I made this dip for the first time a few years ago as an accompaniment for lamb turnovers. Both the turnovers and the dip were gone almost before I put the plate down with requests that I make both or either of them again. Soon. The turnovers are a little fussy, though oh so tasty, so they are in the ‘make occasionally’ pile. But the dip? This dip is so incredibly easy and packed with flavor that I keep coming up with reasons to put it on the table.
I especially love this dip with lamb. Lamb turnovers, crispy lamb meatballs, juicy lamb burgers. Yum. But it’s also great with pita or with raw vegetables or with shrimp or chicken. Versatile and easy. That’s something I like in a recipe.
One 7-8 oz package of feta along with one roasted bell pepper (I buy jarred peppers for simplicity), a little garlic and olive oil, and some parsley or cilantro as garnish if you want it. Give that all a quick spin in the food processor – I use a KitchenAid processor though an older model which has been a great workhorse for me – and you’re ready to start dipping pita into it. Or just eating it with a spoon if you want.
My lovely assistant who was helping with my photo shoot on this breezy day.
And lending her hand to the photos so I could get this awesome closeup of the dip. Now I’m hungry again!
One last thing: Not only does this dip come together in just a few minutes but it keeps for a couple of days, which means you can make it at the last minute because you all of sudden realize you need a dip on the table, or you can make it ahead and pull it out when company arrives.
Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Dip
Ingredients
- 7 oz feta cheese crumbled
- 1 red bell pepper roasted and peeled (1 7-oz jar)
- 2 cloves garlic blanched
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped (or cilantro)
Instructions
- Add feta, pepper, garlic, and olive oil to the food processor. Give it a whir until all the ingredients have formed a smooth dip, about 30 seconds.
- Scrape the dip out into a bowl. Top with parsley. Either eat immediately or chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour to produce a firmer dip which will stand up to being slathered on a burger.
- Can be made up to 2 days ahead. Add the parsley just before serving.
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