Spicy Baked Feta (Feta Psiti)

If you love traditional Greek Salad and you haven't tried baking feta cheese to prepare a Spicy Baked Feta or Feta Psiti, you are definitely missing out!

Spicy Baked Feta cooked in foil contains all the flavours of a Greek Salad brought to the next level. When the feta is baked in foil on a base of fresh veggies such as tomatoes, red onion and green pepper combined with olive oil and covered with oregano, chilli flakes and black pepper, something extraordinary happens.

I would love to describe the flavours you get in your mouth with the first bite of baked feta, but it's more difficult than trying for yourself.

The first time Astra tried this dish, it was actually during a work trip in Vienna. He found a Greek restaurant and tried Spicy Baked Feta in foil. He came back home and told me we needed to start making this dish at home, as it was one of the best things he ever tried! Since then, we have been cooking our own version of Feta Psiti. I guarantee you that once you try baked feta, it's gonna be on your meal plan often!

Spicy baked feta is a vegetarian and gluten-free dish. It can be served as an appetizer or a side dish together with some Pita Bread and Hummus.

Ingredients

Feta Cheese. The main ingredient of the dish, the centrepiece. Use good quality Greek feta cheese, nice and salty. For a vegan spicy baked feta, we recommend using the Violife Feta Cheese.

Vegetables for the base of the dish. The fresh vegetables used to cover the base of the foil before adding the block of feta cheese are sliced tomatoes, sliced Italian or bell green pepper and sliced red onion. Basically, the same ingredients used for the green salad (except for the cucumbers).

Kalamata olives. They add even more saltiness to the dish and are just the perfect add on to this spicy baked feta. If you cannot find them, try finding Turkish black olives, which are similar in taste and saltiness.

Olive oil. We drizzle some olive oil on the top of the veggies and on the top of the feta right before putting it in the oven. It will make the dish moist and perfect to dip in with some pita bread.

Spice Mix. Oregano, chilli flakes and black pepper. These are all you need! Adjust the chilli flakes to your taste.

Spicy Baked Feta in three Simple Steps

1. Place some tin foil paper on a baking dish. We recommend using a small baking dish, enough to fit the feta block and some veggies. The tin foil paper should be cut double the size than the dish, as you will need to cover the dish as well.
2. Cover the bottom of the dish with sliced tomatoes, green peppers, red onions, black olives, some black pepper and olive oil. Place the feta block on the top of the veggies and add on the top of the feta the oregano, chilli flakes, black pepper and drizzle some more olive oil.
3. Cover with the tin foil paper on the sides and bake for about 10 minutes at 220C / 430F. Uncover the feta cheese, opening the tin foil paper, and cook for further 10 minutes.

Serving Suggestions

As an appetizer

Spicy Baked Feta has to be the best appetizer for a barbecue. It's the perfect way to start a grilled lunch on a sunny day. You can as well serve a Greek Salad but your friends and family will be greatly surprised if you give the green salad a twist and make this delicious dish.

As a side dish

It can be served as a side dish together with other small dishes such as Hummus, Tzatziki, Pita Bread, olives or salad.

Cheese Board

If you like making cheese boards or vegetarian charcuterie boards, this could be the centrepiece of your mezze. Place the spicy baked cheese in the middle of the board and fill the rest of the space with pita chips, dips, fresh fruit and vegetables and bread.

Baked feta is an amazing choice for a finger-food style lunch or dinner. Just make sure to leave some pita bread close enough to dip in!

If you have any leftovers, you can turn your baked feta into a delicious dip! Simply add all the remaining ingredients into a food processor and blend until you have a smooth consistency.

How to make Vegan Spicy Baked Feta

All you need to do to prepare this recipe plant-based is to substitute the Greek feta cheese for a good vegan feta alternative. Our favourite vegan feta cheese is Violife Greek White Block.

You can as well find some recipes online to make your own vegan feta cheese.

Other Greek-Style Recipes:

• Vegan Moussaka
• Chickpea Salad
• Greek Salad