Persian marinated olives with walnuts, pomegranate, and herbs from Gilan province.
Zeytoon Parvardeh is a celebrated specialty of Gilan province in northern Iran — green olives are marinated in a vibrant mixture of ground walnuts, pomegranate molasses, fresh herbs, and garlic. The result is an extraordinary olive preparation that is simultaneously nutty, tart, herbal, and sweet. It is served as part of mezze or as a condiment with Persian meals and is instantly addictive.
Serves 8
Rinse olives well. Pat dry.
Mix ground walnuts, pomegranate molasses, garlic, mint, parsley, golpar, and salt.
Mix olives into walnut marinade. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Bring to room temperature before serving. Spread on a plate and serve with flatbread.
More rest time = more flavor. Make these a day ahead.
If using whole walnuts, grind coarsely — some texture is good.
Add a pinch of chili flakes for heat.
Use pomegranate seeds instead of molasses for fresher flavor.
Refrigerate up to 2 weeks. Flavor improves over time.
Zeytoon Parvardeh is a specialty of the lush Caspian coast of Gilan, Iran, where pomegranates and walnuts grow abundantly.
Angelica seeds used in Persian cooking for their distinctive flavor. Ground coriander is the closest substitute.
Per serving (80g) · 8 servings total
Ask our AI cooking assistant anything about this recipe — substitutions, techniques, scaling.
Chat with AI Chef →Join the conversation
Sign in to leave a comment and save your favourite recipes