This whipped ricotta dip is topped with fresh peaches, tomatoes and basil, making it a perfectly light summer meal, or an appetizer. If you’re like me, you’ve probably been to a farmers market this summer, and come home with a few too many peaches. This recipe was inspired by a basket of peaches and a fresh baguette. I wanted to enjoy them together, and enjoying them with some whipped ricotta sounded like a great idea!
If you have leftover baguette and tomatoes, you can use them to make my Strawberry Basil Bruschetta.
Why you’ll love this Whipped Ricotta Dip
Quick & Easy: this recipe takes 20 minutes to make, and all you need is a knife, cutting board, bowls and a blender or food processor.
Summer produce: if you love summer produce but find yourself with excess peaches and don’t know what to do with them (other than eat them as is), this is a fun, new way!
Good source of protein: the ricotta and cottage cheese provide a good source of protein
What you need to make this Whipped Ricotta Dip
You’ll need the following to make this Summer Peach Salsa & Whipped Ricotta Dip:
Cottage cheese: I find people love cottage cheese or they hate it. I’m in this weird group where I want to love it, but I don’t. It’s a texture thing. But it’s such a great source of protein (~14g protein per 1 cup) that I want to like it. So I’ve started blending it so it’s smooth, and then I add it to other things (like tomato sauce, lasagna, overnight oats, smoothies, etc). That’s what I’ve done in this recipe. By blending it up with something else, and adding something on top, you’re getting all the benefits, without the potentially off-putting texture.
Ricotta: it’s smooth and slightly sweet, and an overlooked cheese because people don’t know what to do with it. I like adding it to lasagna, or turning it into a dip. You can find it at almost all grocery stores.
Peaches: ripe peaches are best for this recipe, because they’re one of the stars of the show. Their natural sweetness makes this recipe perfect for summer. Be sure to dice the peaches, because it makes them easier to scoop up with the bread and crackers.
Cherry tomatoes: I prefer heirloom cherry tomatoes (red, yellow, orange and green), to add a little more colour to this recipe. But if you can only find red ones, that’s fine! Dice them into a similar size to the peaches.
Bread & crackers: nothing better than a fresh baguette for a recipe like this, and some seedy crackers. But you can use whatever you have on hand.
Additionals: lemon zest, basil and white balsamic vinegar all add brightness to this dish. I prefer white balsamic vinegar to regular balsamic vinegar for this recipe for two reasons, 1) the flavour profile is lighter and brighter 2) I didn’t want to add a dark liquid because everything else is quite light in colour.
Additions & Substitutions
Additions:
- Veggies: I would pair this with a salad to add some veggies, or maybe use some veggies as a dip
Substitutions:
- Protein: if you don’t like cottage cheese (even if it’s blended), you can just use ricotta. If you’re vegan, you could use a vegan ricotta (make or buy) instead
- Other fruit: if you don’t have peaches, you could use nectarines.
FAQ
Is whipped ricotta healthy?
It can be! Ricotta is a cheese, and for 1/2 cup it provides approximately 14g of protein. However, it’s higher in fat than something like cottage cheese. So enjoying ricotta is moderate amounts can be a healthy addition to most people’s diets. This whipped ricotta recipe adds cottage cheese and some lemon zest for additional flavour. Whipped ricotta refers to it having a lighter texture due to being added to a blender or food processor.
How to make whipped ricotta?
All you need is a blender or food processor. Add your ricotta and blend away! You can also do this with cottage cheese if you don’t like the curds but would like an additional protein option to enjoy!
What to make with whipped ricotta?
Ricotta is slightly sweet, so I like to pair it with something a little salty. The peaches added some sweetness, the white balsamic vinegar adds acid, and the bread and crackers provided something savoury. You could also use vegetables for dipping, if you prefer.
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Whipped Ricotta Dip & Summer Peach Salsa
Equipment
- 1 food processor or blender
Ingredients
Whipped Ricotta Dip
- ¼ cup ricotta
- ¼ cup cottage cheese
- 1 tsp lemon zest
Peach Salsa
- 2 peaches, diced medium sized
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, diced
- 1-2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped finely
- ½ Tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp olive oil
- salt & pepper
- sliced bread & crackers of choice for dipping
Instructions
- Finely dice your peaches and tomatoes and add to a bowl. Add your finely chopped basil. Toss to combine.
- Add the white balsamic vinegar and some salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Add more based on your preference. I don't suggest adding more vinegar as it will just add more liquid to the dish, which we don't want.
- Add the ricotta, cottage cheese and lemon zest to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Taste and add more lemon if you'd like.
- Transfer the whipped dip to a serving bowl. Spreading it out evenly. Drizzle the olive oil on top.
- Top the dip with the peach and tomato mixture. Sprinkle with a little more salt.
- Serve with sliced fresh bread and some crackers.
- Enjoy!
If you try this Whipped Ricotta Dip & Summer Peach Salsa, take a picture and share them with me over on IG @harvesttablenutrition. I love to see all your creations.
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