Whipped Feta, Lemon Zest & Mint Salad Dressing

A creamy olive oil salad dressing of whipped feta, lemon and fresh mint.

Some summer recipes barely need a recipe at all, and this is one of them.

A handful of good leaves and a really delicious dressing can be more than enough for a sharing salad alongside lunch or dinner. This one starts with feta and thick Greek yoghurt, whipped together with Honest Toil until creamy, then finished with fresh mint, lemon zest and a little honey for that sweet-salty combination we can never get enough of.

We kept the salad itself deliberately simple: baby gem, rocket and a mixture of colourful salad leaves, with toasted sunflower seeds scattered over the top for crunch. The creamy, salty dressing does most of the work, with a final generous drizzle of olive oil bringing everything together.

If you want to take it a little further, ripe baby tomatoes, finely sliced radishes or fresh nectarine would all be very happy additions. But on a hot summer's day, we're quite content with a big bowl of leaves and something very good to drizzle over them.

It's also the perfect recipe for putting one of our little 100ml cans to work. You don't need much olive oil, but good oil makes all the difference.

Ingredients

For the whipped feta & mint dressing

• ½ block feta
• 1–2 tbsp plain Greek yoghurt
• 1½ tbsp Honest Toil extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
• Zest of ½ lemon
• A handful of fresh mint, finely chopped
• 1 tsp honey, plus more to taste
• Approx. 2/3 tbsp water
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the salad

• Baby gem lettuce
• Rocket
• Mixed salad leaves
• Toasted sunflower seeds finely chopped

Optional: baby tomatoes, finely sliced radishes, fresh nectarine.

Method

1. Add the feta and Greek yoghurt to a bowl with 1½ tablespoons (a gentle glug) of Honest Toil. Mash and mix vigorously by hand until smooth and creamy. Alternatively, blend everything together for an extra-smooth dressing.
2. Stir through the finely chopped mint, lemon zest and honey.
3. Add the water a little at a time, mixing as you go, until the dressing reaches a drizzly consistency. Around 2/3 tablespoons should do it, but add a little more if needed.
4. Season with salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add another touch of honey if you'd prefer it a little sweeter.
5. Arrange the baby gem, rocket and mixed leaves on a large sharing plate. Drizzle generously with the whipped feta dressing, scatter over the toasted sunflower seeds and finish with an extra drizzle of Honest Toil.

Serve straight away in the middle of the table for everyone to dig into.