Roasted Eggplant Dip – a delicious dip filled with smoky eggplant flavor, perfect for your next party, game day or get together. It is also wonderful as a sandwich filling.
Healthy Dips
I love dips, especially healthy dips filled with wholesome ingredients. The sort that can serve double or even triple duty as side dishes, sandwich fillings or as meals on their own along with fresh veggies and toasted flatbread.
I’ve recently shared two of my family’s favorite healthy dips including my Corn and Green Chile Dip and White Bean and Garlic Scape Dip. Today I have a new favorite to share, this delicious Roasted Eggplant Dip.
Roasting the Eggplants
I love eggplants, they are a great source of fiber and potassium, are so versatile and can be used in all types of dishes. This past weekend, I was in possession of two medium sized Sicilian eggplants, from my neighbors’ garden and decided to make a healthy dip. For this dip, I wanted the eggplant flavor to shine, especially the smoky eggplant flavor, so I decided to first char the skins.
My husband volunteered for the task of charring the skins. He did this over the open flame of one of the gas burners on our stove. It only took a few minutes to char each eggplant. My husband used his hands (tongs would also work) to grasp the eggplants by their stems in order to turn them in the flame to get a nice even char.
Once the eggplants had a nice char, I finished roasting them in the oven. I let the eggplants cool a bit, then chunked them up and transferred it all to a food processor. One of my twin 3-year old girls loves using the food processor. So, she was at the ready and expertly pulsed the chopped eggplant to a nice chunky consistency. I then added garlic, lemon juice, salt, fresh parsley and olive oil. She gave the mixture a few more pulses and our Roasted Eggplant Dip was ready.
Spending Time in the Kitchen with Family
This Roasted Eggplant Dip is so smoky and delicious and was a lot of fun to make with the help of my husband and daughter. I always enjoy creating in the kitchen with my family and it was a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
Serve with Veggies and Pita Chips
We enjoyed this delicious Roasted Eggplant Dip, along with some toasted pita bread triangles and some cucumber and carrot sticks, as an appetizer to our Sunday dinner. This smoky dip would also be a great addition to a party, game day or fall get together.
This Roasted Eggplant Dip also makes a wonderful sandwich filling. I stuffed some of the leftover dip into a pita pocket along with some homemade hummus and fresh cucumber and tomato slices — perfect for a delicious, healthy, vegetarian lunch.
Roasted Eggplant Dip
Notes
The eggplants could also be charred on the grill or under the broiler.
Be sure to taste the eggplant, skin, seeds and all before transferring it to the food processor. The skins and seeds of some eggplant varieties, especially the larger dark purple ones, can be bitter, so if this is the case, be sure to discard the skin and seeds and only use the flesh.
This dip also makes a great sandwich filling. Try stuffing it into a pita pocket, along with hummus, some cucumber and tomato slices and a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream.
Ingredients
- 2 medium sized eggplants (I used Sicilian)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil, for rubbing on eggplant
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- additional lemon juice and salt, to taste
- additional olive oil and fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Char eggplants, one at a time, over the open flame of a gas burner, use hands or tongs to carefully grasp stems and turn eggplants to get an even char, about 3 minutes per eggplant.
- Transfer charred eggplants to a cutting board and let cool slightly.
- Cut cooled eggplants in half length-wise. Rub eggplants with 2 teaspoons olive oil and place on baking sheet, cut sides down.
- Roast eggplants in preheated oven until soft, about 20 minutes.
- Remove roasted eggplants from oven and transfer to a cutting board, allow to cool slightly.
- Cut eggplant into chunks (see notes) and transfer to a food processor.
- Pulse eggplants a few times to blend, eggplant should have a chunky consistency.
- Add garlic, lemon juice, parsley, salt and olive oil to food processor. Pulse a few more times to combine.
- Taste eggplant mixture, add additional lemon juice and salt to taste.
- Transfer dip to a bowl, garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh parsley leaves, if desired.
- Serve dip with toasted pita triangles chips and assorted crudité.
