Feta With Olive Oil and Herbs

Feta With Olive Oil and Herbs

The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 10 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings

No cooking is required for this quick and easy feta appetizer, ideal for hot summer days when you don’t feel like turning on the stove. It is also great for a picnic or a summer party. The preparation, which is actually more an assembly of the ingredients, takes less than 10 minutes. However, that does not mean that you have to eat it right away, the feta is also very suitable to make ahead. If you let it sit for a little while longer, the herbs will impart even more flavor to the cheese.

To flavor the feta, you can use fresh or dried herbs or even spices. During the summer when fresh herbs are readily available and at their peak, use those because they have more flavor. Use one or several types of herbs on the cheese. Fresh parsley, thyme, and oregano are especially nice. Rosemary and basil work well too. Or try a small amount of fresh mint or dill. A good alternative to fresh herbs is herbes de Provence, which you can buy as a spice mix or make yourself.

Serve the feta with slices of baguette or your favorite bread, plus olives and cured meat.

If you don’t eat the entire batch at once, refrigerate the leftovers. You will notice that the olive oil forms crystals and solidifies in the fridge. That’s nothing to worry about, the oil will quickly liquify once you take it out of the refrigerator. 

Feta is a great cheese to always keep in your refrigerator because it can easily be turned into a lovely appetizer or snack. Buy whole chunks of feta instead of crumbled for better flavor and presentation.

Traditional feta is made with sheep’s milk, or mainly sheep’s milk with a small amount of goat’s milk blended in. Feta is usually associated with Greece, but it is also produced in several other countries. And depending on where the feta is made, it has a different flavor and consistency. Then there’s also feta-style cheese, which is made from cow’s milk. Which feta you use for this recipe is a question of personal taste.

Feta stays fresh in your refrigerator for a long time, especially when kept in liquid (water plus a little salt works just fine). However, if the feta has gone bad, it will smell and taste off, in a sour sort of way. Ideally, buy smaller portions that you'll use within two weeks.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound feta cheese

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons fresh herbs (e.g., oregano, parsley, thyme, mint, dill)

  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Feta With Olive Oil and Herbs ingredients

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  2. Place feta on a medium-sized plate or serving platter. Drizzle olive oil over the top.

    feta cheese and oil in a bowl

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  3. Sprinkle the herbs and red pepper flakes on the feta. 

    Sprinkle the herbs and red pepper flakes on the feta in a bowl

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  4. If you use fresh herbs, you can garnish the plate with leftover sprigs of herbs. Serve with a sliced baguette or crackers.

    Feta With Olive Oil and Herbs in a bowl

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
140 Calories
13g Fat
2g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 140
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13g 16%
Saturated Fat 6g 31%
Cholesterol 34mg 11%
Sodium 347mg 15%
Total Carbohydrate 2g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 188mg 14%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 26mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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