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YOU GUYS, meet your new way to obsess over feta cheeseโฆLemon Feta Dip with Garlic Tomato Vinaigrette.
Yep, feta cheese dip with a pan roasted garlic and burst tomato vinaigretteโฆplus fresh dill!
YUMMโฆtimes like five.
I mean, really? I think the title here pretty much sums up this recipe. How could feta cheese with lemon, garlic, tomatoes and olive oil not be incredible? Itโs one of those flavors combos thatโs just too good to ever tire of. You know?
Plus, where there is toasted bread and cheese involved, I am always, always game.
So hereโs the deal. I was a little behind last week when Lyndโs and Abby (aka my go-to recipe advisers) rolled on up into my kitchen. I put them right to work and had them help me with some summer recipe development. Of course the first thing they honed in on was the cheese.
DUH. <โthey are totally my kind of people.
I think one of the very first recipe requests was a lemony feta dip. Lyndsie asked if I had ever done a simple feta dip, and I said nope. At first I was hesitant to do yet another cheese appetizer (because I have one coming up on Mondayโฆand Iโm pretty excited about it too), but after about .10 seconds of Lyndโs trying to talk me into it, I was sold.
You just can never have too many easy, cheesy dips in your back pocketโฆespecially for summer entertaining.
So today weโre talkinโ lemon feta dip!
As I already hinted earlier, this dip is so easy. Itโs really not even an actual dip, more like another way to serve up crumbled feta. But no matter how you look at this recipe, it is so delicious! But then I say that about all my cheesy recipesโฆ.
Anyway, for practical purposes Iโm going to stick to calling this a dipโฆand hereโs how this dip comes together.
Start by making the vinaigrette. Iโm really into herb oils and vinaigrettes at the moment, and this garlicy one is high on my list. Youโll need high quality extra virgin olive oil, cherry tomatoes, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, and the rind of one lemon. Simmer the mix on the stove until the tomatoes burst, the garlic is caramelized and fragrant, and the lemon has fried. <โ um I could eat just that with bread and be a very happy person. Just sayinโโฆitโs delish.
BUT of course it is just soooo much better with feta!
So crumble the feta into a bowl, drizzle with the warm vinaigrette, and top with fresh dill and chives.
Done and DONE.
So fast, so simple, and so good.
I like to serve this dip with grilled pita, or a crusty bread for scooping. But if youโre more of a veggie dipper kind of person, I think zucchini, carrots and cucumbers would all be delicious. Maybe even get creative and use massaged kale or red leaf lettuce? All would be really great!
If youโre wanting to make this for a party, theย vinaigrette can be made a few days ahead and kept in the fridge. Just bring it back to room temperature before serving.
Also, if you happen to have a lot of cherry tomatoes on hand, I recommend doubling theย vinaigrette and saving half for salads, pastas or simply for dipping bread into. Itโs honestly so yummy!
Double also, if you wanted to make this for a Tuesday lunchโฆwith a rather large side of pita chips, I would totally understand that. The arugula on top makes this kind of like a salad anyway. <โyou gotta kind of love the way my mind rationalizes things, right?
Yes, yes, yes!
Lemon Feta Dip with Garlic Tomato Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups small cherry tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
- the rind from 1 lemon, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
- pinch of flaky sea salt and pepper
- 8 ounces feta cheese, finely crumbled
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
- fresh arugula for serving
- toast, bread or pita for serving
Instructions
- 1. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, oregano, lemon rind and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook until the tomatoes just begin to burst and the garlic is fragrant, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.3. Crumble the feta into a serving bowl. Drizzle the tomatoes and oil over the feta. Top with fresh dill, chives, and arugula. Serve with bread or pita for scooping. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Itโs for sure a lemon feta dip lunch kind of day. Mwahahaha.
I was asked to bring a vegetarian appetizer to a party and I had very little time to make anything. I’m so glad I found this recipe! Super easy. Super delicious. Thank you. PS regarding the questions about the tomatoes, the photos don’t look like there’s any tomatoes in there.
Hi there! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! ๐ xTieghan
This is tasty but itโs really not a dip. It is a spread that is best served on bread, much like a bruschetta. Unfortunately, we arenโt eating grains so itโs a bit harder to eat with cruditรฉs. I do think it would be amazing on some toasted ciabatta or sour dough, I just wouldnโt classify this as a dip. ๐
Hi Kristin! I am sorry to hear that this did not work out for you! I hope you love some other recipes on my blog!
Yummy, my new go to appetizer. Everyone loved it.
That is amazing to hear!! Thanks so much Kim!
It’s really quite delicious! I used pita chips and charred bread to serve. Mine is more red than your pictures maybe because I tossed it around with the tomato oil. My feta wasn’t exceptionally salty and I considered using preserved lemon, I was concerned it might be too salty but next time I’ll try that I think. Everyone really loves this! Thank you!
It tends to come out different for me just a bit every time too! So happy everyone enjoyed, thank you Nancy!
Where are the tomatoes?
Hi Tammy, the tomatoes are in the recipe, can you clarify what you are asking?
As a Greek who loves everything feta…this recipe has definitely won me over!!! Can’t wait to try it…like today…as soon as I get home.
I hope you love it Billie!! Thanks so much!