I didn’t think feta cheese could get any better until I stumbled upon the crazy feta dip at the popular Cava restaurant chain. When I first had it, I knew I had to create a homemade crazy feta I could enjoy anytime I wanted. And I have to admit, I think this version is better than the original.
If you are into Cava and the taste of their delicious dips and spreads, you might also like other Mediterranean staples, including Tzatziki Sauce, Mediterranean Hummus, Baba Ganoush, and Harissa Sauce.
What is Crazy Feta at Cava?
Cava is a popular Mediterranean fast-casual chain that opened in the DC area. It is known for its quick pick-up mezze bowls. Crazy feta is one of the featured dips, along with tzatziki, hummus, harissa, and roasted eggplant dip.
Cava’s crazy feta is made with feta, jalapenos, onions, and olive oil. The vegetables are roasted, and all the ingredients are whipped together until smooth.
Crazy Feta Ingredients
Cava feta dip requires just a handful of simple ingredients, which are easy to find at the grocery store. We will need:
- Jalapeno peppers: Look for two large jalapenos for the best flavor.
- Onion: One yellow onion is all we need, but red onions could also work.
- Garlic bulb: The roasted garlic head adds an incredible depth of flavor and a natural sweetness. I like to break the garlic bulb into garlic cloves for faster roasting or use already-made Roasted Garlic or Air Fryer Roasted Garlic.
- Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil provides a rich, fruity flavor.
- Seasonings: A simple seasoning of Kosher salt and black pepper makes the roasted veggies and feta cheese shine.
- Feta cheese: Look for two 8-ounce feta cheese blocks (or feta bricks) in the cheese section of your grocery store, either made from cow’s milk, sheep’s milk, or a mix of the two.
- Lemon: We need both the lemon zest and lemon juice, so zest the whole lemon before juicing.
How to Make Crazy Feta?
This crazy feta recipe is ready in 25-30 minutes, thanks to the quick roasting time. Here are the step-by-step instructions:
- Preheat oven: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare vegetables: Place the sliced jalapenos, chopped onion, and peeled garlic cloves on the sheet pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then season with Kosher salt and black pepper.
- Roast vegetables: Roast for 15 minutes, tossing once halfway through for even cooking. When pierced with a knife, the vegetables should be soft. Set aside to cool.
- Whip feta: In the bowl of a food processor (or blender) with the S-blade, add the feta cheese (broken into small pieces), olive oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Pulse several times until all ingredients are incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Make feta dip: Add the roasted vegetables to the feta mixture. Pulse until pureed to your desired consistency, scraping down the bowl as needed. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Serve: Transfer to your favorite serving bowl and drizzle it with a teaspoon of olive oil, if desired. Serve as an appetizer with pita chips, crackers, or veggies on the side (see more Serving Suggestions below).
How to Serve Crazy Feta?
Crazy feta is one of those recipes that is extremely versatile. The Mediterranean flavors take front and center served as a dip or spread in any of the following ways:
- Bowls: Enjoy it with a grain bowl made of Rice with Vermicelli or Bulgur Wheat topped with Mediterranean-inspired meat, such as my Yogurt Marinated Chicken or Harissa Chicken.
- Dip: Enjoy it as part of a delicious mezze platter with pita chips, crackers, and vegetables (sliced cucumbers, radishes, baby carrots, etc.) alongside my Baba Ganoush and Eggplant Yogurt Dip. Or, get your creative juices flowing and serve it on top of Mediterranean Nachos.
- Spread: Spread it over your favorite sandwich or wrap, such as a Chicken Shawarma Wrap, Beef Shawarma Sandwich, or Chicken Pita Wrap (instead of tzatziki).
- Salad: Dollop crazy feta on top of any Mediterranean salad such as Mediterranean Quinoa Salad, Spring Mix Salad, or Greek Cucumber Salad, just as they do at the restaurant.
Aysegul’s Expert Tips
Here are some of my expert tips for the best Cava crazy feta dip recipe:
- Adjust the heat level: If you prefer a spicy dip, leave the seeds and ribs intact on the jalapenos.
- Cut the vegetables roughly the same size: Chopping the vegetables about the same size (jalapenos sliced in half, onion cut into large chunks) and slicing the garlic cloves in half ensures they cook quickly and evenly.
- Control the texture with the food processor: I love a smooth and creamy texture, but you can make this jalapeno feta dip as chunky or smooth as you like.
- Make it your own: Customize it in any way you like, such as adding sun-dried tomatoes in oil, a sprinkling of fresh herbs, or some roasted red pepper.
FAQs
Yes, according to its packaging (sold at Whole Foods), the feta cheese is made with pasteurized cow’s milk and sheep’s milk.
This recipe serves eight people as an appetizer, with each serving offering 4 grams of carbs.
Other Cava-Inspired Dips and Spreads
Diet Key
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Crazy Feta Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For The Vegetables:
- 2 large jalapenos, cut in half and deseeded
- 1 medium sized yellow onion, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 1 bulb garlic, peeled and sliced in half (10-12 cloves)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For The Feta Dip:
- 16 ounces feta cheese, 2-8 ounce blocks, crumbled
- ¼ cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the jalapenos, onion, and garlic cloves on the sheet pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with the kosher salt and pepper.
- Roast for 15 minutes, tossing once halfway through the process to ensure even cooking. Vegetables should be soft when pierced with a knife. Remove from the oven and set them aside to cool.
- Place the feta cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest in the food processor. Pulse several times until all ingredients are incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the roasted vegetables and pulse until pureed to your desired consistency, scraping down the sides of the food processor bowl to incorporate all ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and if preferred, drizzle with olive oil. Serve with pita chips, crackers or veggies on the side.
Notes
- Yields: This recipe makes approximately 2 cups of Crazy feta dip, ideal for serving eight people as an appetizer. The nutritional values below are per serving.
- Adding salt: Feta can be salty, so it’s best to taste the feta before adding any additional salt to the recipe.
- Best when served at room temperature: While the dip should be chilled, the flavors are most prominent at cool to room temperature. If you have stored the dip for later, remove it from the fridge 20 minutes before enjoying it.
- Storage & Make-Ahead Instructions: This Cava crazy feta recipe tastes better the longer all the ingredients have a chance to mingle in the fridge, making it a great make-ahead recipe. To make ahead and store, simply:
- Make Ahead: Prepare the dip at least 1 hour before serving. Keep covered in the fridge.
- Storage: Store leftover dip in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: The leftovers of this feta jalapeno dip can be frozen. Simply place them in a freezer-safe container, cover them with a lid, and freeze for up to a month. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is such a great recipe that makes a good use of feta cheese. It is also very similar to how they do it at Cava.