Let me start out by saying, I love pistachios. You all have probably already figured this out. Their slight sweetness goes with almost anything.
They show up pretty regularly here, either as a major component of a meal (see my French Toast with Baked Oranges or Fessenjan with Jewelled Cauliflower Rice) or as a garnish pretty well anywhere I can get away with it! Their colour is the prettiest bright green. And even with the shell on, they make for a perfect little snack. A wonderful nut.
On one of our recent trips to Vancouver to visit my family, I discovered a fantastic dried fruit and nut shop, run by a Persian couple. It is the most charming shop with elaborate chandeliers, and with exotic urns filled with all sorts of goodies and scoops so that you can help yourself. One is filled with peeled and chopped pistachios- I went all dreamy eyed when I saw this!! Now no visit to Vancouver is complete without visiting Ayoub’s on Denman Street! And before you head out the door, grab some amazing Turkish Delight for the road.
Pistachios always evoke the exotic Middle Eastern cuisines for me. There is something so romantic about these dishes. Lately I’ve been cooking out of Persiana, by Sabrina Ghayour. Every page has held my attention and each recipe just begs to be made. I can’t say it any better than the review by Saveur magazine: “Enchanting”.
So this dip is from her book. According to her, she first discovered it in Istanbul, in a butcher shop/restaurant. She loved it, but they wouldn’t share the recipe (!) so she had to figure out how to make it on her own. I’ve been there, trying to dissect a dish to identify all the components. Well, she was happy with her results. Since I have nothing to compare it to, I’m happy with her results as well!!
It’s a happy combination of nuts, fresh feta and handfuls of herbs, a bit of heat with a chili pepper and yogurt and lemon to balance it all out. It’s a perfect dip with focaccia, flat bread, crackers, or even other veggies. I’ve also used it as a spread on sandwiches and eggs. It is slightly addictive!!
I will say, I did adjust the flavours just a touch. I found that the final result was a tad too salty for my family. So I cut back on the feta the second time around, and increased the yogurt. Loved it!!
Enjoy this versatile dip, its a great alternative to our go-to hummus. Much brighter and lighter. Not that I don’t adore hummus (thank you Yotam Ottolenghi!)
Love Jen
Pistachio and Feta Dip
A fresh, flavour jammed dip that jumps between the saltiness of the cheese, the richness of the nuts, and the tang of the yogurt. Lemon and hot pepper add kick. Great with focaccia or flat breads
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 oz (100 g) shelled pistachios
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 7 oz (approx 200 g) feta cheese
- 1 handful of dill roughly chopped
- 2 handfulls of cilantro roughly chopped
- 1 garlic clove peeled and crushed
- 1 long red chilli pepper, medium heat seeded and chopped
- 4-5 tbsp greek yogurt
- zest of one medium lemon and juice of 1/2 of it
- kosher salt if needed
Instructions
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Blitz the pistachios and olive oil in a food processor for 30 seconds.
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Add the feta, herbs, garlic, chilli pepper, yogurt and lemon.
Blitz until the mixture is well combined and has a rustic texture.
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Taste to see if you want more salt. This will depend on the type of feta you are using, and your own tastes.
Serve with warmed focaccia or flat bread, or even crudités.
Recipe Notes
I adjusted this recipe based on our salt tolerances. So you may need to use less yogurt and more feta if your feta is mild. I definitely did not go near adding any extra salt.
Adapted from Persiana, Recipes from the Middle East and Beyond, by Sabrina Ghayour.
This dip is excellent. I’ve made it numerous times and it has become my go to contribution at gatherings. It works really well with walnuts as well. I always receive at least one (usually more) request for the recipe and I direct them to your site.
Hi Daphne, Thanks so much for all your kind words! Truly appreciated. I’ll have to try it with walnuts one day soon! Have a great weekend, Love Jen
The while family loves this recipe Daphne, we usually bring it out for summertime apéritifs in the garden. Thank you so much !
Hi Diana, so happy you love this dip as much as we do! Have a great weekend, Love Jen
Absolutely delicious. This is the best feta/pistachio dip recipe I’ve tried – no need to try any more!
Hi Gail, thank you for your kind words. It is one of my most favourite and asked for dips, so happy you like it as well! Thanks, Love Jen
Hi Jennifer
How much will this recipe yield? I’m making canapés for 20
Thanks
Amanda
Hi Amanda, This makes approximately two cups or so. Hope this helps
What a fantastic recipe! Thank you.
One question. I want to make this for a middle eastern inspired dinner party next month. One of our guests can’t eat raw garlic, but she’s fine with cooked garlic. Do you think that I could lightly cook it (and cool it) before adding to the food processor without ruining the flavor?
Hi Kate, for sure you can sauté the garlic to soften it’s potency. It will still work fine once cooled. Enjoy! Love Jen
One more question… have you tried to freeze this with any success?
Hi Kate, I have never tried freezing it. If I am worried that there will be leftovers, I either cut the recipe in half, or send some home with guests! I just don’t think anything with dairy like this will thaw nicely. But maybe it would work. Let me know if you try it! Love Jen
By the way, I just wanted to mention that this recipe freezes fabulously!
Hi Kate, good to know! Thanks for popping in with this! Love Jen
Just wondering how long in advance one could make this dip, please?
Hi Sorcha, You could make this the day before and seal it well in the fridge. Any longer it would start to separate, as most dips with any type of cheese would. Hope this helps, Love Jen
Hi! This sounds like a great recipe to add to Thanksgiving dinner. Would I use unsalted, roasted pistachios?
Hi Deb, I would make sure they are unsalted. Roasted if you can find them. But in the end, whichever ones you can find will work. If you can only find salted, hold back on any other salt till you’ve tasted the finished dip. Hope this helps, Jen