Whipped Feta with Marinated Olives

Two words: elevated. appetizer. This Whipped Feta with Marinated Olives recipe is easy to make, yet stunning and impressive, with over-the-top flavors from fresh herbs, lemon, and tangy feta cheese.

bowl of whipped feta topped with olives next to pita slices and a spoon

Get. Ready.

I mean, really ready. Pour yourself a glass of red wine, put on your coziest pjs, queue up Netflix, and snuggle in.

This is how we get ready right now, isn’t it? I don’t know about you, but that’s been my comfort on repeat since March, and I don’t see it changing anytime soon.

The saving grace? Easy, delicious appetizers that make me feel like I’m out on the town with friends, at a restaurant, like the good ol’ days.

While you know I am not one to ever turn down cozy nights at home (really, even now, hah), there’s something special about being able to make restaurant-worthy recipes right at home. And this, my friend, this is it.

marble serving tray with pita chips and a wooden bowl of whipped feta topped with marinated olives and a spoon inside

How to Make Whipped Feta

The base of this appetizer is the whipped feta. Which really can be a recipe on its own. It can be spread on pizza, toast topped with fresh herbs, a dip for fresh veggies.

Keep that in mind, if you have leftovers without olives on top, or if you want to just make extra of this luxurious dip, you can! You can and you can enjoy and have it on EVERYTHING.

It’s also really easy, but that’s why we’re here, isn’t it?

You will need a food processor to whip the feta into a smooth and creamy, luscious dip.

feta block on wood tray with garlic, lemon, and yogurt

I start with a block of feta opposed to buying the crumbles because 1) it’s more cost-efficient for this recipe and 2) the feta won’t have anti-caking agents in it, as most crumbled fetas do.

Break the block into chunks, basically to just make sure it fits in the processor bowl.

food processor with feta chunks, greek yogurt, lemon zest, and garlic cloves

Next goes in a container of Greek yogurt, lemon zest, garlic, and mayyyybe a little bit of whole milk if you’d like the dip to have a thinner consistency. I’m leaving that one up to you.

Puree the ingredients in your food processor until smooth, scraping the sides as needed. There typically will be small bits of feta that won’t break down, no matter how much processing you do.

You have two options:

Leave them. They’re tiny, they add a little texture, and they don’t really matter or change the dip in any real fashion. You can see, I left them.
Use a fine mesh sieve to remove any of the little bits.

I tested it both ways, and in the end thought that straining it was just too much work, and I lost too much feta, to make it worth it. If you’re looking for the dip to be super duper duper smooth, go ahead and strain it. You won’t find any objections here!

whipped feta in a wood bowl next to a spoon and a bowl of marinated olives

How to Top Feta Dip

You know those herby-lemony marinated olives? Yes, those on top of this is a match made in heaven.

Briney, salty, tangy heaven.

Be sure to prep the olives ahead of time. The longer the olives marinate, the more flavorful they’ll be, and you want them 100% ready when serving.

side view of feta in a bowl with olives and pita chips

Add a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper and red pepper flakes for an extra oomph too.

I know I already said it, but it’s worth saying again…this whipped feta dip is not solely made for marinated olives.

It is made for pizzas, and dipping on its own, and eating by the spoonful. So go ahead, expand those horizons with your leftover dip!

How to Serve this Elegant Dip

Homemade. Pita. Chips.

They are a must. Fresh, warm out of the oven, and with a crunch in every bite, they’re dynamite.

You’ve definitely made them for homemade Mediterranean Nachos before, so you know how easy it is.

pita bread on baking sheet by fork in the kitchen

Cut up some pita bread, drizzle with olive oil, S&P, and throw them in the oven to crisp up. It honestly couldn’t be easier.

You can also serve it with baguette slices alongside (love these warmed up, too).

The cracker route works too. Some sort of carb vehicle works best, since we have the olives on top doing their thang, a sturdy carb helps bring it all to your mouth flawlessly.

Was that weird? Maybe that was weird. But carbs. The end.

P.S. I’d love to see this come to life in your kitchen, don’t forget to leave a review and share on IG!

More Cheese Dip Recipes

Whipped Feta with Marinated Olives

Author: Becca | Fork in the Kitchen
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 6-8 servings
Diet: Vegetarian

Print Recipe

Description

This elevated appetizer will wow your guests with the bursts of flavors, fresh herbs, and bright lemon. But you don’t have to tell them how easy it is to make!

Ingredients

8 oz. block of feta
5.3 oz Greek yogurt (1 container)
4 garlic cloves
1 tsp lemon zest
Optional: 1 TBSP whole milk
1 batch of marinated olives
Optional: red pepper flakes for garnish

Instructions

In a food processor, add the block of feta (broken up into pieces so it will fit), greek yogurt, garlic, and lemon zest.
Puree until smooth, scraping the sides as needed. If you’d like it thinner, add in the milk and puree again to combine.
Optional: use a fine mesh strainer to remove any small pieces of feta that remain.
Spread the feta in a serving bowl and top with marinated olives as desired. I like to put a good amount in the center, serve it up, and add more as they disappear. Garnish with additional red pepper flakes as desired, too. Serve with homemade pita chips or baguette slices.