This creamy Skordalia Recipe is a classic Greek garlic potato dip made with potatoes, almonds, olive oil, lemon, and garlic. Perfect with vegetables, grilled meats, seafood, or homemade pita chips. Easy and delicious!
This was good! I love the addition of almonds and yogurt- it lightened the texture and added a great tang. I will make this again!
This creamy Greek Skordalia is rich, garlicky, and surprisingly light. Made with potatoes, almonds, olive oil, yogurt and lemon, it’s delicious served with vegetables, seafood, warm pita bread or crispy pita chips.
What is Skordalia Dip?
Skordalia, a tasty Greek garlic dip, is made with a few simple ingredients: potatoes, almonds, yogurt, garlic, olive oil, and lemon. Potatoes are boiled whole until fork-tender and mashed until they become the consistency of hummus. You’ll see some skordalia recipes made with day-old bread as the base instead of potatoes, or red wine vinegar instead of lemon juice. Our version is naturally gluten-free! The zesty lemon and pungent garlic transform the potatoes into complete and utter deliciousness.
We’ll show you how to make this traditional Skordalia recipe like they do in Greece!
Why you’ll love this Skordalia recipe!
Creamy, garlicky, and full of authentic Greek flavor. This traditional Greek potato dip is silky smooth, bright with lemon, and perfectly balanced with rich olive oil, almonds, and plenty of garlic.
Easy to make with simple pantry ingredients. Boil the potatoes, blend a handful of ingredients, and mix everything together. It’s an impressive appetizer that requires minimal effort!
Perfect for entertaining. Serve it warm, at room temperature, or chilled with pita chips, veggies, or as part of a Mediterranean mezze platter.
Naturally gluten-free and vegan-adaptable. Made with potatoes instead of stale bread, this version is naturally gluten-free, and it can easily be made dairy-free by swapping in plant-based yogurt.
Authentic Skordalia Ingredients
- White or Yukon Gold potatoes: Waxy potatoes create a creamy, smooth texture, though russets will also work if that’s what you have.
- Garlic cloves: Lots of garlic creates skordalia’s signature flavor! Simmering a few cloves with the potatoes mellows their bite for a milder dip, while adding one raw clove gives the dip a more traditional, bold garlic flavor. Or use roasted garlic for more of a sweet, nutty, and rich flavor.
- Blanched almonds: Add richness, body, and a subtle nutty flavor. Toasted Marcona almonds add a woody, extra nutty taste that adds an especially delicious depth of flavor.
- Plain Greek yogurt: We use full-fat yogurt for optimal tangy flavor and creamy texture. Sub vegan yogurt to make it dairy-free.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Used in the dip, as well as spooned over top for serving, giving Skordalia a velvety consistency. A good-quality olive oil makes all the difference. It gives the dip its luscious texture and fruity Mediterranean flavor.
- Fresh lemon juice: Enhances the flavor of each ingredient while adding bright, vibrant, and fresh flavor. Zest the lemon first to use for garnish.
- Fresh Italian parsley: For a beautiful and fresh, herby garnish.
*Please see recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and instructions.
How to Make Skordalia
1. Simmer the potatoes. In a large pot, add whole potatoes and 3 cloves of garlic (we are taming the garlic here- feel free to add it raw for a more traditional taste). Cover with cold water and season with salt if desired. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until fork-tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Process the remaining ingredients. While potatoes cook, grind almonds in a food processor until the texture of a fine powder. Add yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic clove, salt, and pepper, and process until smooth.
3. Drain, peel, and mash the potatoes. Once the potatoes are done, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Drain the potatoes and peel them with a knife (or leave the skin on if you prefer).
Using a potato masher, cream the potatoes and boiled garlic (or put potatoes through a potato ricer into a bowl). Do not use your food processor or blender here as it will result in a gummy texture. Stir in the almond-yogurt-garlic mixture. Add reserved potato water a tablespoon at a time until achieving desired consistency.
4. Assemble. Spoon Skordalia into a shallow serving dish or plate and use the back of a spoon to create a circular ring to pour olive oil into. Sprinkle with parsley and lemon zest.
5. Serve. Serve warm right away or chill. Serve with toasty warm pita bread, pita chips, veggies, Lebanese flatbread, or naan.
Chef’s Tips
- Never purée the potatoes in a food processor! This will make your skordalia gummy. Use a masher or potato ricer for the best texture!
- Cook the potatoes whole & unpeeled. Preserves the fluffy texture of the potato without water logging and creating a goopy texture.
- Rice the potatoes while they’re still hot. They’ll mash more easily and create the smoothest, fluffiest texture.
- Use the reserved potato cooking water. It helps loosen the dip without diluting the flavor and creates an extra silky consistency.
- Serve warm. You can serve Skordalia warm, room temp, or chilled, however there is something extra comforting about it being served warm with toasty bread. The texture also thickens after being chilled.
- Try other nuts. In lieu of almonds, you can use other finely crushed nuts like walnuts or pine nuts. Toast them first for more flavor and to make it easier to grind.
