Feta cheese, a culinary gem hailing from the Mediterranean, is celebrated for its tangy flavor and creamy texture. More than just a Greek salad topping, this versatile cheese elevates a wide array of dishes, from vibrant salads and savory pasta dishes to delectable sauces and baked creations. This article explores a variety of healthy recipes that showcase the unique qualities of feta cheese, proving its potential as a star ingredient in any kitchen.
The Allure of Feta Cheese
Feta cheese adds a unique, tangy, and salty flavor to dishes, instantly elevating them from ordinary to extraordinary. This cheese can transform even the simplest of ingredients into a gourmet masterpiece.
Feta cheese is a staple in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines. Learning to use it in feta salad recipes or warm pasta bakes introduces you and your guests to new flavors and culinary diversity.
Whether you buy pre-crumbled tubs of feta or by the block, feta cheese is an MVP in the kitchen.
What to Look For When Buying Feta
When buying feta, look for 3 main ingredients: milk, rennet (also can be called cultures or enzymes), and salt. If you want authentic feta, go with feta made in Greece with sheep’s milk.
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Feta should be white - if there is any hint of yellow, the cheese has been exposed to air outside the brine and should not be used. It should also have a tangy flavor and rich aroma; skip it if it tastes bitter, sour, or rancid. If ever in doubt, toss it and buy fresh feta.
Types of Feta Cheese
- Greek feta: The most well-known, readily available, and traditional type of feta cheese. Historically, Greek feta has been made from sheep’s milk or a combination of sheep and goat milk, and it’s aged in blocks in a salty and tangy brine, which enhances flavor overtime.
- Bulgarian or French feta: Made entirely of sheep’s milk, this feta tends to be milder and creamier in flavor compared to Greek but more dense in texture. As a result, it withstands heat well, making it a great option for pasta dishes, frittatas, and added to meats.
- Crumbled feta: This is the feta you typically find in plastic containers at your local grocery store. It’s likely made from skimmed cow’s milk, and it’s convenient for topping pasta dishes, salads, and other finished foods as it’s dry, crumbly, and ready-to-go. Crumbled feta makes easy feta recipes a breeze!
Tips for Cooking with Feta
- Follow the recipe: Some dishes add feta at the beginning of the recipe, while others towards the end of the cooking process. It’s important to stick to the recipe, as the timing of adding the feta can affect the overall dish.
- Watch out for the salt: Feta cheese is quite salty. If your dish includes other naturally salty foods like olives, capers, or sun-dried tomatoes, keep added salt to a minimum. Taste as you go and adjust if necessary.
- Store properly: Keep feta cheese in its brine and airtight container in the refrigerator to maintain freshness and prevent it from drying out. Depending on the brand, you may find a small piece of cloth-like paper in the container - be sure to use it to cover the exposed surface of the feta to keep the cheese moist and protected.
Feta-Forward Recipes
Salads
Salads can feel like a chore sometimes, but not with the addition of feta!
The Best Greek Salad: A classic combination of fresh veggies, salty feta cheese, and a medley of herbs and spices. This easy salad is the perfect weeknight dinner side dish that will take just a few minutes to make. This healthy Greek salad is my go-to salad when I need a quick, filling, and fresh salad to add to a meal. This salad recipe is a take on the traditional Greek salad. It includes fresh chopped romaine lettuce and marinated artichokes as well. This recipe is naturally gluten free, vegetarian, and can easily be made dairy-free as well if you choose to leave out the feta cheese.
- Romaine Lettuce: Traditional Greek salads are actually made without any lettuce. I like to add some chopped romaine lettuce to this salad to bulk it up and get in even more greens.
- Cucumbers: English cucumbers work the best in this salad because they have a thin, tender skin that is not bitter so it doesn’t need to be peeled. They also don’t have as many seeds. If you can’t find English cucumbers you can use traditional cucumbers.
- Tomatoes: Cherry or grape tomatoes work really well in this salad.
- Kalamata Olives: You can’t have a Greek salad without good olives. The flavor of Kalamata olives works perfectly in this salad, but feel free to use your favorite type of olive if you have one.
- Red Onion: Adds just the right amount of onion of flavor.
- Marinated Artichoke Hearts: These add so much flavor to the salad.
- Feta Cheese: Can’t have a Greek salad without delicious creamy feta.
