Whipped Feta and Roasted Red Pepper Dip
Whipped Feta and Roasted Red Pepper Dip
ChopChop’s beloved friend, chef Ana Sortun, allowed us to adapt the recipe she uses in her Boston-area Middle Eastern restaurants. When you order this Turkish dip, it’s easy to assume it’s a complicated and time-consuming recipe. Make it yourself and you’ll see that it isn’t.
kitchen gear
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife (adult needed)
- Measuring spoons
- Baking sheet
- Pot holders
- Tongs
- Medium-sized bowl
- Dinner plate
- Food Processor (adult needed)
- Measuring spoons
- Rubber spatula
- Serving bowl or lidded container
Ingredients
- 1 red bell pepper, stemmed (with the stem removed), halved lengthwise, and seeds and white ribs removed
- 1⁄2 pound feta cheese, broken into chunks
- 1⁄4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more if you like it spicy)
- 1⁄4 teaspoon paprika (any kind is fine)
- 1⁄2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Arrange one of your oven racks so that it is close to the top of the oven, nearest the broiler. Set the broiler to high.
- Put the pepper halves on the baking sheet, cut side down. Carefully put the sheet on the top oven rack and broil until blackened, about 15 minutes.
- Using the tongs, put the peppers in the bowl and cover with the plate. Set aside until the peppers are cool enough to handle, 15-20 minutes.
- Peel and rub off as much of the blackened skin from the peppers as you can (this is a very messy but fun job) and throw away the skin. (Note: you now have roasted peppers! These are great in a sandwich.)
- Put the peppers in the bowl of the food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until finely chopped. Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth.
- Using the spatula, scoop the dip into the serving bowl or lidded container. Serve right away or cover and refrigerate up to 3 days.
Notes
DID YOU KNOW?
Another pepper! Paprika, the red-colored spice, is made from dried, ground peppers called capsicum annuum. Smoked paprika, called pimentón in Spain, is made from peppers dried over a wood fire, and it will give the dip a distinctive smoky flavor.