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By late summer, the basil is waist-high and just starting to flower. That’s my cue to make this dip. It’s herbaceous, creamy, and just salty enough from the feta, finished with toasted pistachios that add just the right amount of richness and crunch. I made a big batch for my birthday one year and caught guests scraping the bowl clean. This recipe comes together quickly in a food processor and it’s perfect with crackers, crudités, or spooned over roasted vegetables. And if your basil plant is threatening to bolt, this is the best kind of rescue mission.

Basil, Feta & Pistachio Dip

Herbaceous, creamy, and bright with basil and lemon, this dip gets tangy depth from feta and a nutty crunch from toasted pistachios. Perfect with crackers, crudités, or spooned over roasted veggies.

Ingredients

Units Scale

1/3 cup shelled pistachios
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 garlic clove
Zest and juice of 1 medium lemon
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more as needed
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the pistachios for 2 to 3 minutes, until fragrant and slightly golden. Remove from heat and let them cool.
In a food processor, combine the basil leaves, pistachios, feta, garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Pulse until the mixture is roughly chopped, about four pulses.
With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the dip has a smooth consistency. Add the Greek yogurt, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste, and process to combine.
If the dip is too thick, add a little more olive oil or a splash of water to thin it to your desired consistency.
Transfer the dip to a serving bowl and garnish with extra pistachios and a drizzle of olive oil.