- Use my go-to Greek salad dressing (included in the recipe below) to lightly dress the salad. You can add as much or as little of the dressing as you want. You likely won’t need it all, which means that you will have some leftover to use on future salads. If you don’t want to take the time to make the salad dressing, you can just drizzle a little high quality 0live oil over the salad instead.
- If you are using the Greek dressing, drizzle a little of the dressing over all of the salad ingredients. Use a large mixing spoon or salad tongs to toss the salad until well combined. This salad is packed with so much flavor that you have to add any extra dressing unless you want to. If you are making this salad in advance, I’d recommend leaving off the dressing and storing in an airtight container for 1-2 days.
Watermelon Feta Salad: A refreshing summer salad for any occasion.
Roasted Cauliflower Salad: This roasted cauliflower salad is really easy to make. The oven does practically all the work, and with the creamy tahini dressing, it’s the kind of salad that’s actually exciting to eat.
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Peach Salad: This peach salad recipe is made with fresh peaches, spinach, avocado, pecans, and feta. I toss it in a honey and red wine vinegar dressing.
Mediterranean Chopped Salad: Make this Mediterranean Chopped Salad for a large crowd.
Strawberry and Arugula Salad: Super simple strawberry and arugula salad with crunch pecans, salty feta, and sweet strawberries.
Roasted Beet Salad: Roasted Beet Salad made with sliced, roasted beets and served over arugula, with walnuts and feta cheese. Topped with my homemade vinaigrette dressing.
Watermelon Cucumber Salad: Watermelon Cucumber Salad tossed with feta cheese and a light balsamic vinaigrette. Topped with fresh basil and feta, takes 10 minutes to throw together.
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Mediterranean Chicken Salad: This Mediterranean chicken salad is made with marinated chicken breast that has been seared and sliced on top of a bed of greens with homemade vinaigrette.
Healthy Mediterranean Pasta Salad: This healthy Mediterranean Pasta Salad is a summertime favorite recipe.
Greek Pasta Salad: Greek Pasta Salad is made with fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, and feta tossed with al dente pasta and a homemade Greek vinaigrette.
Shrimp Orzo Pasta Salad: Try this shrimp orzo pasta salad with fresh veggies, feta, and a zesty dressing.
Lemon Orzo Salad: This lemon orzo salad is made with orzo pasta that has been tossed with olive oil and fresh lemon juice, mixed with fresh dill, parsley, cucumber, lemon zest, and seasoning.
Mediterranean Greek Orzo Salad: Love orzo pasta? You're going to love this Mediterranean Greek Orzo Salad!
Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad: Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad is a hearty fall salad made with roasted squash, kale, quinoa, and feta.
Main Courses
Baked Feta: This 8-ingredient baked feta recipe is simple, delicious & healthy. It’s Saturday…if you have friends coming over for dinner but you don’t feel like spending all day in the kitchen, I’ve got just the thing for you: this super delicious baked feta recipe. It comes together in no time, you can serve it as an easy appetizer or the main meal, and it’s saucy, comforting, and flavorful. What’s not to love?This recipe is inspired by a baked feta recipe from the book Cook90 by David Tamarkin, the editor and digital director of Epicurious. It’s a great book that’s full of accessible, easy-to-prepare dishes. I was drawn to this recipe because I am a huge fan of feta cheese. I also love chickpeas and kale, so I couldn’t resist trying it out. This recipe has only a handful of ingredients, and we all loved it - even Jack, who said, “what are those weird rectangles” before digging in and devouring his plate.
Baked Feta Recipe Ingredients
The ingredient list to this baked feta recipe is short and sweet! Feta, of course! When you’re at the grocery store, look for a big block of feta cheese, one that you can slice into 3-4 1/2-inch planks. Cumin seeds - If you can’t find cumin seeds, feel free to substitute 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin. However, cumin seeds are really worth seeking out for this recipe. Chickpeas - They make this dish hearty enough to be a meal on its own!
How to Make Baked Feta
You won’t believe how easy it is to make this recipe! First, heat the oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and toast them until they become fragrant. Then, stir in the kale, working in batches as necessary, and cook until it wilts.Pour in the tomato sauce, the chickpeas, the lemon juice, and a bit of water. Bring it all to a simmer, add the feta, and transfer the skillet to a 350-degree oven. Bake until the feta softens, about 15 minutes. Garnish with red pepper flakes, freshly cracked black pepper, and a big drizzle of olive oil.Serve it as a main course or an appetizer, along with good crusty bread for scooping up the crumbly feta cheese and sauce. Pita bread, homemade focaccia, or no-knead bread would all be great choices.
