Creamy Feta Dressing

It makes everything taste good.

By
Robin Asbell
Robin Asbell
Robin Asbell
Chef Robin Asbell is an author of 11 cookbooks and a writer with hundreds of articles, all focusing on plant-forward, global foods. 
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Updated September 16, 2024
Robin Asbell
feta dressing spooned onto a salad at a table setting with a bowl of lemon slices, a bowl with feta pieces, a jar with the rest of the dressing, and a table napkin

Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

Years before the baked feta pasta went viral on TikTok, and whipped feta dips were in everybody’s Instagram feeds, I was making my creamy dressing with feta that I still make today.

It all started in the late ‘80s, when fat-free foods were the rage and everybody was using processed, sugary, fat-free salad dressings. I was cooking in Health Food Store Deli and made salads and dressings every day. It seemed to me that it would be better to eat dressings made from real ingredients, not corn syrup. So, I started making dressings with purées of nuts, seeds, and cheese that were creamy and flavor-packed.

One that stuck with me is this super easy feta dressing. It’s just as good tossed with cooked grains and pasta salad as it is with a green salad. You can even use it as a tasty dip.

How To Make the Creamiest Dressing

A clove of garlic and a chunk of feta go in a food processor and are blended until completely smooth. It will start out as tiny bits of feta flying around, but as it gets processed it will start to bind to the blade. Scrape it down and add yogurt, lemon juice, and black pepper and process some more.

The best part about this recipe is using the processor to create a stable emulsion. Just turn on the machine and drizzle the oil slowly through the feed tube. Whipping it in with the blades spinning creates a stable dressing that won’t separate.

salad with feta dressing at a table setting with a bowl of lemon slices, a bowl with feta pieces, a jar with the rest of the dressing, and a table napkin

Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

Choosing the Right Feta

If you are buying easy-to-find, American-made “Greek-style” cow’s milk feta, you’ll get one that is very firm and quite salty. That is totally fine. Buy a block, not crumbles, which are coated in an anti-caking agent. Use the rest of the block to crumble over the salad.

This is actually a great recipe for using inexpensive American feta because it gets puréed with yogurt, smoothing out the chunky texture. If you’ve got more options, authentic Greek sheep and goat feta are often creamier and tastier. I’m fond of Greek Mount Vikos and the French brand Valbreso.  

All the Dressings

Creamy Feta Dressing

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 0 mins
Total Time 10 mins
Servings 3 to 6 servings
Yield 3/4 cup dressing

Most feta is sold in 8-ounce blocks. If you cut it into equal quarters, you’ll end up with a 2-ounce piece for this recipe.

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Ingredients

  • 1 clove garlic, chopped

  • 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)

  • 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, optional

  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt

  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • Salt, to taste

Method

  1. Blend the dressing:

    Place the garlic and feta in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and process until smooth. Scrape down and process again. If using the parsley, add it now. Add the yogurt, lemon juice, and pepper and process, scraping down as needed, until everything is incorporated.

  2. Add the olive oil:

    With the machine running, drizzle the olive oil through the feed chute, creating a creamy emulsion. Taste and season with salt as needed and transfer to a pouring vessel or jar. 

    Store any leftover dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Shake well before using.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
118 Calories
11g Fat
2g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 118
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 14%
Saturated Fat 3g 14%
Cholesterol 10mg 3%
Sodium 100mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 2g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg 2%
Calcium 83mg 6%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 54mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.