07/21/2023
Try this simple and delicious red pepper and feta dip recipe, you'll love it!
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
3 medium red bell peppers, roasted, skinned, and seeded (OR you can buy a large jar of roasted red peppers at the store)
1 clove of garlic, minced and crushed to paste with
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 C crumbled feta (3-4 oz.) (Look in the cheese dept)
2 T plain dry breadcrumbs (or gluten-free unsalted crackers, crushed)
2 T fresh lemon juice
2 T olive oil
3 T chopped fresh dill (or 1-1/2 tsp dry dill, if fresh is unavailable)
a bit of fresh dill or chives, if preferred, for garnish.
Directions:
Crank up the broiler and place the washed red peppers on a rimmed baking sheet. Set the timer for 5 minutes and turn the peppers. Continue roasting and turning every 5 minutes for a total of 25 minutes, or until the skins are largely blackened. Then place the roasted peppers in a deep bowl, cover with cling wrap, and let the peppers cool and release their skin. When they have cooled, all you need to do is slough the blackened skin off and rinse the peppers under cold water to remove any remaining black specks, if you are bothered by black specks. The stem and core will pull right out. You can slice the peppers and rinse or wipe the remaining seeds away. Plop the peppers into a shallow saucepan (or your food processor).
Add the minced garlic and salt paste to the peppers.
Add the feta, breadcrumbs, lemon juice, and olive oil to the mix. If using dried dill, add it now; if using fresh dill, wait.
Puree the whole shebang with either a food processor or an immersion blender, it is a dip, after all.
When pureed to your taste, add salt and adjust for taste, if necessary, and then fold in the chopped fresh dill.
Transfer the pureed dip to your serving bowl and garnish will a bit of fresh dill or chives if you have them, and/or a drizzle of olive oil.
Serve with your favorite chips.
Here are some more variations to consider:
Add 1/2 tsp of dried red pepper flakes to the mix to liven it up - it also adds a really nice fleck of color to the dish. This works great if you make the dish a day ahead.
Sprinkle a little smoked paprika on top before you garnish with the greens. This looks very appealing if you also drizzle a bit of olive oil on top.
Mix in 1/4 tsp of HOT Hungarian paprika before serving, and consider adding a touch of oil and then swirling a toothpick in circles on top
Mix a few pitted and diced Kalamata, or Alphonso olives into the dip for contrast, taste, and texture.
