Serves a Crowd

Crudités with Feta-Pistachio Dip

December  8, 2015
4.6
5 Ratings
Photo by Alpha Smoot
  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Serves 6 to 8
Author Notes

This flavorful dip is an amalgam of Eastern Mediterranean flavors—dill and salty feta softened with bright green pistachios, which add texture as well as flavor. It's good plain on bread, smeared on a plate underneath warm beets, or with raw vegetables to dip. —Sara Jenkins

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Ingredients
  • 1 cup shelled pistachios
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 bunch of dill
  • 1 teaspoon dried mint or a few sprigs of fresh mint
  • 4 ounces feta
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons dried rose petals
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Directions
  1. Get a selection of raw seasonal vegetables. Go nuts. Seek out the most exquisitely perfect vegetables for this. I love a variety of radishes, multicolored baby carrots, and baby fennel, but in a pinch, simple sticks of carrots, celery, and radish are fine.
  2. Buzz the garlic and pistachio together in a food processor into a rough crumble. Add the dill and mint and pulse until well chopped and amalgamated, add the feta cheese, and pulse. Add the yogurt and pulse. Drizzle the olive oil in and pulse one more time. Remove and stir in the rose petals, reserving a teaspoon or so for garnish. Taste for salt; because of the feta, it shouldn’t need any. This dip will hold easily for a day or two in the fridge and I think it should rest for at least 4 hours to let the flavors meld.
  3. Arrange the crudité vegetables on a plate or board, the more varied and colorful the better. Place the dip in a shallow bowl and sprinkle with the reserved rose petals.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

18 Reviews

betty888 January 4, 2020
So good! Made for our New Years Eve gathering and turned out great - so unusual and delicious!
Jana E. May 3, 2018
Sweet, holy goodness this dip is amazing!
kbd762 November 13, 2017
Are the pistachios salted or unsalted?
Michele June 9, 2017
I made this and it was amazing! I made a huge crudite platter and purchased a few addition dips due to time restrictions, everyone said that this was their favorite. I didn't have dried rose petals so I just omitted them. I toasted the pistachios in the oven, maybe 5 mins just to enhance the flavor. I used full fat greek yogurt and a good quality feta. With the expense of pistachios I don't think you should skimp on the other ingredients. It's really the best dip I have ever made or had. Another note , rainbow carrots paired nicely with this dip, especially the yellow ones.
Robyn G. June 1, 2016
Can I home-dry rose petals from normal flower shop roses? Or are there special edible dried rose petals?
Sara J. June 2, 2016
unless roses are specifically grown for human consumption they are sprayed quite heavily with very toxic chemicals. So definitely don't make your own from regular store bought roses. You should be able to buy dried edible rose petals on line.
Donna January 17, 2016
The recipe is beautiful but when I made the expensive pistachio dip it was kind of bland and way to thick. Followed the instructions exactly. I added more oil but it seemed to get thicker as it sat on the dinner table. Any suggestions?
Sara J. January 18, 2016
if it seemed to thick i would add more greek yogurt and if it seemed bland I would amp up the mint and the dill. Also we did use a really flavorful french sheep's milk feta in testing so that might be an issue too.
Donna M. December 31, 2015
The list of ingredients includes mint; however, the recipe doesn't state when or how to include it.
Sara J. January 18, 2016
add it with the dill!
Chef D. December 16, 2015
pretty food pic! nice colors with all those veggies :)
Lost_in_NYC December 16, 2015
Great idea for a dip. One suggestion, I would add some acid for a kick - wedges of lemon or lime if you don't want to incorporate it into the dip itself but have it on the side.
Jennie W. December 13, 2015
Can you substitute a bit of rose water for the petals?
Sara J. December 14, 2015
Rose water is quite a bit stronger than the petals, I would only add a drop or two if using rosewater
Scribbles December 12, 2015
Pam - I think they are a type of cauliflower. The dip sounds delicious and, having just returned from Australia and New Zealand where there isn't a meal without beet root, I love the idea of serving those beets on the dip.
Pam S. December 12, 2015
I really want to try this dip and was wondering- what are the beautiful little green Christmas tree looking vegetables?
Thanks for the recipes They are mouthwatering and gorgeous!
yermalove December 12, 2015

That lovely is a cauliflower-broccoli hybrid called Romanesco Broccoli.
Pam S. December 12, 2015
Thanks to everyone for the replies! Much appreciated!