I like to think of goat cheese as ‘billionaire’ cheese. It’s smooth and delightfully creamy, but with just enough tartness to make an impact on your tongue. Combined with low levels of lactose, and a bunch of different vitamins, goat cheese is not just tasty, it’s healthy as well, and is noticeably different from cow’s milk cheese.

This creamy lemon and herb goat cheese dip is the type of dip that no matter what you pair it with, from meats and other cheeses to crackers, fruit, and vegetables, that it tastes like the star of the show. It’s a simple, no-cook recipe that plays up the flavorful combination of silky smooth goat’s cheese, with the brightness of regular pantry herbs and the fruity zest of lemon.

When entertaining I like to make creamy goat cheese dip the centerpiece of my antipasti platter or charcuterie board. It’s great for off-setting the brittleness of crostini or blandness of crackers; for cutting through spicy, fattier cured meats, or when contrasting the saltiness of olives or preserved foods with a lovely fresh flavor that’s strong yet unassuming.

It’s also ridiculously simple to make – there’s no cooking, and no massive list of instructions to follow if you want goat’s cheese dip to taste perfect. While you can place all the dip ingredients in a processor and buzz through to mix it, my preference is to fold it all in by hand with a spatula, because it creates more individuality for each bite, rather than a uniform flavor mix flavor.

I love to make this amazingly creamy goat cheese dip when I’m having guests over, as it always gets good reviews and creates conversations! A dip like this deserves to be a talking point. I also try to make sure there’s enough left over to indulge when everyone else is gone – it’s amazing on sandwiches with chicken and bell peppers – but my guests usually eat it all!