Baked Feta Spaghetti Squash: This baked feta spaghetti squash is a lighter twist on the viral feta pasta!
Stuffed Chicken Breasts: These stuffed chicken breasts are a flavorful and healthy weeknight meal. This spinach and feta stuffed chicken breast is super easy! Cut a slit in the chicken and fill with a mixture of feta, spinach, ricotta and seasonings.
Baked Feta Salmon: Ready to serve in 20 minutes, this simple baked feta salmon is a perfect weeknight meal.
Air Fryer Greek Salmon: Full of fresh flavors, this Air Fryer Greek salmon recipe is a breeze to make.
Oven-baked all beef Greek Meatballs: Oven-baked all beef Greek Meatballs stuffed with feta cheese served with a homemade Tzatziki sauce!
Soups
- Baked Feta Soup: Simple to make, baked feta soup is full of rich flavors.
Sandwiches & Wraps
- Avocado Sandwich: This avocado sandwich recipe is made with smashed avocado, tomatoes, cucumber slices, red onions, arugula, and alfalfa sprouts.
- Hummus Sandwich: Simple hummus sandwich recipe with veggies on whole-grain bread, made with hummus, feta, spinach, banana peppers, cucumbers, and oregano.
- Easy Egg Wrap: Make this easy egg wrap recipe for a quick, low-carb breakfast or lunch!
Appetizers & Dips
- Cauliflower Fritters: Cauliflower Fritters are a great vegetarian appetizer recipe for a crowd or for adding to salads.
- Greek Dip (7-Layer Mediterranean Dip): This Greek dip is a 7-layer Mediterranean-style dip that is made with hummus, labneh, cucumbers, tomatoes, feta, kalamata olives, and is served with pita chips.
- Baked Feta Dip: This baked feta dip is made with a block of feta cheese that is baked with red pepper, olives, cherry tomatoes, and red onion.
- Spinach and Artichoke Tahini Dip: Loaded with flavor, this spinach and artichoke tahini dip is a crowd pleasing appetizer. Baked in the oven; best served with pita or crackers!
- Whipped Feta Dip: Whipped feta dip made with 6 ingredients, including feta, lemon juice, Greek yogurt, garlic, black pepper, and a little olive oil. Everything whips in a food processor.
- Mezze Platter: A mezze platter is a great way to serve Mediterranean dips, cheeses and veggies in a colorful and flavorful way.
- Air Fried Crispy Feta Croutons: Add some flavor and bite to your salads with these air fried crispy feta croutons.
Breakfast
- Baked Feta Eggs: Baked Feta Eggs is a super easy, hands-off dish with scrambled eggs and melty feta.
- Shakshuka with Feta: Shakshuka with Feta is a one skillet meal like eggs in purgatory.
Other
- Chickpea Burger: This chickpea burger recipe is so simple to make! Made with canned chickpeas, old fashioned oats, fresh parsley, sun-dried tomatoes and feta!
- Easy Fall Grain Bowls: Easy to make, these healthy fall grain bowls are made with farro, butternut squash and beets and tossed in a delicious balsamic dressing.
Versatility of Feta: What Goes Well with Feta Cheese?
As you can see from this collection of feta cheese recipes, there is no shortage of feta pairings. It is a wonderful topping in salads, giving them a salty and creamy kick. Feta cheese also complements fruits like watermelon and peaches, adding a delightful contrast of flavors. Feta also goes great with traditional Mediterranean ingredients like sun-dried tomatoes, vibrant fresh vegetables, and olives, making it a great addition to pasta dishes, pizzas, wraps, and much more!
Draining and Freezing Feta
Do you drain the brine from feta cheese?
When storing feta cheese, you want to leave the brine so the cheese will not dry out. However, if you are using it in recipes, like a casserole, pasta dish, or salads, it’s best to drain the brine and pat the cheese dry so the excess liquid will not affect the consistency of the dish.
Can I freeze feta cheese?
Yes, you can, but as with all cheeses, the texture may change after thawing. If you still want to freeze it, I recommend crumbling it first or cubing it and freezing it to use in cooked dishes like pasta bakes and other dinner recipes with feta cheese.