Cucumber Cups with Whipped Feta

Feta is one of those cheeses that I really like but struggle to use.  It has a unique taste and isn’t really a sandwich cheese.  But you can cook with it.  Then I came across the idea of whipped feta and this seemed a fantastic idea, both as a dip and to use in other recipes.  Here’s an example of a simple appetizer – Cucumber Cup with Whipped Feta Cheese.

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What is feta cheese?

If you aren’t completely familiar with feta, it is a brined curd cheese made from sheep’s milk.  It often comes in soft wrapping or even containers with some of that brine with it to keep it moist.

Feta cheese originally comes from Greek where ‘feta’ means ‘sliced’ but is mostly sold in blocks.  Sometimes it is made with a mixture of sheep and goat milk in Greece but for most countries, it is just sheep milk in there.  A modern addition is using pasteurized milk which makes it even tangier and a little salty.

As cheeses, go, feta is an interesting one.  It is a good source of protein and good fats as well as being easy to digest and having some anti-inflammatory properties.  There’s lots of other vitamins in it too s well as containing lots of those probiotics that help with gut health.

What you need to make Cucumber Cups with Whipped Feta

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 8 oz. Feta, crumbled
• 3 T. half & half
• 2 T. fresh dill (or 2 t. dried)
• 1 t. garlic powder
• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• 4 medium cucumbers, cut into 4-5 equal sized sections

Garnish: (optional)

• Fresh dill and/or mint sprigs

Kitchen equipment

• Large glass bowl
• Hand blender
• Small measuring spoon or melon baller 
• Pastry bag with a large tip (or sandwich bag)

How to make the recipe

STEP 1: Place cream cheese, Feta, half & half, dill, and garlic powder in a large mixing bowl and season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Beat with a hand mixer or immersion blender until the mixture is light and fluffy. Set aside. 

STEP 2: Trim each cucumber section so that the bottom is flat and top is slightly angled. Carefully scoop out the interior of each section with a small measuring spoon, leaving enough space on the bottom and sides to form a small “cup.” 

STEP 3: Transfer some of the whipped Feta mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a large tip (or use a plastic sandwich bag with one of the bottom corners removed). Carefully pipe the whipped Feta into each cucumber cup and set it on a serving platter. 

STEP 4: Serve immediately garnished with sprigs of fresh dill and/or mint, if desired. 

Storing the recipe

You can make up the tip the day before you want to make the cucumber cups and store it in an airtight container in the fridge.  If you want to prepare everything just a short while ahead, you can store it in the fridge.  But cucumber will go brown once exposed to air so only store it for a very short time.

Recipe tips

Cucumbers can be peeled, partially peeled, or unpeeled depending on personal preference.

As well as just the simple whipped feta, there’s a ton of other ideas of things to fill cucumber cups with these.  A couple of examples include a tuna salad mixture and a Mediterranean mix with tomatoes and olives.