• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Cup of Zest logo
  • HOME
  • Recipes
    • Party Food
    • Desserts
    • Salads
  • Videos
  • Summer
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Videos
  • About
  • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipes
    • Videos
    • About
    • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Party Food » Dips & Spreads

    Garlic Herb Feta Spread

    Jun 10, 2022(updated May 9, 2023)

    By Michelle Weiner

    The garlic lovers in your life won’t be able to get enough of this Garlic Herb Feta Spread! It’s a punchy snack that features easy ingredients and big flavors.
    No ratings yet
    Prep Time 20 minutes minutes
    Chill Time 1 hour hour
    Jump to Recipe
    dipping a cracker into garlic herb feta spread.

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    dipping a cracker into garlic herb feta spread.
    Photos by Michelle Boulé

    A garlic lover’s dream snack

    Attention, garlic lovers! This Garlic Herb Feta Spread is for you. It’s a pungent and herbaceous dish you can enjoy as a dip with homemade bread, spread onto savory crostini appetizers (like my Mushroom and Goat Cheese Crostini), or even on a pizza.

    It comes together easily thanks to a handful of simple ingredients. All you need is feta cheese, fresh garlic, herbs, and a few aromatics. Once they’re all married in a bowl, the flavors explode and you’ll be having a hard time leaving the dish after one taste.

    dipping a cracker into garlic herb feta spread.

    Inspired by an ancient recipe

    This recipe is loosely inspired by the ancient Roman dish, moretum. According to Tavola Mediterranea, moretum is a vegetarian meal made with a cheesy base and enhanced with herbs, greens, and garnishes like olive oil or vinegar. All of the ingredients are pulverized together using a mortar and pestle to transform into a creamy and smooth dip.

    The recipe was always popular when served at the historical reenactments I attended. My recreation is simpler than the Roman classic, but is still sure to be a hit at parties!

    Garlic and herb dip ingredients

    This crumbly and punchy garlic dip features some of the best ingredients: cheese, garlic, and herbs! Here are the ingredients you need:

    Feta cheese 

    Stay far away from pre-crumbled feta here. The anti-caking agents in pre-crumbled and pre-shredded cheese affect the flavor, texture, and creaminess. Instead, look for a block of sheep or goat’s milk feta and crumble it yourself.

    The finished feta cheese spread is loose and has a crumbly texture rather than being compact and ultra-creamy. If you’d prefer the spread to be on the creamy side, break up the cheese into finer crumbs or pulse it in the food processor with the other ingredients.

    ingredients for garlic herb feta spread.

    Garlic 

    Raw garlic cloves are added to the dip, giving it an almost spicy flavor. Make sure to crush the cloves with a knife first or grate them using a tool like a microplae rasp grater. Pulverizing the garlic like this enhances the flavor, ensures the garlic is spread throughout the entire dip, and prevents your guests from biting down on a chunk of sharp raw garlic.

    Herbs 

    We’re keeping it simple here! All you need is fresh parsley, cilantro, and chives. Go ahead and play with the ratios of each herb to achieve a flavor you love.

    If you’d like the spread to be close to the traditional moretum recipe, feel free to add even more herbs. Some recipes add in fresh mint leaves, thyme, green onion, and dandelion leaves.

    Celery leaves 

    Did you know that the leaves on a stalk of celery are actually more flavorful than the celery itself? It’s true! Mixing them into the garlic feta spread adds a layer of refreshment that makes this recipe truly unique.

    When you’re out shopping, look for a loose bunch of celery with a lot of leaves. I can usually get 1 cup of leaves from one big bunch of celery. You can chop up the leftover celery to serve with the dip, with another creamy dip (like Roasted Garlic White Bean Dip).

    close up on garlic herb feta spread on a cracker.

    Lemon juice

    Like I said, the garlic flavors in this spread are very pungent and garlicky. Raw garlic is punchy on its own but allowing it to sit in lemon juice before mixing it into the dip will help tone down the strong flavors. Plus, the acid in the citrus juice is always helpful when balancing layers of other flavors!

    Olive oil

    This will bring all of the flavors together in the end. Try not to skip it.

    How to make garlic herb feta spread

    I used a food processor to make this garlicky feta dip but if you’d like to keep things traditional, use a mortar and pestle instead! Here’s how it’s done:

    overhead view of grated garlic in a glass bowl.

    Step 1: Combine the grated garlic and lemon juice in a bowl. Let them sit for about 5 minutes.

    fresh green herbs in a food processor.

    Step 2: Add the garlic and lemon mixture as well as the celery leaves, cilantro, parsley, chives, and olive oil to a food processor.

    chopped green herbs in a food processor.

    Step 3: Pulse to chop those herbs up!

    herbs and feta cheese mixed together in a glass bowl.

    Step 4: Stir the herb mixture and feta cheese together in a bowl. Cover and let it chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.

