Whipped feta with olives and roasted garlic is a food-processor dip with one oven trick: a whole head of garlic, top off, roasts in a foil parcel with thyme and olive oil for 20 minutes at 200 °C until every clove turns sweet. Into the processor go a full cup of drained mixed olives — the deep, savory edge — 200 g of feta for the tangy, salty backbone, the squeezed roasted cloves, and chili flakes to wake it all back up. Blended light and spreadable, finished with basil and olive oil, it takes minutes and feeds the whole table. Butter-toasted bread is all it needs. Serves 4.
Instructions
- 1
Set the garlic head on foil, add thyme and a generous drizzle of olive oil, and seal the parcel tight — steam softens every clove.
- 2
Roast for 20 minutes at 200 °C / 400 °F.
20:00 - 3
Meanwhile, drain the olives well and add a full cup to the processor with the feta.
- 4
Unwrap the tender garlic and squeeze the cloves straight in; finish with chili flakes.
- 5
Blend until light and spreadable.
- 6
Toast bread in butter on a hot pan, spoon out the whipped feta, and finish with basil and a little olive oil.
Watch the video
Notes from our kitchen
Roasted whole, garlic never turns sharp — the heat converts its bite into sweetness, which is the “sweet note straight from the oven” the whole dip leans on. Drain the olives properly: brine is the enemy of a light, spreadable texture, and between the olives and the feta the dip needs no added salt at all. The chili flakes are not decoration — a little heat is what keeps the salt and tang from flattening out.
Variations
- Olive mix. The video uses a colorful mixed jar. All-Kalamata leans darker and winier; green olives keep it brighter and firmer. Any combination works as long as the total stays around a cup, drained.
- Creamier body. A spoon of Greek yogurt or a splash of olive oil in the processor loosens the dip toward a smoother whip — useful if your feta is the firm, crumbly kind rather than creamy block feta.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why roast the garlic instead of using it raw?
A whole raw head would be inedible — but roasting denatures the enzyme that makes garlic sharp, and its long sugars break down into sweetness. Twenty minutes in a sealed foil parcel steams the cloves soft enough to squeeze out like paste, sweet enough to spoon.
Is it too salty with both feta and olives?
It flirts with the edge on purpose — that salty, briny depth is the dip’s identity. The controls: drain the olives well, never add extra salt, and serve it on plain butter-toasted bread rather than salted crackers. The chili flakes and basil pull it back into balance.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes — it holds 3–4 days airtight in the fridge and actually rounds out overnight as the roasted garlic settles in. Take it out 15 minutes before serving so it spreads easily, and refresh the top with olive oil and a basil leaf.