When you start with something as flavorful as feta cheese, it doesn’t take more than a handful of other ingredients to create a dip that will have guests “mmmm-ing” at first bite. Add cream cheese to the feta, then whip in fresh dill and mint for one variation. Using fresh basil and dried tomatoes in oil makes a vibrant garnish for another variation. Make a plate of both and serve with a variety of dippers, such as baby cucumbers, endive leaves, Romanesco, baby rainbow carrots, pickled green beans, and radishes.
Ingredients
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1 fruit (2-3/8" dia) lemon
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1 clove garlic clove
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1 1/2 cups feta cheese
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2 ounces cream cheese, softened
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1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
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1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
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3 to 5 cup vegetables, for dipping
Directions
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Remove 1 tsp. zest and squeeze 1 Tbsp. juice from lemon. Place garlic in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add lemon zest and juice, feta, and cream cheese; process until smooth.
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Add 2 Tbsp. olive oil; process until light and fluffy. Add fresh herbs; process until combined. Season with freshly ground black pepper. For milder flavor, add 1 to 2 Tbsp. additional olive oil and process until fluffy. Transfer to an airtight container. Store in refrigerator up to 1 week. If you like, drizzle with additional olive oil and serve with desired dippers. Serves 20.
Dried Tomato and Basil Whipped Feta
Prepare as directed, except omit mint and dill and add 3 Tbsp. finely chopped oil-pack dried tomatoes and 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
| 63 | Calories |
| 4g | Fat |
| 7g | Carbs |
| 3g | Protein |
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings Per Recipe 20 | |
| Calories 63 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 3.6g | 5% |
| Saturated Fat 2.3g | 11% |
| Cholesterol 12.9mg | 4% |
| Sodium 122.3mg | 5% |
| Total Carbohydrate 6.8g | 2% |
| Dietary Fiber 1.7g | 6% |
| Total Sugars 3.1g | |
| Protein 2.6g | 5% |
| Vitamin D 0mcg | 0% |
| Vitamin C 37.6mg | 42% |
| Calcium 76mg | 6% |
| Iron 0.4mg | 2% |
| Potassium 151.4mg | 3% |
| Fatty acids, total trans 0g | |
| Vitamin D 1.8IU | |
| Alanine 0.1g | |
| Arginine 0.1g | |
| Ash 1g | |
| Aspartic acid 0.2g | |
| Caffeine 0mg | |
| Carotene, alpha 268.4mcg | |
| Choline, total 9.8mg | |
| Copper, Cu 0mg | |
| Cystine 0g | |
| Energy 263.4kJ | |
| Fluoride, F 0.5mcg | |
| Folate, total 20.8mcg | |
| Glutamic acid 0.4g | |
| Glycine 0g | |
| Histidine 0.1g | |
| Isoleucine 0.1g | |
| Leucine 0.2g | |
| Lysine 0.2g | |
| Methionine 0.1g | |
| Magnesium, Mg 10.3mg | |
| Manganese, Mn 0.1mg | |
| Niacin 0.4mg | |
| Phosphorus, P 59.3mg | |
| Pantothenic acid 0.3mg | |
| Phenylalanine 0.1g | |
| Phytosterols 1.8mg | |
| Proline 0.2g | |
| Retinol 22.7mcg | |
| Selenium, Se 2.3mcg | |
| Serine 0.2g | |
| Starch 0.2g | |
| Theobromine 0mg | |
| Threonine 0.1g | |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 0.3mg | |
| Tryptophan 0g | |
| Tyrosine 0.1g | |
| Valine 0.2g | |
| Vitamin A, IU 1589.8IU | |
| Vitamin A, RAE 98.3mcg | |
| Vitamin B-12 0.2mcg | |
| Vitamin B-6 0.1mg | |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 9.4mcg | |
| Water 67.9g | |
| Zinc, Zn 0.4mg | |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