    Serving suggestions

    Make sure there’s a bowl of this garlicy, herby appetizer ready at parties where you know garlic lovers will be in attendance. Otherwise, it can be enjoyed in endless ways, such as:

    • Served at parties with fresh bread, crudites, or chips.
    • Spread some onto homemade crostinis with roasted tomatoes.
    • Include a small bowlful on a meat and cheese board.
    • Spoon it onto a homemade pizza with basil pesto.
    • Use it as a sandwich, burger, or flatbread spread.
    • Enjoy it as a quick snack with bread and chips.
    • Serve the bowl next to more spreadable snacks, like hummus, shallot dip, and artichoke dip.
    crackers and garlic herb feta spread on a blue plate.

    Storing and freezing

    To store the assembled dip, transfer it to an airtight container and keep it in the fridge. It will stay fresh for 3 to 5 days.

    I do not recommend freezing the dip. Dairy has a tendency to become grainy and lose its creaminess once it’s frozen and thawed, and this recipe is no exception.

    Recipe

    Save This Recipe Form

    Want to save this recipe?

    Just drop your email below, and we'll shoot it straight to your inbox!

    dipping a cracker into garlic herb feta spread.

    Garlic Herb Feta Spread

    The garlic lovers in your life won’t be able to get enough of this Garlic Herb Feta Spread! It’s a punchy snack that features easy ingredients and big flavors.
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Rate Pin
    Author: Michelle Weiner
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: American, Roman
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
    Keyword: party food, snack
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Chill Time: 1 hour hour
    Makes: 12 servings

    Equipment

    • rasp grater
    • food processor
    • bowls

    Ingredients

    • 6 cloves garlic crushed or finely grated
    • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
    • 1 cup celery leaves
    • ¾ cup cilantro leaves
    • ½ cup parsley leaves
    • ¼ cup chopped chives
    • 2 teaspoons olive oil
    • 16 ounces block feta cheese crumbled
    • Garnish: drizzle olive oil, black pepper

    Instructions

    • Combine the garlic and lemon juice in a small bowl. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.
    • Transfer to a food processor.
    • Add celery leaves, cilantro, parsley, chives and olive oil in the food processor.
    • Pulse on high until herbs are finely chopped, scraping the sides as needed.
    • Transfer the garlic herb mixture to a large bowl and add the feta cheese.
    • Mix until combined.
    • Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.
    Did you make this recipe?Share a pic and tag @cupofzest and use #cupofzest so I can see it!
    « Cold Artichoke Jalapeño Dip (TJ’s Copycat)
    Basic Pizza Dough Recipe »

    Sharing is caring!

    155 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Reddit
    • Email

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    No Comments

    Leave a Comment & Rate this Recipe Cancel reply

    Leave a Comment & Rate this Recipe

    ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

    Not only will you be helping us out, but you'll also be spreading the love to other party planners looking for their next big hit!

    Your star rating and comment can make all the difference in helping others discover the perfect recipe for their next shindig. And let's be honest, who doesn't love a good party? So let's get this party started by sharing the love and making sure everyone has a delicious time. Thanks for being a part of the Party Food Crew! And remember, party more & stress less!

    🎉 Cheers,
    Michelle

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    woman with brown hair wearing a blue button up shirt smiling and holding a frozen mango margarita

    Hi, I'm Michelle and welcome to the party!

    After of working in the culinary world for over 10 years, I'm sharing the skills I've learned with you here at Cup of Zest. I'm here to help you invite your friends over more and stress less when cooking for them. Glad you're part of the crew!

    More about me →

    As Seen On

    Popular Recipes

    • pink cocktail in a stemmed glass garnished with a slice of grapefruit
      4 Ingredient Shaken Grapefruit Vodka Martini
    • Two glasses of a yellow drink with lots of ice next to a small bowl of limes
      Pineapple Ginger Beer Mocktail w/ Fresh Ginger
    • Cinnamon Candy Apples - These vintage-inspired cinnamon candy apples are the perfect Fall treat! #retrorecipe
      1960's Cinnamon Candy Apples

    Winter Recipes

    • baked brie wrapped in puff pastry next to crackers on a black plate.
      Baked Brie with Caramelized Onions in Puff Pastry
    • melted brie cheese topped with toasted almonds and jam in a white baking dish.
      4 Ingredient Baked Brie with Strawberry Jam
    • close up on a wheel of baked brie topped with apricot preserves next to crostini on a white plate.
      5 Ingredient Baked Brie with Apricot Preserves
    • close up of cheese ball coated in pecans, parsley and dried cranberries on a white plate
      Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball

    Disclosure

    This site may include affiliate links, meaning I may receive a commission if you purchase something through a link at no additional cost to you.

    • HOME
    • Recipes
    • Videos

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Copyright © 2025 Cup of Zest · Web Stories · Privacy Policy

    155 shares

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    Let us know what you thought of this recipe:

    This worked exactly as written, thanks!
    My guests loved this recipe!
    Thank you for sharing this recipe!

    Or write in your own words:

    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required