Can I make the dip ahead of time?

You can! Make the butternut squash feta base up to 3 days in advance , then store it in an airtight container in the fridge. It'll firm up in the fridge, so let it come to room temperature (get it out of the fridge roughly 30 minutes before you want to serve it), and stir it before plating it up. Add the toppings just before serving (you can make the candied chorizo 3 days in advance, too, and store it in the fridge).

What can I top the dip with instead of chorizo?

Swap it for crispy bacon or crumbled sausage meat, or make it vegetarian and use shredded tofu or chickpeas. The topping provides a crispy, salty element to balance the dip, so as long as it's along those lines, you can play around.

What should I serve the dip with?

I love serving this dip with fresh bread - like this no-knead chili cheese focaccia , no-knead rosemary parmesan bread , two-ingredient dough garlic naan , or crackers, or crunchy pita chips . It's also lovely as a sandwich spread, dolloped onto a grain bowl, or served with grilled meat (it works well with honey harissa grilled chicken ).

Whipped Butternut Squash Feta Dip with Chili Crisp

Description

Fabulous for Thanksgiving spreads and the holiday season, this lovely, sweet, spicy whipped butternut squash feta dip is a brilliant way to use this seasonal star. Just blitz your ingredients into a smooth, creamy dip, then top with chili crisp, candied chorizo, and crispy curry leaves for a fusion-forward appetizer your guests will love.

If you’re roasting the butternut squash for the dip, I recommend following this recipe for the easy way to roast butternut squash.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the whipped butternut squash dip -

1 cup of roasted butternut squash (or pumpkin) flesh, can also use plain canned pumpkin puree
1 block of feta cheese (7 oz or 200g)
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (or cream cheese, sour cream, crème fraîche, or whipped cottage cheese)
1/4 cup water

For the toppings -

2 oz (50g) chorizo, casing removed and diced
1 tablespoon hot honey sauce (or regular honey)
1 tablespoon chili crisp oil
5 fresh curry leaves (optional, or use fresh sage leaves)
A handful of fresh chives, finely chopped

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Instructions

Blitz the dip. Add your butternut squash flesh (or pumpkin puree) to the bowl of a blender or food processor, along with the block of feta, 1/4 cup of Greek yogurt, and 1/4 cup of water. Blitz into a creamy, smooth dip. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything has blended properly.
Transfer the dip to a serving plate. Spoon the dip onto a lipped plate or shallow bowl. Use the back of your spoon to make ridges in the dip for your toppings.
Make the candied chorizo. Add the diced chorizo to a small pan and set it over medium-high heat. Cook the chorizo, stirring, for a couple of minutes, until crispy. At this point, add 1 tablespoon of hot honey sauce and stir it through the chorizo. Spoon the sticky candied chorizo onto your dip.
Make the crispy curry leaves. Add 1 tablespoon of chili crisp to the same pan and reduce the heat to medium. Add the curry leaves and cook, stirring, for a minute, until they start popping and smelling gorgeously fragrant. Remove the pan from the hat.
Garnish and serve. Spoon the chili crisp and crispy curry leaves on top of the dip, then scatter with the fresh chives. Serve with warm bread, crackers, chips, or crudites.

Notes

MAKE AHEAD: You can make the dip up to 3 days ahead of time, then store it in the fridge in an airtight container until you’re ready to serve. It’ll firm up in the fridge a bit, so try to get it out about 30 minutes before you want to serve it, so it can come to room temperature. Stir it before you plate it up.

ALTERNATIVE TOPPING IDEAS: Swap the chorizo for bacon or crumbled sausage meat. For a vegetarian option, swap it for chickpeas or shredded tofu. Swap the curry leaves for sage leaves for a more traditional option if you prefer.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Serving the dip with lovely fresh bread, like no-knead chili cheese focaccia, no-knead rosemary parmesan bread, or soft two-ingredient dough garlic naan is a lovely idea. It’s also brilliant with crunchy baked pita chips. You can also use it as a sandwich spread or as a sauce for grilled meat (it’s lovely with honey harissa grilled chicken), or use it as a base for crispy skin-on roast potatoes.

Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 5
Category: appetizers
Method: blender
Cuisine: american

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/3 cup
Calories: 148
Sugar: 4.3g
Sodium: 322mg
Fat: 10.8g
Saturated Fat: 5.1g
Unsaturated Fat: 5.8g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 7.1g
Fiber: 0.5g
Protein: 6.4g
Cholesterol: 25mg