Five-Minute Whipped Feta with Hot Honey

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Block feta and thick Greek yogurt whip into a cloud-light, tangy mousse in the food processor, then get finished with a drizzle of chile-warmed honey and a heavy hand of cracked black pepper. It's the appetizer that looks like it came off a $13 mezze menu but takes one bowl, no heat, and five minutes of actual work.

Ingredients

• 8 oz block feta in brine, drained
• 1/2 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1 small garlic clove, grated
• 1 tbsp ice water, if needed

• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

• 1/2 tsp coarsely cracked black pepper
• 1 tbsp chopped pistachios or toasted sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp torn fresh oregano or mint leaves
• warm pita, crackers, or cucumber spears, for serving

Instructions

1. Drain the feta and pat it dry, then crumble it into a food processor in rough chunks. Add the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, and grated garlic. Pulse 8 to 10 times to break the cheese down into a coarse paste.
2. With the machine running, stream in the 3 tablespoons olive oil and let it run a full 2 minutes, stopping once to scrape the bowl. The mixture should go from grainy to glossy and mousse-like. If it still feels stiff, add ice water 1 teaspoon at a time until it holds a soft peak on the spatula. Taste — it will not need salt unless your feta is mild.
3. Make the hot honey: combine the honey, red pepper flakes, and pinch of salt in a small saucepan over low heat. Warm 2 to 3 minutes, just until it thins and you see the first wisp of steam — do not let it bubble hard or it will turn bitter. Off the heat, stir in the vinegar and let it sit 5 minutes to infuse.
4. Spread the whipped feta into a wide, shallow bowl and use the back of a spoon to swirl deep grooves across the surface — those valleys catch the honey.
5. Drizzle 2 to 3 tablespoons of the warm hot honey over the top, then finish with a slick of olive oil, the cracked black pepper, pistachios, and torn herbs. Serve right away with warm pita, passing the extra honey alongside.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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