Whipped feta dip with lemon and green olives is creamy, salty and bright, and it needs 10 minutes of your time. Block feta, Greek yoghurt and lemon blend into a light dip that scoops onto crackers without sliding off. Crushed green olives and chilli flakes give it a punch.
Whipped feta dip blends block feta with full-fat Greek yoghurt, lemon zest and lemon juice into a light, tangy base, topped with crushed green olives, extra-virgin olive oil and a pinch of chilli flakes. A hand blender does the job as well as a food processor, and nothing needs cooking. It works as a starter, a mezze bowl or a weekend snack with crackers, crusty bread and raw vegetables. One bowl feeds six for a few pounds (Euros), and the base keeps in the fridge for days.
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Whipped Feta Dip Ingredients
Everything in this whipped feta dip is a chiller cabinet or store cupboard regular. The feta and the yoghurt decide the result.
- Feta cheese in brine – a proper block whips creamy and salty; pre-crumbled feta is coated and too dry to smooth out.
- Full-fat Greek yoghurt – loosens the cheese into something spoonable and adds a cool, clean tang.
- Lemon zest – citrus oils that lift the bowl in a way juice alone cannot.
- Fresh lemon juice – sharpens the salt and stops the dairy tasting heavy.
- Crushed green olives – meaty, briny bite scattered over the top.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – blended in for silk, drizzled over for gloss.
- Salt and black pepper – season at the end; the feta and olives arrive salty already.
- Crushed red pepper – a pinch on top for heat and colour.
How to Make Whipped Feta Dip
Whipped feta dip works in a food processor or with a hand blender, whichever you have. A hand blender is what I use and it turns out fine every time.
- Step 1: Put the drained feta in a large bowl or the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the feta is crumbled.
- Step 2: Add the yoghurt, lemon juice and lemon zest. Process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides. Full-fat yoghurt gives a richer, creamier result.
- Step 3: Gradually add the olive oil — 1 tablespoon is enough, keep some back for garnish. Stir the oil in until combined, then taste and season with salt and black pepper.
- Step 4: Transfer to a serving bowl, make some swirls in the surface and drizzle over olive oil. Slice a few pitted olives and sprinkle them on top. Add a pinch of crushed red pepper for a nice punch, and serve with crackers, fresh vegetables or crusty bread.
How to Serve and Store Whipped Feta Dip
Serve whipped feta dip at room temperature or lightly chilled in a wide, shallow bowl so there is room for the oil, olives and chilli flakes to sit on top. Pitta chips, seeded crackers, warm flatbread, cucumber sticks and cherry tomatoes all work. It is also good spread under roasted vegetables, alongside grilled chicken or lamb, or on toast with a fried egg.
The base keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days - leave the toppings off and add them fresh each time. Stir before serving, as a little liquid settles on the surface. Do not freeze it; the texture turns grainy once thawed.
More Easy Recipes You Might Enjoy
And here is a few more starters and sides that suit the same table.
- For a different take on the same pairing, try Marinated Olives and Whipped Feta — warm garlicky olives spooned over a creamy feta base.
- Something green and light: Pea and Asparagus Crostini — crisp toasts topped with a fresh pea and asparagus mash.
- Staying with the mezze theme, there is How to Cook Padron Peppers — blistered peppers with flaky sea salt, done in minutes.
- For something earthy and bold, Beetroot and Walnut Dip (Pkhali) — a Georgian classic with walnuts, garlic and herbs.
- To finish on a sweet note, Grilled Apricots with Mascarpone — caramelised fruit with a creamy, honeyed topping.
- And for a party tray, Stuffed Mini Peppers — sweet peppers with a savoury filling that go quickly at gatherings.
What Whipped Feta Dip Costs Around the World
Whipped feta dip is cheap wherever you make it, and the feta is the only line that moves much.
- In the UK, a 200g block from Aldi, Lidl or Tesco with yoghurt, olives and a lemon comes to roughly £3.50–£4.50 for the whole bowl, or about 60–75p a serving across six.
- In Ireland, the same shop at Dunnes, Aldi or Lidl runs €4.50–€5.50, around €0.75–€0.90 a serving. I like to buy my feta cheese from Lidl, for me it is a cheapest option while the quality is very good.
- In the USA feta costs more, so expect $7–$8 total from Trader Joe's, Kroger or Walmart — roughly $1.20–$1.35 per serving.
- In Greece, where the cheese belongs, supermarket blocks are excellent and cheap, putting the bowl at about €3.50–€4, or €0.60 a serving.
- In Australia, Coles or Woolworths ingredients total AU$8–$9, about AU$1.40 a serving.
The biggest saving everywhere is buying block feta in brine rather than a pre-crumbled tub.
Whipped Feta Dip Tips and Notes
- Drain the feta but save a spoonful of the brine before it goes down the sink. If your whipped feta dip comes out thicker than you want, a teaspoon or two of brine loosens it without watering down the flavour. It also lets you adjust the salt with something that already belongs in the bowl. Yoghurt loosens it too, but brine keeps the feta taste at the front.
