Cottage Cheese, Sun-Dried Tomato and Herb Sandwich Spread Recipe
This cottage cheese, sun-dried tomato and herb spread is a quick sandwich topping that combines Polish twaróg (cottage cheese-style curd cheese) with intensely Mediterranean add-ins. A creamy base of twaróg and yoghurt coats finely chopped tomatoes in oil and fresh herbs, giving a salty‑umami, herb-forward flavour. Everything comes together in one bowl and is easy to adjust to your preferred heat level and amount of herbs.
This spread is a way to bring a more Mediterranean feel to typical Polish open-faced sandwiches without giving up local twaróg. It’s a homemade alternative to store-bought spreads, where you fully control the ingredients and intensity of flavour.
This cottage cheese and sun-dried tomato spread takes ordinary Polish sandwiches into a more Mediterranean direction without abandoning traditional twaróg. Intensely flavoured, slightly salty tomatoes in oil add depth and umami, while fresh herbs bring lightness and freshness. It’s a great alternative to store-bought spreads where you know exactly what’s inside.
Why this version works
- Oil from the tomatoes boosts their flavour and improves creaminess without a lot of mayonnaise.
- Finely chopping the tomatoes and herbs gives an even flavour in every bite.
- You first combine the twaróg with yoghurt, which makes it easier to achieve a smooth consistency.
- Gradual salting at the end protects against oversalting from the salty tomatoes.
Chef's tips
If the twaróg is very dry, first rub it with 1 tablespoon of yoghurt into a smooth paste, then add the rest of the liquid – this helps avoid lumps. When the spread “stands” on the knife and is hard to spread, add a teaspoon of yoghurt or tomato oil and mix thoroughly until it softens and spreads easily on bread. It’s easy to overdo the garlic – often a really small half clove is enough, as the flavour will intensify in the fridge.
How to serve
Serve on wholemeal bread, baguette, toast or crackers as a quick snack with wine or an evening movie. It also works great as a filling for vegetable wraps, a layer under smoked salmon on breakfast sandwiches, or a stuffing for party eggs. Leftovers can be thinned with yoghurt and mixed with cold pasta.
Watch out for
- Don’t blend the twaróg for too long – after a few minutes it becomes runny and grainy.
- Wait with the salt until the end, because the tomatoes and their oil are already distinctly salty.
- Add yoghurt tablespoon by tablespoon, watching that the spread doesn’t become watery.
Substitutions
- Replace part of the twaróg with cream cheese if you want a more velvety spread.
- Instead of chives use basil or oregano to emphasise the Mediterranean character.
- You can swap the yoghurt for thick skyr if you want more protein.
- If using tomatoes packed without oil, add 1–2 teaspoons of olive oil for richness.
Ingredients
- semi-fat twaróg (Polish curd cheese) - 250 g
- sun-dried tomatoes in oil medium pieces - 6 piece
- yoghurt thick natural yoghurt or 18% sour cream - 3 tablespoons
- garlic - 0.5 clove
- chives or parsley fresh herbs - 0.25 bunch
- oil from the sun-dried tomatoes for flavour, optional - 1 tablespoon
- salt to taste, carefully, as the tomatoes are salty
- pepper ground black
Preparation
- Transfer the twaróg to a bowl and mash thoroughly with a fork into fine curds. If you prefer a smoother spread, pulse briefly 2–3 times with a blender – the mixture should be creamy but still thick, not runny.
- Remove the sun-dried tomatoes from the oil, pat dry on a paper towel and cut into a very small dice. The finer you chop them, the better they will disperse in the spread and more evenly tint it a light orange colour.
- Wash the chives or parsley, dry well and chop finely. Peel the garlic and press it through a garlic press or chop very finely so you don’t bite into large, sharp pieces in the finished spread.
- Add the yoghurt or sour cream and a tablespoon of tomato oil to the twaróg. Mix thoroughly with a fork or spoon until the mixture is clearly creamier and starts to pull away easily from the sides of the bowl.
- Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and herbs. Mix, scraping from the bottom, until the spread is evenly flecked with red and green pieces, without “pockets” of just tomatoes.
- Season with freshly ground pepper and only then carefully with salt, tasting after each small pinch – the tomatoes and their oil are salty and it’s easy to oversalt the spread.
- Transfer the spread to a lidded container or bowl, smooth the top and chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. After chilling it will thicken slightly and the flavour of the garlic and herbs will round out.
Storage
In the fridge the spread thickens and the flavour of the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes becomes more pronounced. Before serving, take it out for 10–15 minutes, stir and, if needed, add a teaspoon of yoghurt or oil so it’s easily spreadable again.
When I’m left with a few slices of stale bread, I cut them into cubes, toast them and serve with this spread like small bruschette – everything disappears in minutes, especially when friends drop by “for a quick visit”.
