Tirokafteri (Spicy Feta Dip)

Prep: 5 Minutes | Cook: 5 Minutes | Resting Time: N/A | Total: 40 mins

Makes 6 Servings

---

Ingredients

8 oz Feta Cheese

3 tbsp Olive Oil

1 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar

2 cloves Garlic

1/2 Roasted Red Pepper

1 tsp Paprika

1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper

---

Recipe Summary

1. Add liquids, garlic and peppers to the food processor

2. Add feta to food processor

3. Add seasoning

4. Serve with warm pita

---

Recipe 

1. In the food processor add olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic and peppers. Pulse until the garlic and peppers are fully chopped.

2. Add feta to the food processor. It will speed up the process if you break up the feta as you add it to the food processor.

3. Pulse until all the large feta chunks are mostly broken down. You will need to scrape the sides of the food processor occasionally to ensure the dip is uniformly mixed.

4. Run the food processor on low until the dip is fully mixed, around 1 minute. Scrape the sides of the food processor with a spatula as needed.

5. Add paprika and optional cayenne pepper to the food processor. Run the food processor on low until it is fully mixed, about 20-30 seconds.

6. Scoop dip into a bowl and serve with warm pita or pita chips.

---

Why the Recipe Works

Even though feta is an extremely pungent cheese, it works really well as a spicy dip. The natural saltiness from feta carries a lot of flavor, which is balanced by the acidity of vinegar and spiciness of the cayenne. Smokiness from paprika and nuttiness from the olive oil rounds out the flavor making it a perfect dip for a blank canvas like warm pita.