When you think cheese dip, you probably imagine a rich, wine-tinged fondue or a delicious bowl of queso, surrounded by piping hot tortilla chips. Cheese dips are rich, warm, and satisfying, but what about refreshing? That may not be the first word conjured up when describing these dishes, but you might want to check these preconceived notions on the limitations of cheese dip.
Whipped feta is a dip like no other, incorporating the sharp, briny taste of feta with the light and sour tang of yogurt. Peppery olive oil and bright lemon juice round out the flavors and lend enough liquid so it blends easily. Served chilled, it is light enough to accompany your next veggie tray but rich enough to dollop onto a steak salad or spread on pita bread for a gyro wrap.
You may not have heard of whipped feta, but that doesn’t mean that it’s too late to catch on to the feta frenzy. It’s a simple dip to make at home — you need only blend feta with yogurt, lemon juice, and seasonings of your choosing. You can make whipped feta as thick or as thin as you would like by adjusting the amounts of each ingredient, and you can strain the blended dip for an extra thick and silky final product. You can serve it as a dip or drizzle, or smear it on toast or a tortilla as the base for a sandwich or wrap.
Add even more flavor to whipped feta dip
Whipped feta is, on its own, absolutely delicious. You can scoop it up with carrot sticks, pita chips, or rice cakes and be met with a tangy, refreshing, and cheesy taste. But this doesn’t mean you have to stop at the basic combo of feta, yogurt, and lemon juice. These are just the building blocks for the whipped feta of your dreams.
Adding refreshing herbs such as dill, chives, parsley, basil, or mint can play up the dip’s light taste. You can also go in a different direction with your adornments. Spicing up your whip with red pepper flakes and pickled or fresh jalapeños is great if you want to add a little edge to the cool dip. You can even turn your baked feta pasta into a tasty dip that’s bursting with sweet tomato flavor.
You can also play up the Mediterranean roots of whipped feta by topping it with a tapenade or roasted olives and a drizzle of high-quality, cold-pressed olive oil. This will give the dip an added level of richness that just might beat out your usual bowl of hummus. Then again, some things are better in pairs, and you can always double up on your dipping by serving whipped feta alongside the best store-bought hummus!
