When summer courgettes are abundant, these golden courgette and feta fritters are the perfect solution. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, they showcase the courgette’s delicate flavor beautifully. Paired with a creamy whipped feta, each bite delivers Mediterranean sunshine. These courgette and feta fritters with whipped feta are perfect as a starter or a light lunch, turning a humble vegetable into something truly special.
Courgette and feta fritters
Here, with the addition of some feta, herbs, and store cupboard ingredients, we transform courgettes into crispy, golden bites that even the pickiest eaters will devour. They’re also naturally vegetarian and here I’ve also made them gluten-free by using gram (chickpea) flour.
Courgettes
Not only are there courgettes aplenty in the summer months, making them an inexpensive vegetable, but they are packed with vitamin C, potassium, and fiber, while remaining wonderfully low in calories.
Their versatility in the kitchen makes them perfect for sneaking extra vegetables into family meals – from starters, main courses and even sweet treats. Check out my chocolate courgette brownies if you haven’t already.
Whipped feta
Whipped feta takes literally 2 minutes to make, but it totally transforms this humble cheese into something luxuriously creamy. By blending tangy feta with smooth Greek yogurt, you create a cooling contrast to the warm, crispy fritters. The bright lemon zest adds a citrusy pop that cuts through the richness, while a drizzle of quality olive oil brings everything together with its fruity depth.
The salty, creamy feta base complements the mild courgette beautifully, while the yogurt’s tartness provides a refreshing counterpoint to the fried exterior. Together, they create a Mediterranean harmony that turns a simple courgette and feta fritter into an elegant, restaurant-worthy dish.
Other courgette recipes
If you find that your plants are being super productive, then check out my other courgette recipes below:
Growing Courgettes
Courgettes are remarkably easy to grow in the UK and are perfect for beginner gardeners. They thrive in the British climate when planted after the last frost (typically late May or early June) and can produce abundant harvests from just two plants throughout the summer months, making them one of the most easiest and rewarding vegetables to plant at home.
Courgettes like a rich, well composted soil, and above all else constant watering – especially in hot weather – as plants can produce 1-2 courgettes per day which requires a lot of water. Ensure you regularly harvest the courgettes to encourage further production.
Varieties of courgette to grow
For maximum yields, several varieties stand out as particularly productive in UK conditions. ‘Defender’ is disease-resistant and produces plenty of straight, dark green courgettes. ‘Black Beauty’ is famous for its reliable production and high-yield potential with soft, tasty, glossy, dark green fruits. If you’re looking for something different then ‘Eight Ball’ produces round courgettes, whilst a good yellow variety is ‘Golden Delight’. A new variety I have tried this year was ‘Sure Thing’ and it’s certainly lived up to it’s reputation – producing at least a fruit a day!
Yes. I have used gram flour to make this gluten free but you can of course use normal plain flour.
I have also made these courgette and feta fritters using fresh dill which is a great alternative.
Courgette (Zucchini) and Feta Fritters
Equipment
- small food processor/blender
- large frying pan
Ingredients
Courgette and Feta Fritters
- 2 courgettes (zucchini) 300g approximately
- 2 spring onions
- 100 g feta
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp fresh mint
- 1 pinch chilli flakes
- 1 egg
- 50 g gram flour
- salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp light olive oil for frying
Whipped Feta
- 100 g feta cheese
- 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Firstly, coarsely grate the courgettes using a box grater – any shape, size, or colour of courgette works – and either place in a sieve or wrap in kitchen paper to remove the excess water.
- While that is draining, make the whipped feta. Place all the ingredients in a small food processor and whizz until creamy – around 1 minute. Place in the fridge until ready. If you prepare this well ahead of time, you will need to remove from the fridge 20 mins before serving to loosen up.
- Having removed as much water as possible from the courgettes, add these to a large mixing bowl together with the finely sliced spring onions (green and white parts), the crumbled feta, finely chopped parsley and mint, a pinch of chilli flakes, 1 egg, and the gram flour. Beat everything together with a wooden spoon until you have an even mixture.
- Into a large non-stick pan, add 2 tbsp light olive oil, and place over a medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, spoon in the fritter mixture and press down to make even patties. This mixture should make around 6-8 fritters if serving as a lunchtime course. If making for an appetizer you should get around 16 fritters and will likely need to do this in a couple of batches.
- Fry the fritters for around 3-4 minutes until golden brown on one side and then flip them over and fry for another 3-4 minutes. If making smaller versions, then the cooking time will be 2-3 minutes per side.
- When ready, remove from the pan and cool for a couple of minutes on some kitchen paper and then serve with the whipped feta on the side and a dressed green salad.
Notes
- I have used Gram Flour, which makes these fritters gluten-free, but of course you can use normal flour if that is not a dietary concern.
- Another herb that works well in these fitters is dill.
