If you love Greek food, you can’t go past this delicious vegan Skordalia. The traditional garlic and potato dip is so easy to make at home. Our allergy-friendly Skordalia recipe is dairy free, gluten free and vegan so you can easily cater to dietary requirements. Perfect for entertaining a crowd or enjoying as a side dish full of flavour.
*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. We may be paid a commission if you use these links to make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Jump to RecipeWhat is Skordalia?
Skordalia is a Greek garlic dip made with either potatoes or day old bread. When made with potatoes, it is similar to mashed potatoes but beautifully flavoured with garlic, lemon and olive oil.
Enjoy Skordalia as a side dish with grilled chicken skewers (Souvlaki) or fish. Or serve it as a dip with pitta bread and savour the flavours on their own.
Allergens you might find in Skordalia
Most traditional Skordalia recipes are naturally vegan and don’t contain and milk or eggs. However I have seen Skordalia recipes that use milk or even egg yolk. Skordalia is often made with bread in place of potatoes, in which case the ingredients will most likely contain wheat and gluten, and perhaps also dairy, egg, soy or sesame.
Some Skordalia recipes even use blended nuts such as almonds for additional texture and flavour.
When buying store bought Skordalia dip, make sure to read the ingredients and allergen statements carefully as they may contain any of these common allergens.
Fortunately it is so easy to make your own Skordalia dip, which tastes so much better than the store bought variety. This allergy-friendly, dairy-free and vegan version contains none of the top allergens.
Vegan Skordalia ingredients
There are several ways to make potato based Skordalia. Some people like to use red wine vinegar, but I much prefer using fresh lemon juice for a fresh citrus taste. Skordalia recipes may use raw garlic, but roasting the garlic first gives a nuttier and more subtle flavour (and less garlic breath!).
To make this delicious vegan Skordalia, you’ll need:
- 1 lb/450g of red skinned potatoes (about 4 medium-large potatoes)
- 6 cloves of garlic, roasted
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- salt
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- extra olive oil, lemon zest and garlic chives (or green onion) to garnish
Method
Preheat your oven to 400F/200C.
Place the garlic cloves in their skins on a lined baking tray, drizzle with a little olive oil and place in the preheated oven. Roast garlic for about 15 minutes, taking care not to let the cloves burn. Remove the tray from the oven and set aside to allow the garlic to cool slightly.
Squeeze the garlic cloves to remove from their skins and place in a blender with the lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Blend well to form a thin paste. Given the small amount of garlic, I like to blend with the mixing attachment for my Bamix stick blender.
Preparing the potatoes
Peel the potatoes and dice into approximately 2inch/5cm pieces. Rinse the diced potatoes and place in a medium saucepan. Fill the saucepan with enough water to cover the potatoes and add a pinch of salt. Bring the water to the boil and then turn down the temperature and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes or until tender.
Check that the potatoes are cooked using a knife, which should easily pass through the potato pieces. When ready, drain the potatoes and rinse with hot water before setting aside to cool slightly.
Using a potato masher or potato ricer (or even a fork), mash the potatoes until light and fluffy. Gradually add the 3/4 cup of olive oil as you mash. This will give your Skordalia a lovely rustic texture. If you prefer a smooth result, you could puree the potatoes and instead, adding the olive oil a small amount at a time.
Stir the garlic and lemon paste through the potatoes and mix well.
Serving
Place the Skordalia in a serving dish and garnish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon zest and chopped garlic chives or green onion.
This vegan Skordalia is lovely served warm. However, it can be kept in the fridge for up to a week and can either be reheated slightly or served cold if you prefer. I find that the garlic flavour will become more intense if left in the fridge for a day before serving.
This recipe makes about 2 cups of Skordalia, enough to serve 6-8 people.
More allergy-friendly recipes
If you love the combination of lemon and garlic, make sure you try our lemon white bean dip recipe too. Looking for more delicious dip recipes? You might like our olive tapenade, fresh tomato salsa or dairy free French onion dip.
Or for more potato recipe inspiration, try our quick roast potatoes or potatoes with olives and tomatoes.
Find even more delicious allergy friendly recipes on our recipe page.
And don’t forget to subscribe for more practical tips for living with food and other allergies.
Simple Vegan Skordalia – Greek Potato & Garlic Dip (Allergy-friendly, Gluten Free)
Equipment
- 1 chopping board
- 1 Sharp knife
- 1 vegetable peeler
- 1 Medium saucepan
- 1 Citrus juicer
- 1 blender
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 potato masher or ricer
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450g) red skinned potatoes (about 4 medium-large potatoes)
- 6 cloves fresh garlic
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- salt
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- extra olive oil, lemon zest and chopped garlic chives or green onion to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F/200C.
- Place the garlic cloves in their skins on a lined baking tray, drizzle with a little olive oil and place in the preheated oven. Roast garlic for about 15 minutes, taking care not to let the cloves burn. Remove the tray from the oven and set aside to allow the garlic to cool slightly.
- Squeeze the garlic cloves to remove from their skins and place in a blender with the lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Blend well to form a thin paste. Given the small amount of garlic, blending with the mixing attachment for a Bamix stick blender works well.
- Peel the potatoes and dice into approximately 2inch/5cm pieces. Rinse the diced potatoes and place in a medium saucepan. Fill the saucepan with enough water to cover the potatoes and add a pinch of salt. Bring the water to the boil and then turn down the temperature and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes or until tender.
- Check that the potatoes are cooked using a knife, which should easily pass through the potato pieces. When ready, drain the potatoes and rinse with hot water before setting aside to cool slightly.
- Using a potato masher or potato ricer (or even a fork), mash the potatoes until light and fluffy. Gradually add the 3/4 cup of olive oil as you mash. This will give your Skordalia a lovely rustic texture. If you prefer a smooth result, you could puree the potatoes and instead, adding the olive oil a small amount at a time.
- Stir the garlic and lemon paste through the potatoes and mix well.
- Place the Skordalia in a serving dish and garnish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon zest and chopped garlic chives or green onion.
- This vegan Skordalia is lovely served warm. However, it can be kept in the fridge for up to a week and can either be reheated slightly or served cold if you prefer.
