Walnut Skordalia (Easy 5-Ingredient Greek Garlic Dip)

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

By

Sharon Brenner

Sharon Brenner is an LA-based food writer, home cook, and immigration lawyer. Her work focuses on novel food stories and recipe development.

Published December 09, 2025

Serious Eats / Anh Nguyen

Why It Works

• 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.

Serious Eats / Anh Nguyen

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.

Serious Eats / Anh Nguyen

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.

Serious Eats / Anh Nguyen

Keep Screen Awake

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

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.

Serious Eats / Anh Nguyen 1.

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.

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

Serious Eats / Anh Nguyen 1.

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.

Serious Eats / Anh Nguyen 1.

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.

Serious Eats / Anh Nguyen

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.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
160	Calories
16g	Fat
5g	Carbs
2g	Protein

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Nutrition Facts Servings: 6 to 10 Amount per serving Calories 160 % Daily Value* 16g 20% Saturated Fat 2g 9% 0mg 0% 147mg 6% 5g 2% Dietary Fiber 1g 4% Total Sugars 1g 2g Vitamin C 0mg 1% Calcium 23mg 2% Iron 1mg 4% Potassium 73mg 2% *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)