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
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
319 calories; 30 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 14 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 8 grams protein; 595 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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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!
We made this for Thanksgiving. I doubled the recipe and we had at least enough cheese sauce for 4x the pasta! We did everything as directed.
Not worth all the effort and kitchen fire in my opinion. Charring without oil on a cast iron skillet would be easier and less mess. This turned out really salty and without much other flavor. I used good Greek sheep’s milk feta that I’ve used before. Something about this combo of ingredients just made the salt predominant.
This was a delightful surprise. We had a similar experience at a restaurant in Ohio (Twisted Olive), where we enjoyed toasty bread and pita chips with a feta dip. The recipe here adds some great flavor, with more prominent lemon and charred scallions. We had some leftover sourdough bread, so we toasted it and spread it on for a snack. Yum!