Lemony Whipped Feta With Charred Scallions
Updated March 24, 2020

- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1½lemons, plus more to taste
- 1bunch scallions, trimmed and halved crosswise
- ⅓cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 10ounces feta cheese, broken into large pieces (about 2½ to 3 cups)
- 4ounces cream cheese, at room temperature, or heavy cream
- ¼teaspoon black pepper, plus more for garnish
- ¼teaspoon cayenne, plus more for garnish
- 1tablespoon hot water
Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the broiler and line a sheet pan with foil. Juice 1 whole lemon to get 3 tablespoons juice and set aside. Cut the remaining ½ lemon into 3 to 4 thin slices.
- Step 2
In a medium bowl, toss together the lemon slices, scallions and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place on sheet pan and broil until blackened, tossing occasionally, 7 to 9 minutes for the scallions and about another 5 minutes for the lemon slices. Transfer to a cutting board to cool slightly.
- Step 3
In a food processor, add the feta, cream cheese, remaining ⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, reserved lemon juice, black pepper, cayenne and hot water. Purée until very smooth, then add almost all of the scallions (save 1 or 2 pieces and chop roughly for a garnish). Pulse to combine, leaving some chunky scallion pieces. Taste for lemon, adjusting as needed.
- Step 4
Transfer to a bowl, then garnish with charred lemon slices, the reserved scallion, black pepper and a pinch of cayenne.
- This dip is airiest and lightest the day it’s made. If you make it 1 or 2 days in advance, store it in the refrigerator, then let it come to room temperature and give it a good stir before serving.
Private Notes
Comments
Took it to a party and was very popular - the dip was, too.
The disconnect between the descriptions of how the scallions are blackened in the introductory paragraph and then in the recipe itself seems a bit odd ...
Made as directed and it was delicious! I found the scallion flavor intensified quite a bit after the dip had sat in the fridge for a couple hours, which was great because the original result wasn’t quite as flavorful as I’d hoped. Served with pita chips at a party, then ate the leftovers the next morning on toasted crusty bread with tomatoes, arugula, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and dill. Will remember for future parties!
Delicious, but I found the feta, lemon, and scallions overbalanced the flavor a bit for me … added about 1 T honey and liked it better!
I roasted 3 garlic cloves along with the lemon and scallions and it was a great addition. Be sure to swirl some honey over the top before serving. It really added some depth of flavor.
Definitely do the following: 1) Buy GOOD feta for this. 2) Cook double, or triple, the amount of green onions 3) Add one clove of garlic to the broiler. Adds a ton of flavor.
