August 14, 2021 at 12:04 pm

      Are these jarred olives or fresh?

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        August 16, 2021 at 11:46 am

        These are jarred 🙂

        Reply
    6. Alex

      March 05, 2021 at 5:42 am

      These look amazing, thanks for sharing! Is there an ingredient that would substitute well for the molasses?

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        April 07, 2021 at 12:15 pm

        Hi Alex, the main flavor of these olives come from the pomegranate molasses so unfortunately there isn't a substitute in this case.

        Reply
        • erfan

          May 04, 2022 at 9:24 pm

          hi Alex, you can add pomegranate juice. using juice is more traditional for this recipe!

    7. Katherine Pham

      January 24, 2021 at 1:08 pm

      5 stars
      This was amazing !! Made it for the first time and I’m a terrible cook but following these instructions and the recipe .. it turned out so good

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        January 25, 2021 at 11:22 am

        Thank you Katherine! I'm happy you enjoyed this recipe!

        Reply
    8. Allison

      August 24, 2020 at 3:26 pm

      5 stars
      These made a delicious addition to a cheeseboard. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    9. Renee Goerger

      August 24, 2020 at 1:14 pm

      5 stars
      I can not get enough of this olive dish. The salty sweet combo along with the crunch from the walnuts is everything I want!!

      Reply
    10. Marta

      February 24, 2020 at 1:32 pm

      5 stars
      Done several times, always wonderful. Thank you

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        February 25, 2020 at 12:03 pm

        Thank you Marta, glad you enjoyed it 🙂

        Reply
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