- Use full-fat Greek yoghurt and skip the 0% versions. Low-fat yoghurt carries more water, which thins the dip and flattens the taste. The fat is what gives whipped feta dip its body. If low-fat is all you have, strain it through a sieve lined with kitchen paper for 20 minutes first.
- With a hand blender, tilt the bowl and work in short pulses rather than one long blitz. The tilt pulls the mixture back over the blades and stops pockets of unblended feta hiding at the edges. Scrape the sides down once or twice as you go. A deep, narrow bowl beats a wide shallow one for stick blenders.
- Stop blending as soon as it looks light and fluffy. Going further warms the dairy and can take the dip past creamy into loose. It firms up a little in the fridge, but it is better not to rely on that. You want soft peaks that hold a swirl from the back of a spoon.
- Taste before you add any salt at all. Between the feta and the olives the bowl is well seasoned on its own, and brands vary a lot in saltiness. Often a few grinds of black pepper is all it needs. Salting first and tasting after is the one mistake you cannot undo.
- Chill the finished dip for 30 minutes if you want it firmer for sturdy crackers. Cold sets the fats slightly and gives a thicker swirl on top. Take it out 10 minutes before serving so the flavours open up again. Straight from the fridge, dairy always tastes flatter than it should.
- Use your best extra-virgin olive oil for the drizzle, because it goes on raw and you taste all of it. A peppery, grassy oil against cool salty feta is half the point of the dish. Cheaper light oil blends into the base fine, so you can split the bottle. Save the good one for the top.
Whipped Feta Dip FAQ
Can I make whipped feta dip without a food processor?
Yes, a hand blender does the job and that is how this recipe was made. Work in short pulses in a deep bowl and scrape the sides down once or twice. A fork and some patience will get you there too, though the texture will be coarser and less airy.
What kind of feta is best for this dip?
Block feta packed in brine, ideally Greek PDO feta from sheep's milk or a sheep and goat blend. The brine keeps the cheese moist, which is exactly what you need for a smooth blend. Pre-crumbled feta is coated to stop it clumping and tends to be drier, so it whips up grainy.
Why is my whipped feta dip grainy?
Usually the feta was too cold, it was a dry pre-crumbled type, or it simply needs more time in the blender. Let the cheese warm up and keep processing — most grainy batches come good with another minute and a scrape of the bowl. A splash more yoghurt or a teaspoon of olive oil also helps the blades move.
Can I use low-fat Greek yoghurt?
You can, but the dip will be thinner and less rich. Full-fat yoghurt carries the body that makes this worth eating. If low-fat is all you have, strain it through kitchen paper in a sieve first to pull out the excess liquid.
How long does whipped feta dip keep?
The base keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. A little liquid may settle on top — stir it back through before serving. Keep the oil, olives and chilli flakes separate and add them fresh, as toppings sink and soften after a day.
Can I use black olives instead of green?
Yes, and Kalamata olives are a natural match with a deeper, winier flavour. Green olives give a sharper, more buttery bite, which is why they are here. Either way, go for pitted olives with some character rather than bland tinned rings.
Is this dip very salty, and can I reduce the salt?
Feta and olives are both brined, so the dish leans salty by nature. To soften it, rinse the drained feta briefly under cold water, add a little more yoghurt, and skip the added salt entirely. Extra lemon juice balances saltiness with brightness.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
- Sticky Baked Guinness Chicken Wings with a Smoky Dry Rub
- Easy Beetroot and Walnut Dip with Roasted Garlic (Georgian Pkhali)
- How to Cook Padron Peppers (Easy Blistered Tapas in 5 Minutes)
- Summer Peas with Bacon and Ricotta (Hot or Cold)
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with whipped feta dip:
- Easy Pesto Pasta Salad with Parsley Pesto and Mozzarella
- Summer Peach and Burrata Salad with Prosciutto
- Pasta Salad with Dill Vinaigrette - Easy Summer Recipe
- Easy Summer Pasta Salad with Creamy Mayo-Yogurt Dressing
Whipped Feta Dip with Lemon and Olives
Whipped feta dip made with block feta, full-fat Greek yoghurt, lemon and green olives - creamy, tangy and ready in 10 minutes with no cooking. Serve with crackers, crusty bread or fresh vegetables.
Ingredients
- 225g (8 oz) block feta cheese in brine, drained
- 240g (1 cup) full-fat Greek yoghurt
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 50g (¼ cup) crushed green olives, plus extra sliced for topping
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Crushed red pepper, to garnish
Instructions
- Put the drained feta in a large bowl or the bowl of a food processor. Pulse with a hand blender or the processor until the feta is crumbled.
- Add the Greek yoghurt, lemon juice and lemon zest. Process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides.
- Gradually add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and stir until combined, keeping the rest back for garnish. Taste and season with salt and black pepper — go carefully, the feta and olives are salty already.
- Transfer to a serving bowl, make some swirls in the surface and drizzle over the remaining olive oil. Sprinkle with sliced green olives and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Serve with crackers, fresh vegetables or crusty bread.
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