Skordalia (Greek Garlic-Potato Spread)

A hand holding a pita triangle topped with Greek skordalia garlic potato spread.

4.97 from 27 votes

Skordalia (Greek Garlic-Potato Spread)

Skordalia (Greek Garlic-Potato Spread) is a wonderful dish that is traditionally served as a meze with either roasted beets or pita bread but can also be served as an appetizer or side dish.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1

Total Time1 20

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Greek

Servings: people

Calories: 344kcal

Author: Amy Nash

Ingredients

2 medium russet potatoes (about 1 lb. or 450g) peeled, diced, and boiled until tender
6-7 garlic cloves
½ cup whole blanched almonds, plus more for garnish (85g)
3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar or lemon juice
2 Tablespoons cold water
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup olive oil

Instructions

Boil the peeled, diced potatoes in salted water 15-20 minutes until soft, then rinse in a colander under running water for 20 seconds to remove some of the excess starch. Let the potatoes drain thoroughly so they are very dry, then mash with a potato ricer or potato masher.
In a food processor, pulse the garlic and almonds into a paste with the vinegar, water, salt and pepper to form a paste. Gradually add the olive oil to the food processor and continue to mix until combined.
Transfer the garlic paste to a large bowl with the hot mashed potatoes. Stir in the olive oil and garlic paste thoroughly until it is absorbed by the warm potatoes, (if the potatoes are cold, the olive oil won't incorporate as well).
Serve the skordalia chilled or at room temperature with roasted beets and/or warmed pita bread cut into triangles on the side. Garnish with a sprinkle of finely chopped almonds and/or chopped fresh parsley.

Notes

Storage: Skordalia keeps in the fridge for about 3-4 days, although the flavor often intensifies over time.
(OPTIONAL) Greek Yogurt: We like to add a generous scoop (probably ⅓ to ½ cup) of plain Greek yogurt sometimes to make the skordalia extra creamy. It's not traditional, but very delicious.
Roasting Beets: Since we almost always serve our skordalia with roasted beets, here's how we do that. First wash the beets well and drizzle them with a little olive oil, then place them in a pan with 1 cup of water. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and roast for about an hour in a 425°F oven until they pierce easily with a knife. Once the beets are cool enough to handle, the skins peel right off by rubbing your thumbs over them, easy-peasy. Then slice the beets into discs or dice them into bite-size chunks to serve alongside your skordalia.

Adapted from Saveur.

Nutrition