Whipped Garlic Feta Dip ~ creamy, loaded with the bold flavors of garlic and feta, balanced with fresh lemon and dill, served up with warm, lightly toasted pita and veggies.
We vacation as a family in southwest Florida every year. My husband and I kick off the vacation and the kids join us a couple of weeks later.
Last week all the kids were in town and along with the volume and craziness they bring a wide variety of appetites. Meals range from Fruit Loops to hot dogs, to Chorizo Queso Dip and Chicken Tacos to and scallops and risotto for seafood night. In between there are rum drinks and wine but that’s for another post.
We had a great time together with lots of laughs and swimming, kayaking, hunting for sharks teeth on the beach, catching some beautiful sunsets and even celebrating our granddaughter’s second birthday.
Vacation Leftovers:
My husband and I are here another week or so along with an odd assortment of food left in the refrigerator after the kids departed. I’m up to the task. I consider my personal challenge to use up *every* bit even if it kills me. That chicken though ~ vamoose. It somehow got shoved to the back of the fridge and really would kill me.
Whipped Garlic Feta Dip ~ creamy, tangy feta, bold garlic flavor and the bright, fresh taste of lemon and dill has already used several ingredients. Crunchy pistachios became a garnish. The result is so delicious I’d ride this train ’til it won’t run any more.
Almost as soon as the kids left, my husband stood in front of the open refrigerator and wondered (aloud) what we were going to do with all the food that was left. “We need to eat all this before we leave.” In reality, there wasn’t as much as in other years.
If you love Greek/Mediterranean flavors like I do, you’ll love this dip. Simple ingredients come together in a snap with plenty of wow factor. Bonus: you can make it ahead of time which in my book equals Easy Entertaining.
I could have devoured the entire batch myself but I exercised a little self control. Even though this is lightened up with Greek yogurt, everything in moderation, right?
Garlic Feta Dip Ingredients:
- feta cheese crumbled
- cream cheese softened
- plain Greek yogurt
- olive oil
- garlic
- fresh dill
- lemon juice and zest
- fresh cracked black pepper
- Optional garnishes: chopped pistachios, olives, tomatoes, dill
** NOTE: Garlic cloves vary in size. I used 2 cloves in this batch which was about 1 heaping tablespoon, grated. This gave me the strong garlic flavor I was looking for but I would suggest you start small and build the garlic flavor so it’s not overwhelming.
Instructions for making Garlic Feta Dip:
Using a hand mixer in a medium size bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, yogurt, olive oil, dill, lemon juice and zest then grate in the garlic and fold in the feta cheese.
Season with fresh cracked black pepper to taste then transfer the dip to a serving bowl. Garnish with a light drizzle of olive oil and if you’d like, some chopped pistachios, Kalamata olives or dill. Serve with warm toasted pita or vegetables.
So a few more fridge contents are gone. A second birthday in the books and sadly, another vacation is almost over.
Happiest of birthdays sweet girl. Be kind. It’s underrated . . . dream big and enjoy every bite of life. We love you!
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Garlic Feta Dip
Ingredients
- 4 ounces feta cheese crumbled
- 2 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1-3 cloves garlic grated ** see NOTE below
- 1 1/2 tablespoon fresh dill finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- zest from half of one lemon
- fresh cracked black pepper to taste
- Optional garnishes: chopped pistachios olives, tomatoes, dill
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer combine the softened cream cheese, yogurt, olive oil, dill, lemon juice and zest. Grate in the garlic and fold in the feta cheese.
- Season with fresh cracked black pepper to taste then transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with a light drizzle of olive oil and (optional) chopped pistachios, Kalamata olives or dill.
- Serve with warm toasted pita or vegetables.
- ** NOTE: Garlic cloves vary in size. I used 2 cloves in this batch which was about 1 heaping tablespoon of grated garlic. This gave me the strong garlic flavor I was looking for but I would suggest you start small and build the garlic flavor so it’s not overwhelming.
Jodi says
Bernie this sound GREAT for a Friday night on the deck with a little wine. Hey, it’s Friday. Now, if only it was warm enough back here to sit on that deck #summerwillcome
Bernie says
Thanks so much Jodi!! It’ll be warm soon — let’s make it happen 🙂
Jo Anne says
I made this Feta Dip for a before Dinner Appitizer, Served it with Pita Chips. This is So, So Delicious. I’ll be making this many more times.
Bernie says
Hi Jo Anne – thanks for taking the time to comment. Makes my day when someone really enjoys one of my recipes! This dip is one of my favorites – I’ve made it many times too! Take care.
Mary says
Bernie that was a really nice post that includes my favorite Feta. I just think it is important to mention that Feta should be the real Greek Feta. To make sure we buy and taste the real Feta we have to search for the PDO sign which is the Protected Designation of Origin..
Bernie says
Mary – thank you for the follow up — I didn’t know this myself. Always appreciate good information!