When you’re putting together a Mediterranean feast, you might be tempted to limit your dips to classics like tzatziki and hummus (which has many tasty Greek variations). But your meze spread will greatly benefit from a new-to-you dip brought to us by an especially food-centric Greek family.
Thirty-five years ago, an entrepreneur named Panos Manuelides began hawking Greek olives in the UK. After his wares grew in popularity, he started the Greek food brand Odysea. Manuelides’ family — who still runs the business today — has extensive culinary experience with Mediterranean classics. To share their most loved dishes, they came out with the cookbook Greek Odysea.
The tome is full of yummy, olive oil-drenched dishes — and chief among them is the Greek garlic dip. “This garlicky, creamy dip is a staple of Greek cuisine,” the book explains. “In Greece, ‘skordalia’ is traditionally served alongside fried, battered fish (especially salted cod) or with boiled vegetables like beetroot (beets).”
That said, this tangy, velvety appetizer tastes just as good when paired with warm pita bread. No matter what you use to scoop it, the garlicky, almond-based dip will be rich but not cloying, thanks to the addition of vinegar and yogurt.
Greek Garlic Dip (Σκορδαλια)
Prep Time: 60 min
Calories: 455 calories per serving
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup (150g) blanched almonds
- 4¼oz (120g) stale bread, crusts removed
- 6 garlic cloves (or more or fewer, to taste), green shoots removed
- ¼ cup (60ml) white wine vinegar, or to taste
- 2 tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
- 9oz (250g) potatoes, boiled and mashed
- 1 cup (250g) authentic thick Greek yogurt
- 1 cup (240ml) extra virgin olive oil
- flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, to serve
Directions
- Place the almonds in a bowl of water and soak for 1 hour. Drain well.
- Place the bread in a bowl of water for 30 minutes until fully softened, then squeeze out as much water as possible.
- In a food processor, combine the garlic, almonds, vinegar, and salt. Blend until smooth, then add the squeezed bread, mashed potatoes, and yogurt, and blend again until combined.
- With the motor running, slowly pour in the olive oil through the feed spout to emulsify the mixture. The skordalia should be thick enough to hold its shape, with a consistency similar to hummus. Taste and adjust with extra salt or vinegar, if desired. Sprinkle with the parsley just before serving.
- Transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. This will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
- Serve with warm pita bread or as part of a meze platter.
From Greek Odysea by Odysea Limited (Quadrille, August 2026, $35). Photography by Ola O. Smit.
