Spicy Whipped Feta Dip with Warm Pita

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A five-minute food processor dip that tastes like a Greek taverna: block feta and thick yogurt whipped until glossy, folded with charred red pepper and enough chile to leave a real sting on the back of your tongue. Scoop it up with blistered pita while the bread is still hot.

Ingredients

• 10 oz Greek feta in brine, block (not pre-crumbled)
• 1/2 cup full-fat Greek yogurt, strained and thick
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 small garlic clove, grated
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 2-4 tbsp whole milk, as needed to loosen

• 1 large red bell pepper (or 1 cup jarred roasted red peppers, drained)
• 1 medium long red chile or Fresno chile, stemmed
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp sweet or hot Greek paprika
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional, for a sharper sting)
• 1/2 tsp dried Greek oregano

• 4 pocket pita breads
• 2 tbsp olive oil, for brushing the pita
• flaky sea salt
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill or flat-leaf parsley
• Kalamata olives and cucumber spears, for the plate (optional)

Instructions

1. Char the pepper and chile: set the whole bell pepper and the chile directly over a gas burner on high, or under a broiler 4 inches from the element. Turn every 2 to 3 minutes with tongs until the skins are blackened and blistered all over, about 8 to 10 minutes total for the bell pepper and 3 to 4 minutes for the chile.
2. Drop the charred vegetables into a bowl and cover tightly with a plate or plastic wrap for 10 minutes. The trapped steam loosens the skins. Rub the skins away with a paper towel, then pull out the stems and seeds. (Skipping the fire? Use 1 cup drained jarred roasted red peppers and simply seed the fresh chile raw — it will be noticeably hotter.)
3. Pat the roasted pepper and chile very dry, then set aside 2 tablespoons of finely chopped pepper for garnish. Drain the feta, pat dry, and break it into rough 1-inch chunks.
4. Pulse the feta alone in a food processor 10 to 12 times, until it looks like coarse wet sand. This breaks the curd down before any liquid goes in and is the difference between grainy and creamy.
5. Add the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, red wine vinegar, roasted pepper, chile, red pepper flakes, paprika, cayenne if using, and oregano. Process for a full 60 to 90 seconds, scraping the sides once, until completely smooth and glossy.
6. With the machine running, stream in milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the dip holds a soft, spoonable swoop — thick enough to mound on a spoon but not stiff. You may not need all 4 tablespoons.
7. Taste and adjust: feta is already salty, so add heat and acid rather than salt. Push the chile up with more pepper flakes until it stings pleasantly a second or two after each bite. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and chill at least 30 minutes (up to 3 days) so the garlic and chile bloom.
8. Just before serving, warm the pita: brush both sides lightly with olive oil and cook in a dry skillet over medium-high heat for 60 to 90 seconds per side, until puffed and spotted with brown. Cut into wedges.
9. Spread the dip in a shallow bowl with the back of a spoon, leaving deep grooves. Flood the grooves with olive oil, then scatter the reserved chopped pepper, a pinch of paprika, flaky salt, and the dill. Serve immediately with the hot pita, olives and cucumber.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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