Giardineira-Cottage Cheese Dip
Weekend plans were very much derailed. My house has been plagued with a respiratory infection, and that situation overtook my home + Saturday agenda. Our weekend plans for one final holiday hoorah - inclusive of a festive cocktail + fancy dinner - were swapped with couch rotting + takeout pho. However, I needed something to live for this weekend. So after a Sunday morning running errands, picking up medication, and completing some not so pleasant household chores, I needed a moment for myself. A moment to sit, chill, get a little organized, and just enjoy my Sunday afternoon. So I carved out 2 hours to do just that, and do it with this Giardineira-Cottage Cheese Dip. Holy heck - I’m in love! Consider this like the Sunday snack equivalent of the beloved girl dinner. Salty, creamy, and the perfect little zing from zesty giardineira - and also the perfect little dipper with a little crudite + a salty chip. Consider this my dip of the season!
The revival of cottage cheese
2025 was my year to become obsessed with cottage cheese, and I’m carrying this momentum into 2026!
No exaggeration - I have a cottage cheese bowl with fresh fruit, granola, and a drizzle of my neighbor’s homemade honey almost everyday for lunch. Though I thoroughly enjoy the love affair I’ve developed with this cottage cheese bowl, it does lean sweet, and the problem comes in when I want something more savory. Insert this cottage cheese dip! A scoop of this with a crunch veggie + (my favorite healthy chip) Popchips - it’s salty, snack-able perfection.
This giardineira = Canada’s finest
I don’t know what the heck is in this Chuck + Hughes Spicy Antipasto, but it is a true Canadian treat. Anytime we find ourselves in a Canadian grocery store, this is what we’re seeking out. It’s even become synonymous with our annual Whistler trip - we get a jar to enjoy during an Apres ski moment + make sure we get a jar to bring home. In this situation, the cottage cheese is the perfect vessel to carry the flavor of this giardineira.
The key - don’t drain all the liquid. It is where this zingy, addicting flavor is hiding. Of course you don’t want the dip to be soupy or watery, but letting a bit of it seep in to the mixture just locks in the flavor. To further explain, I didn’t add any salt + pepper and relied solely on my giardineira to season things up.
In this situation, I kept it healthy + wholesome - enjoying this cottage cheese spread with a Sunday LMNT. But let me tell you - I’m counting the days to bust this dip back out for a true happy hour. Enjoying this little spread with a glass of bubbly or a cold beer already sounds good, and there’s a high likelihood this little number will make an appearance at our upcoming Superbowl Party.
For the cottage cheese dip
1 c. cottage cheese
1 garlic clove
pinch of lemon zest
1/2 c. giardineira (not rinsed + ok to have a bit of the liquid) plus more for garnish
fresh chives (for garnish)
Serve with cucumbers, carrots, celery, or Pop-chips
Place the cottage cheese,, garlic, zest, and giardineira in a food processor. Process until the mixture is smooth + whipped. Transfer the mix to a serving bowl, top with chopped giardineira + fresh chives, and serve with crudites + chips. Enjoy!