Sun-Dried Tomato & Herb Marinated Goat Cheese Dip
This Sun-Dried Tomato & Herb Marinated Goat Cheese Dip is an easy appetizer to serve any time of year.
A mixture of sun-dried tomatoes, fresh and dried herbs and olive oil top creamy goat cheese for a dip that’s bursting with flavour!
With pantry ingredients and a few fresh flavours, you can prepare this marinated goat cheese dip in just 10 minutes.
I have many goat cheese appetizer recipes like this Easy Goat Cheese Appetizer with Fig Jam & Pecans for the cooler months and Blueberry and Goat Cheese Crostini recipe for the warmer months. But, I absolutely love this savory combination of flavours in this marinated goat cheese dip for anytime of year.
When you need a delicious appetizer quickly, this dip recipe a flavorful addition to any gathering!
Why you’ll love this marinated goat cheese
- Make this dip in just 10 minutes.
- A perfect appetizer to make ahead of time if prepping for a get-together.
- You can easily swap out the fresh herbs for what’s in season.
- The sun-dried tomatoes and fresh herbs provide a festive color to this dip!
Ingredients needed to make this marinated goat cheese dip
Goat cheese: regular goat cheese is one of my favorite cheeses to use in dip recipes but feel free to use cream cheese instead if that’s all you have on hand.
Sun-dried tomatoes: savory sundried tomatoes are the perfect addition to the topping of this dip, especially when mixed with the fresh herbs
Fresh herbs: fresh basil and fresh parsley add a pop of fresh flavour
Seasonings: you’ll need a mixture of dried oregano, dried thyme, chili flakes (or red pepper flakes) and garlic cloves to season the olive oil
Balsamic vinegar: adds a bit of acidity to balance the richness of the goat cheese
Extra-virgin olive oil: extra virgin olive oil brings together the entire topping to this goat cheese dip; you don’t need an ultra-expensive olive oil to make this dip but a high quality olive oil with enhance the flavours
How to make this sundried tomato marinated goat cheese
Step 1: To a small bowl add the olive oil, pressed garlic, diced sun-dried tomatoes, dried oregano, dried thyme, chili flakes, salt, grated parmesan cheese, minced fresh basil, minced fresh parsley and balsamic vinegar and stir together to combine. Set aside.
Step 2: Use the back of a spoon to spread the softened goat cheese in a shallow bowl or dish.
Step 3: Spoon the sun-dried tomato and herb mixture over top of the softened goat cheese. Let sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving (or up to 1 hour if preparing ahead of time).
Step 4: Before serving, garnish with fresh basil. Serve with crackers, crusty bread or crostini (see notes below on how to toast baguette to make crostini).
Expert tips
- You can serve this marinated goat cheese dip with fresh bread, a warm baguette, your favourite plain or herbed crackers or make crostini.
- Use leftover dip as a spread for sandwiches or as a stuffing for chicken breasts.
- Make sure to let the marinated goat cheese sit for just a little time before serving to let the flavours meld together.
Variations
- If you don’t have time to soften the fresh goat cheese, slice the goat cheese using a sharp knife or cheese wire into 1/2 inch circles instead. Then, place the goat cheese slices on a plate or in a shallow bowl and spoon the sun-dried tomato topping over top of all of the goat cheese. Let sit for 10-15 minutes to allow the goat cheese to soften and then serve.
- Another way to serve this goat cheese appetizer is to serve the log of goat cheese on a plate and then drizzle the sun-dried tomato mixture over top of it. Leave the goat cheese out for about 15-30 minutes to soften and absorb some of the flavours.
Common Questions about this goat cheese appetizer
Preheat the oven to 400F. Use a bread knife to slice a baguette into 1-inch thick slices. Brush the baguette slices with olive oil on one side and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, then flip and bake for another 5 minutes until toasted.
If you don’t love the taste of goat cheese, you can swap for softened or whipped plain cream cheese instead.
I suggest making the olive oil portion ahead of time and letting it sit at room temperature so the flavours meld together. You can make the oil mixture about 1 hour ahead of time.
How to store leftovers
Leftover dip can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Use leftover goat cheese dip as a spread as a part of a sandwich or as a stuffing or topper for cooked chicken.
More goat cheese appetizers to love from the blog
- Sun Dried Tomato Goat Cheese Pesto Appetizer
- 5-Ingredient Baked Goat Cheese with Apricot Jam
- Easy Pear & Goat Cheese Crostini Appetizer with Honey
Sun-Dried Tomato & Herb Marinated Goat Cheese Dip
Ingredients
- 300 grams (10oz) softened plain goat cheese
- 1 garlic clove, grated or pressed
- 1/2 cup diced sundried tomatoes, use sundried tomatoes packed in oil, drain oil first before dicing
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 3/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp chili flakes
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp packed minced fresh basil
- 2 tbsp fresh minced parsley
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- fresh basil leaves to garnish
- crackers or crostini for serving
Instructions
- To a small bowl add the olive oil, pressed garlic, diced sun-dried tomatoes, dried oregano, dried thyme, chili flakes, salt, grated parmesan cheese, minced fresh basil, minced fresh parsley and balsamic vinegar and stir together to combine. Set aside.
- Use the back of a spoon to spread the softened goat cheese in a shallow bowl or dish.
- Spoon the sun-dried tomato and herb mixture over top of the softened goat cheese. Let sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving (or up to 1 hour if preparing ahead of time).
- Before serving, garnish with fresh basil. Serve with crackers or crostini (see notes below on how to toast baguette to make crostini).
Notes
- If you don’t have time to soften the goat cheese, slice the goat cheese using a sharp knife into 1/2 inch circles instead. Then, place the goat cheese rounds on a plate or in a shallow bowl and spoon the sun-dried tomato topping over top of all of the goat cheese. Let sit for 10-15 minutes to allow the goat cheese to soften and then serve.
- Want to make your own crostini? Preheat the oven to 400F. Use a bread knife to slice a baguette into 1-inch thick slices. Brush the bread slices with olive oil on one side and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, then flip and bake for another 5 minutes until toasted.
