Apricot and Whipped Feta Dip

Heavenly. The only word to describe this delicious Whipped Feta Dip topped with caramelized apricots, pistachios, and sesame seeds.

You won’t be able to stop eating this Whipped Feta Dip once you take a bite. The sweet-savory balance is what makes this so fantastic. The tangy salty dip topped with the sweet spiced apricot compote, and they just work so well together! One component just isn’t as good without the other.

To top it all off, we sprinkle on toasted pistachios and sesame seeds for some crunch. Use as much or as little as you’d like. This adds amazing textural contrast and your taste buds will thank you.

The whipped feta dip is super simple. It’s made with a blend of feta cheese and goat cheese. This is important. I think the feta is too strong on its own and the goat cheese mellows it out while still adding good flavor. You’ll also add Greek yogurt, garlic, honey, and some extra-virgin olive oil. Sound good to you?

For the apricots, I decided to use dried, so that you can make this dip all year-long! It’s combined with delicious warming spices like cinnamon and ginger, and cooked down with orange juice, honey, and apple cider vinegar.

Recipe Tips:

• After the apricots are cooked, they will continue to soak up liquid. Add in water, little by little, until it reaches a nice syrupy consistency.
• The whipped feta dip should be served lightly chilled or at room temperature. If storing it in the refrigerator, make sure to remove it 30 minutes before serving.

Ingredient Notes:

• Red Pepper Flakes – If you don’t like spicy, use half the amount!
• Ginger – The ginger is cut into chunks and not minced so that you can easily remove them at the end. If you prefer, you can use 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger instead.
• Cinnamon Stick – I like using a cinnamon stick to ground cinnamon here because i want the apricot compote to be a nice bright orange. Ground cinnamon will ruin the color, however the taste will still be delicious.
• Apple Cider Vinegar – You can also use white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar.
• Honey – You can also use agave or brown sugar.
• Greek Yogurt – I prefer to use full-fat.
• Toasted Pistachios and Toasted Sesame Seeds – if you can’t find toasted, do it yourself! Toast each separately in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring and flipping occasionally until golden. You can also use slivered almonds or pine nuts instead.
• Crackers – Here are some of my favorite gluten-free crackers. These Absolutely Gluten Free flatbread crackers are some of my favorites. These Top Seedz crackers are thin, but their texture and flavor are amazing. Plus they’re made with only seeds. Lastly, Wasa makes excellent gluten-free crackers.

Apricot and Whipped Feta Dip

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Dips and Spreads

Cuisine Eclectic

Servings 8

Equipment

• 1 Small Sauce Pot
• 1 Food Processor I used a mini one
• 1 Medium Bowl
• 1 Fine Mesh Sieve

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ½ cup dried apricots thinly sliced
• 1 orange juice and 1 teaspoon zest divided
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ inch piece ginger peeled and cut in half
• 1 cinnamon stick
• ½ cup water
• 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic smashed
• 4 tablespoons honey
• 6 oz. feta in brine drained
• 2 oz. goat cheese
• ¾ cup Greek Yogurt
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Toasted pistachios roughly chopped, as garnish
• Toasted sesame seeds as garnish

Instructions

 

• For the apricots, in a small sauce pot, combine the apricots, orange juice, red pepper flakes, ginger, cinnamon stick, water, apple cider vinegar, half the garlic, and three-quarters of the honey. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then cover the pot tightly and reduce heat to low. Cook for 10 minutes, until apricots have softened and flavors have melded together. Uncover and cook more, if needed, to reduce liquid to a syrupy consistency. Remove from heat and discard the ginger, cinnamon stick, and garlic.
• Apricots will continue to soak up liquid as they sit. Add in more water, a small splash at a time, stirring until it reaches desired syrupy consistency. Stir in orange zest. Season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
• While the apricots cook, make the dip. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the feta, goat cheese, yogurt, olive oil, and the remaining garlic and honey. Puree until very smooth and fluffy.
• Strain into a medium bowl through a fine mesh sieve, if desired (this helps to remove the grainy texture, so I highly recommend it). Season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
• Serve the whipped feta topped with as much of the apricot mixture as you’d like. Sprinkle with as much toasted pistachios and sesame seeds as you’d like and serve with crackers for dipping. (TIP: Make sure to serve whipped feta at room temperature, or else it will become too hard to dip anything into.)

Notes

Dip can be stored in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic for up to 2 days after serving.

If preparing ahead of time, store whipped feta component, apricot component, pistachios and sesame seeds separately. Before serving, let dip come to room temperature. Warm apricots in microwave or in small sauce pot on the stovetop until warmed through. Add more water, if needed for consistency, and season again with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, if needed. 

Keyword easy, flavorful, gluten free

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