[…] shared some of my family’s favorite healthy dips including my Roasted Red Pepper Hummus and Roasted Eggplant Dip. Today, I have a new favorite to share, this delicious Kale and Artichoke Greek Yogurt […]
[…] red peppers for my Lentil Salad with Roasted Red Peppers, Feta and Mint, to roast eggplants for my Roasted Eggplant Dip and to roast a jalapeno for my Peach and Roasted Jalapeno […]
I love that this recipe doesn’t have chickpeas! wish I had an eggplant right now but I will print to try later… great recipe and nice photos too!
[…] successfully used this technique to roast eggplants for my Roasted Eggplant Dip and to roast a jalapeno for my Peach and Roasted Jalapeno […]
[…] success roasting eggplants over the open flame of our stove’s gas burner in order to make Roasted Eggplant Dip. So, I decided to use the same technique to roast a jalapeno […]
That looks really good!! I’ve never had eggplant like this!! Thanks for Sharing on My 2 Favorite Things on Thursday!! Pinned! Hope you come back tomorrow!!
This looks fabulous! I used to make a Greek roasted eggplant dip that is similar to this and forgot all about it. I just love eggplant! Yum!
Oooo another great recipe – I’m always looking for a different dip to make that doesn’t use a block of cream cheese or sour cream 🙂 Thanks for sharing again!
Isn’t it fun when the hubby does the hard part? He must have done a great job on the eggplants. This dip looks delicious.
This looks wonderful! I love cooking with my family too — it’s a great way to spend time together. Pinning because I love dips! 🙂
I think my husband would like this dip, as he does not care for humus. Thanks for sharing on the #OMHGWW this week!
Karren
Yum! This is so beautiful! Great recipe.
Hmm that dip looks delicious 🙂
Have a diptastic week 🙂
[…] of Joy Love Food shared her Roasted Eggplant Dip. I love eggplant and this looks […]
This is AWESOME !!!
Just so you know – it’s SUPER popular here, and we call it eggplant-spread. I’m too lazy to make it home, but….. I might just try (or ask our housekeeper to make it)
I absolutely LOVE it
This eggplant dip is PERFECT for football season!!!
I love baba ghannouj. Stopping by from Inspire Me Monday and hope you’ll link up with us at Small Victories Sunday linkup too!
This looks like such a great recipe. My mom made something similar once and I loved it! Thank you.
I love eggplant but my husband doesn’t! I think this dip is something he might actually like. Can’t wait to try it!
I love all roasted veggies. Eggplant dip with all those lovely spices has my attention. On the “to do” list for sure.
We don’t eat eggplant enough! This dip is one that I know will be devoured!
Roasted Eggplant Dip looks like it could fast become my favorite snack or appetizer. I love eggplant and am always looking for quality eggplant recipes. I think I found one today!
Heidy
Looks great!! Thanks so much for visiting!!
Hugs,
Deb
I love this sort of recipe. Anything with eggplant automatically gets my vote. I usually smear it on bread or crackers but love the idea of using it inside a pita. Thanks!
I’ve only tried one eggplant recipe, but this looks like it will be number 2! It looks great!
This looks delicious! No one else in my family likes eggplant.I think because it soaks up oil so quickly or gets mushy (At least when I cook it). I love it! Anyway, I have some eggplant in the fridge right now and am going to make this. It seems like the perfect fit for my finicky eaters! 🙂 Thanks so much.
This looks wonderful. I would love to try it!
Love the idea of charring the eggplant to add a smoked aspect to the dip. Looks creamy and delicious. 🙂
Oooo! I love eggplant, too, and nothing better than finding new ways to serve it! I think your dip sounds so good! I can imagine myself dipping into this now! Yum!
Obsessed with the idea of charring the eggplants first! What a yummy dip!
This is one of my favorite dips but you made it better by charring the skin over an open flame first.
I love the smokiniess in recipes like this one. This dip would be an awesome way to kick off any party!
Great way to use my garden eggplants…thanks for sharing!
Hi Lori, this is indeed a great way to use up your garden eggplants, I wish I had some more so I could make this again!
This looks so good. I love Baba Ganooj and this reminds me of it. Trying this!
Thanks AnnMarie, I hope you give it a try and enjoy!