This recipe, adapted from what she calls “Spanakopidip” in the Dip for Dinner chapter, immediately caught my eye. I could be accused of being overly enamored with the Greek phyllo pie filling, having used versions of it as a pasta sauce, topping for fish, salad inspiration and more.
But it never occurred to me to turn it into a dip. Now, there is no going back. The traditional flavors — spinach, feta, herbs, scallion and garlic — seem meant to be together in this creamy, yogurt-based snack-for-dinner.
The recipe starts just as the filling would — by sautéing onion and garlic in olive oil, then adding a mound of cooked, chopped spinach. Using frozen spinach that’s been defrosted makes this a cinch — just be sure to squeeze as much of the liquid out of it as possible so the dip doesn’t become watery. (You can save the liquid for a soup or smoothie, if you’d like.)
The dip yogurt base gets a flavor bump from feta, lemon, dill, parsley and scallions, and then you get to choose your own (dip) adventure.
For a hot dip, you stir the yogurt mixture into the spinach in the skillet and let it warm through. For a chilled version, you stir the spinach into the cold yogurt mixture.
Served with pita chips and vegetables, I could certainly make a fun dinner of the flavorful spinach-packed dip, but I’d be willing to share it with friends, too, as it would definitely add a bowlful of “big dip energy” to any party.