- Skordalia is meant to be garlicky! For an authentic taste, use about 6 cloves of garlic. If unsure, start with less or opt for roasted garlic, which would require around 8-10 cloves.
Serving Suggestions
Skordalia can be served warm or cold. It is completely up to you! Serve right away while it’s warm, let it come to room temperature, or serve lightly chilled.
Make a well in the flavorful dip using the back of a spoon and drizzle a little olive oil in it, then sprinkle with fresh Italian parsley and lemon zest.
It is a nice and unexpected addition to a mezze platter, alongside pita chips, tzatziki, hummus, baba ganoush, olives, and marinated vegetables. Or serve it as a simple side dish or appetizer on its own. Serve with Grilled Lamb Chops, Chicken Souvlaki, Mushroom Souvlaki, Grilled Branzino, or Grilled Eggplant.
Storage
Store leftover Skordalia in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Enjoy chilled or let it sit out to come to room temperature. It will thicken as it chills, so stir in a splash of warm water, olive oil, or lemon juice before serving.
Hope you enjoy this Greek potato dip and let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
More Dip Recipes You Might Like
After you try this Skordalia recipe, let us know how it turns out in the comments below. Your review will help other readers, too! Sign up here to join our community and receive our latest recipes and weekly newsletter! xoxo Tonia
Skordalia Recipe
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Category: Appetizer, dip
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Greek
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Skordalia recipe is the best! Lusciously creamy, tangy and garlicky, this Greek potato and garlic dip is delicious, healthy and easy! Made with almonds.
Ingredients
- 1 pound white, yellow waxy potatoes or russet potatoes (2-3 large potatoes)
- 4 cloves garlic, divided (or use 5–6 cloves roasted garlic!)
- 1/4 cup blanched almonds, toasted (Marcona almonds work well here)
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (we used full-fat)
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for garnish
- 2–3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 4–6 tablespoons water (hot potato water)
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped Italian parsley
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Simmer potatoes. Place whole potatoes and 3 cloves of garlic in a pot, cover with cold water , season with salt if desired, and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer until fork tender, about 20 minutes. (We are taming the garlic here- feel free to add it raw for a more traditional taste- *See notes.)
- Process the remaining ingredients. While potatoes are cooking, grind almonds in a food processor until finely powdered. Add yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, 1 raw garlic clove, salt and pepper. Whirl until smooth.
- Drain and mash the potatoes. Drain the potatoes, reserving ½ cup of the warm cooking water. Peel the potatoes (or leave skin on, up to you!). In a bowl cream potatoes and boiled garlic with a potato masher or put potatoes through a potato ricer. ( Do NOT puree in a food processor– this can make the potatoes unpleasantly gummy). Stir in the creamy almond yogurt mixture. One tablespoon at a time, add reserved potato water, until desired consistency.
- Garnish. To serve, spoon into a shallow dish or plate and create a circular ring or well with the back of a spoon, and drizzle olive oil in the well, sprinkle with parsley and lemon zest.
- Serve. Serve warm, at room temp, or chilled with toasty warm pita bread, pita chips, veggies or naan bread.
Notes
As the skordalia cools, it will become thicker in consistency.
Add other finely crushed nuts rather than almonds- walnuts, pinenuts are nice. Toasting first makes them more flavorful and make them easier to grind.
Skordalia is meant to be garlicky! For an authentic taste, use about 6 cloves of garlic. If unsure, start with less or opt for roasted garlic, which would require around 8-10 cloves.
Store leftover Skordalia in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Enjoy chilled or let it sit out to come to room temperature.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 299
- Sugar: 1.2 g
- Sodium: 125.2 mg
- Fat: 9.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 45.7 g
- Fiber: 2.1 g
- Protein: 8.6 g
- Cholesterol: 2.3 mg
This is so delicious, I like to make a lot of it and put it into little squares to freeze and then I can just pull it out when I need it
Great idea Teri. Good to know it freezes well!
This was good! I love the addition of almonds and yogurt- it lightened the texture and added a great tang. I will make this again!
Great to hear!
This looks wonderful! Thank you for all you do, my family has enjoyed many recipes from your site. Do you think vegan mayonniase could work as a substitute for the yogurt?
It would be a little different flavor but I think it would taste good!
About 25 years ago I was turning out Skordalia without a recipe. I needed a refresher and this was a great starting point. Used more garlic, boiled 5 cloves with the potatoes and minced one raw clove into the mash. Delicious. Topped with almond slivers toasted in olive oil.
Awesome Bruce
Just found this recipe on your blog and absolutely love it. Topped it with toasted pine nuts. Delish!
Sylvia I just LOVE LOVE LOVE your blog. All of your recipes are simply spectacular.
Goodness I have never heard of this! I love potato anything. All those interesting ingredients. I can’t quite I, imagine the taste. I guess I am forced to try it!
gorgeous! love this idea instead of hummus, definitely on the ‘to make’ list.
I’m reading this while eating my breakfast and am drooling wondering if I can trade my porridge for potatoes haha! This looks amazing, thanks for posting, that’s my dinner sorted! Francesca x
Potato dip?!?! YES!! This sounds lovely.