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Walnut Skordalia (Easy 5-Ingredient Greek Garlic Dip)

This bold, garlicky Greek walnut dip comes together with just five ingredients.

  • Rinsing the stale bread softens it just enough to blend smoothly without watering down the mixture.
  • Adding water in small increments allows you to fine-tune the dip's consistency, from chunky and spoonable to smooth and ready for dipping pita.

Skordalia is a classic Greek garlic dip traditionally thickened with either bread or potatoes. It shows up as a meze, a side dish, and as a bright, tangy accompaniment to mains like grilled fish, where a generous spoonful of skordalia adds acidity, heft, and a welcome garlicky punch.

Walnut skordalia is a homemade favorite in Greece, though you'll also find it in some restaurants. The basic formula is simple: Combine stale bread with walnuts, olive oil, vinegar, and plenty of garlic. It's also highly versatile and great served with crudités or warm pita, spread on little toasts, or spooned alongside roasted vegetables or crispy potatoes. I recently brought a bowl to a Friendsgiving where it was greeted with a round of applause, and it was scraped clean long before the turkey hit the table.

A bowl of walnut skordalia garnished with a walnut surrounded by sliced pita celery carrot and cucumber sticks

The ingredient list for walnut skordalia is short and leans mostly on pantry ingredients, but for a great dip, you need to build it with intention. Grate the garlic for even distribution, rinse (don't soak) the stale bread so it's just softened and blends seamlessly, and add water in small increments to move the dip toward the exact consistency you like.

Walnut skordalia recipes vary widely in ratio of ingredients, from those that use just enough bread to help the mixture come together to versions that lean heavily on bread for a thicker, spread-like dip. Texture preferences vary just as much—some people blend it silky smooth, others keep it chunkier by pounding it in a mortar and pestle.

This recipe offers two distinct texture options, each clearly marked in the steps. If you prefer a rustic, thicker version akin to a pâté—my favorite—you can stop blending early, when the mixture still has small, nubbly bits of walnut and bread. I use the dip with this sturdier texture as a salad base, soup topper, or toast spread when I want a strong garlic bite and a pâté-like richness.

A bowl of walnut skordalia with pita carrot and celery sticks

But if you continue blending and gradually add water, the mixture transforms into a smoother, more cohesive dip that's ideal to set out in a bowl with pita and crudites for parties. As a bonus for entertaining, the dip is easy to prep and can be made up to a week ahead.. 

For all its flavor, this dip is shockingly easy and requires just a handful of pantry ingredients, a food processor (or blender), and about 20 minutes. It's vegan, make-ahead friendly, and a welcome alternative to more common dips and spreads, whether you're hosting or simply snacking.

A bowl of walnut skordalia garnished with a walnut surrounded by sliced pita celery carrot and cucumber sticks

Recipe Details

Walnut Skordalia (Easy 5-Ingredient Greek Garlic Dip)

Prep 20 mins Total 20 mins Serves 6 to 10 as an appetizer Save Print Keep Screen Awake

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (45 to 55 g) packed, bite-size pieces of stale bread

  • 2 large cloves garlic, grated

  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) red wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon (5 g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt, more to taste; for table salt use half as much by volume

  • 125 g walnuts (about 1 ¼ cups), plus more for decoration 

  • 1/3 cup (75 ml) olive oil

  • Ground pepper to taste

  • Pita or crudites for serving

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, place stale bread pieces. Pour 1/2 cup (120 ml) water over bread, place your hand over bowl to cover bread, and immediately drain the water into the sink.

    A hand pressing food in a bowl with another bowl of food above it on a wooden surface

  2. To a food processor or high-speed blender, add garlic, vinegar, salt, half of olive oil, walnuts, and bread. Pulse to combine, 2 to 5 pulses. Then scrape down sides and add remaining olive oil to food processor or blender. Process or blend until mixture is a chunky, loose mash, about 5 pulses. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Blend again for 5 seconds (or a few pulses) to incorporate after seasoning.

    Two views of a food processor containing bread pieces walnuts and other ingredients during preparation of walnut skordalia

  3. Stop here for a rustic, chunky version. For a smoother dip, continue below.

    A food processor containing a walnut and skordalia mixture on a wooden surface

  4. Measure 1/3 cup (80 ml) water. Add half of water to mixture and process for 5 to 10 seconds to combine. Periodically pause to scrape sides of blending jar as needed. Add remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and process until a thick, dippable consistency is achieved. Add up to an additional 1 to 2 additional tablespoons (14 to 28 ml) of water for a looser consistency, if desired. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and vinegar.

    Two food processors one with a blended mixture and the other with a finely ground preparation

  5. Serve in a shallow bowl, drizzled with olive oil and topped with a walnut placed in the center for decoration. Serve with pita or crudites.

    Two dishes of walnut skordalia first plain and second being drizzled with olive oil

Special Equipment

Food processor or high-powered blender 

Notes

If you do not have stale bread, break up pieces of fresh bread and dry them in the oven at 325°F (160 °C) until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool completely before using.

Make-Ahead and Storage

The dip can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 7 days.

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