One bite, and you won't be able to stop eating this Whipped Feta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes. Blistered, juicy and hot cherry tomatoes meet a creamy feta-yogurt dip. A divinely delicious appetizer or side that is perfect for any gathering.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time30 minutesmins
Total Time40 minutesmins
Servings: 4to 6
Ingredients
Whipped Feta Dip
8ozblock of feta cheesepatted dry and torn into a few pieces (*see notes)
1/4cupGreek yogurt, sour cream or cream cheese
1tablespoonextra virgin olive oil
Lemon zest from 1 small lemon (about 1 teaspoon)
Roasted Tomatoes
500gramscherry tomatoes
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3thyme sprigs
2fresh oregano sprigs, or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2tablespoonsextra virgin olive oilplus more for drizzling
2tablespoonshoney
1/4Kosher or fine sea salt
freshly ground pepperto taste
flaky saltoptional, to finsih
Optional for serving
Toasted baguette slices, raw sliced veggies, toasted pita or naan.
Instructions
Place a rack 10 inches from the broiler. Preheat oven to 450ºF.
Place the cherry tomatoes, sliced garlic, and herbs in a small baking dish or oven-proof skillet. Drizzle with olive oil and honey and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine. Roast until tomatoes are soft and beginning to burst, about 15-20 minutes. Switch the oven to broil setting and broil until tomatoes are blistered and charred, about 5-7 minutes. TIP: The heat from a broiler will vary greatly depending on your oven so check on the tomatoes throughout the broil time to make sure they aren't burning.
While the tomatoes roast, combine the feta cheese, yogurt, olive oil and lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the processor bowl as necessary. Spread mixture onto a large shallow serving plate and place in refrigerator to chill for at least 20 minutes. (Cover if refrigerating longer.)
Top chilled whipped feta with the warm roasted cherry tomatoes and all the juices. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and flaky salt, if using. Serve immediately with toasted baguette slices, if desired.
Notes
*Feta cheese: I prefer to use Sheep's milk feta but a mix of sheep and goat milk feta is great too. Make sure to use a block, not crumbles which are dry and have preservatives. If your feta block seems very wet, pat it dry with a clean tea towel before whipping. Make-Ahead And Storage Suggestions:If you'd like to get ahead on the preparations of this dip, go ahead and make the whipped feta and the roasted tomatoes. Store each component separately and refrigerate, tightly covered for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, reheat the tomatoes in a 400ºF oven for 15 minutes, then spoon over the chilled whipped feta.Once the dip is assembled it does not keep too well for storing. If you wish to store the leftovers, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Serve chilled, straight from the fridge.This recipe is adapted from Ottolenghi Simple: A Cookbook