This Whipped Cottage Cheese dip with Feta Cheese, lemon, olive oil, za’atar etc is a great meze dip that is perfect to share with guests, small parties and so mouthwatering with pita or crostini.
I know cottage cheese has become viral lately in TikTok and other social media. It’s almost like the world woke up and realized there’s this dairy product in the grocery store, let’s all figure out how to eat it :).
Can’t speak for the whole Mediterranean region, but in Albania where I grew up we have such a large variety of dairy products. We would get milk delivered fresh every morning when I lived there, boil it then make our own yogurt, butter, cheese and products similar to ricotta and cottage cheese.
There’s one in particular called “gjiza” that is more similar to ricotta in taste but similar to cottage cheese in texture.
We’d make strained yogurt at home too to use in spreads and mezes.One example is this strained yogurt dip with garlic and walnuts.
Toppings for the Dip
So whichever way you choose to make the dip, you can give it that gourmet feel and flavor by adding toppings on top of the dip. Once you are done whipping the dip, pour it over a serving platter. Use a spoon to spread it and create little valleys and peaks on the surface of the dip.
Start by sprinkling some za’atar over the dip. Then drizzle olive oil over.
Now you can start loading up the dip to your liking. Obviously, my top choices are marinated olives, red peppers etc. But I’ll give you some extra options too because you can swap the toppings in this same dip and make it look different every time you serve it.
- Marinated olives
- Marinated peppers
- Toasted pinenuts
- Toasted chickpeas
- Crushed red pepper or Aleppo pepper (for spice)
- Herbs like parsley, mint or basil
Get creative:)), the dip tastes amazing, the toppings are like the jewels on the crown. Make it pretty and everyone will dig in!
Place some warm pita bread or baguette slices or crostinis next to the dip:).
Ingredients
Let’s talk about the actual dip now. I will give you all ingredients and quantities, but keep in mind that when making this dip you need a bit of feel and taste to get it just right. It’s not about weighing ingredients to the last gram accuracy. This dip is about getting the flavor combination right.
- cottage cheese 1.5 cups
- feta cheese 3-4 ozs
- garlic cloves 1-2
- olive oil (extra virgin) about 3 tbsps
- lemon 1 , juice half first then add the other half if needed when checking for taste
- za’atar 1 tsp for the dip, add extra as garnish to your taste
- mint leaves – you can add few leaves as the dip is whipping or just add the leaves as garnish
How to whip up the dip?
Well, the easy answer is a food processor. To be honest this device has made my life easier. But there’s a way to whip up the dip manually too, it just won’t be as smooth.
If using a food processor, add cottage cheese, crumble the feta and add it in, lemon juice and olive oil. Add also the crushed garlic and za’atar spice. Start pulsing then whipping the dip. Check for taste then add to the serving platter. Top with your favorite toppings:).
If you’re going to do this by hand, add cottage cheese to a bowl, crumble the feta and add it in. Add crushed garlic, za’atar, lemon juice and olive oil. Use a fork to mix evenly, then whip it up with the fork as if you’re scrambling eggs. It won’t be as smooth as the one from the food processor, but it will be delicious nonetheless.
Whipped Cottage Cheese Dip with Feta Dip
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5 cup cottage cheese
- 3-4 oz feta cheese
- 1-2 garlic cloves
- 1 lemon juice half first, then decide for the second half
- 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 tsp za'atar add extra for garnish if needed
- 8 leaves mint
Instructions
- Add cottage cheese, crumbled feta (I usually crumble by hand over the container), crushed garlic, juice of half a lemon and olive oil to food processor. Add za'atar spice too.
- Pulse first then mix to whip all ingredients together. Add additional lemon juice or olive oil not only to taste but also for the right consistency. Taste and if everything is perfect, use a spoon to help pour the dip into a platter. Use the spoon to smooth over and create peaks and valleys.
- Garnish with more za'atar and drizzle olive oil over the dip. Then add your favorite toppings (olives, peppers, toasted nuts etc). Then add some chopped mint and some entire leaves of mint to add aroma and flavor to the dip.
- Serve with pita bread, crostini, baguette or your favorite sourdough bread:).
Notes
- This is a high protein dip.
- Adjust ingredients to your taste, use this recipe as a guide. Different brands of feta cheese have different salt quantity. Different brands of cottage cheese have different consistency so there’s variability on results. Taste after whipping and adjust as needed.
- Good quality olive oil makes a difference.
- Buy feta cheese in blocks and crumble yourself for best results.
Nutrition Label
Nutrition
There are different brands of cottage cheese in the markets where I live. While brand might be a personal preference, I highly suggest you use 4% cottage cheese as that will be the better flavor. However, the 2% will work as well!
There are plenty of option for spicing up any dip. However, for this specific dip my favorite ways to spice it up are crushed red pepper or Aleppo pepper.
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Other mezes and appetizers
Feel free to check out some of my other mezes, dips and appetizers.
- Cilantro, garlic and yogurt dip
- Feta cheese dip with roasted red peppers
- Tuna and tarragon dip
- Ajvar – Balkan red pepper spread
- Peruvian huacatay green sauce
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