Spinach and Feta Dip
This spinach and feta dip nods towards spanakopita but makes a great dip with crusty bread.
This dip is a simplified version of the American classic which tends to rely on soup mix. Anyone wishing to avoid overly processed foods will find this dip packs in all the flavour with less processed additions.
This recipe serves 3-4 as a starter or appetizer.
- 300 g frozen minced spinach
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium red onion chopped
- 3 clove garlic finely chopped
- 30 g fresh parmesan finely grated
- 3 tbsp mayonaise
- salt and pepper to taste
- 50 g feta cheese (cut into 1cm chunks)
Pre-heat an oven to 200°C with fan (390°F).
Place the frozen spinach in a pan over a medium to low heat. Simmer until most of the water evaporates (it's difficult to get the spinach very dry so don’t worry too much about it, as long as most of the water is gone the dip won’t be too wet). Once evaporated remove from the heat and transfer to a mixing bowl to cool.
Heat a small frying pan over a medium heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the onions and fry until the onions start to soften.
Add the garlic and fry for a further minute making sure that nothing catches. Remove from the heat and add the onions and garlic to the mixing bowl to cool.
Once cooled, add the parmesan and 3 tbsp mayonnaise to the spinach. Stir to make sure everything is incorporated. Check for seasoning, but bear in mind that feta is quite salty.
Spoon the spinach mixture into a small oven-proof dish (a wider flatter dish is better). Press the feta chunks into the spinach mixture spreading them evenly across the dish. Leave the top of the feta visible so that it can brown in the oven.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the dip is bubbling and starting to brown.
Serve hot with crusty bread and your favourite beverage.