Any kind of eggplant dip is never going to win any awards in the good looks department, and I’m afraid this one is no exception, really – but what this dip definitely could get top marks for is its taste and ‘healthiness factor’!
As I tend to pepper my posts with Greek (or Greek-ish) recipes from time to time anyway after my many years spent living here, I wasn’t particularly thinking that I’d go crazy cooking all things Greek on this latest trip to Greece. Or at least I wasn’t until a couple of days ago when I had my first wander around the local market that’s held every Monday pretty much at the end of my street. But once there and standing before the array of fresh Mediterranean produce piled high on the stalls, feeling the weak but still warming winter sunshine on my face, exchanging pleasantries with the market sellers (‘Get your lemons here, nice and bitter!’ yelled the man on the citrus stall with a cheeky wink …), Mr. Scrummy and I were soon struggling up the hill to our apartment with plastic bags bursting with plump tomatoes, eggplants, olives and cucumbers (1 euro for 5 cucumbers? Seriously? Then I’ll take 5 …)
The first thing we did when we got home was make a big, fat Greek salad and gobble it up with lovely fresh toasted bread on our balcony with the mountain view. Mmm … bliss! And then I found myself thinking about all the beautiful things I could make with all the yummy produce I’d just picked up … hmm, I could make this, or I could make that …
Now it didn’t take too long for me to decide on this sweet roasted pepper & eggplant dip. The previous day, I’d eaten in one of mine and Mr. Scrummy’s favourite tavernas and ordered something fairly similar. Usually, eggplant dip (‘melitzanosalata’, found all around Greece) is delicious but quite an unappetizing-looking shade of grey-ish beige. This one looked much brighter with sweet roasted peppers added along with what I thought was a dash of tomato and a fair bit of chopped fresh parsley.
The dip was so incredibly sweet and smoky that I honestly could have scooped up the whole plate with the yummy warm pitta bread served on the side. As I’m a nice polite girl, though, you’ll be happy to know that I did save some for my friends! What made this so delicious, in my opinion, was that it was made with just a few simple but really, really high quality ingredients. There were only five, possibly six, ingredients in it altogether, but it really didn’t need anything else added. Each ingredient shone and harmonized perfectly together with the others.
I’m sure that my version isn’t exactly the same as the dip I ate in the restaurant, but it really doesn’t matter because it got two thumbs up from both myself and Mr. Scrummy. All I did was roast an eggplant (aubergine to me!) with cloves of garlic and a couple of red peppers (the long thin kind – just roast one if you’re using the bigger, fatter ones), then I scooped out the aubergine flesh, peeled, deseeded and chopped the peppers, mashed the garlic and mixed all this together with a bit of nutty tahini, a squeeze of lemon juice and a tablespoon or so of tomato paste. Oh, and then I topped it with some fresh chopped parsley and drizzled it with a bit of extra virgin olive oil.
The end result is a smoky, sweet, creamy, super healthy and very fresh-tasting dip that is absolutely beautiful spread thickly onto toasted fresh bread and topped with slices of feta cheese. Mmmm … oh my goodness, it tastes divine! Eating it this way makes it more of a crostini-topper than a dip, of course, but it would be just as fabulous scooped up with pitta bread or pitta chips, tortilla chips, bread sticks or even crackers. I could even see it tasting wonderful stirred through pasta. The addition of feta is optional, but I would highly recommend not missing that part out!
The other thing you could do is blitz the dip to a smooth paste. I don’t have a food processor over here, but I’m planning to try that when I get home.
So, I make no apologies for presenting you with ‘yet another’ Greek recipe this week. I really hope you give this a try and, and if you do, I’d love to know what you think!
Sweet roasted red pepper & eggplant dip
Ingredients (UK/Australia? Click below for grams/ml)
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 200C/390F. Put the eggplant (cut side up) on the baking tray along with the peppers. Score a few lines down the cut side of the eggplant halves (without cutting through the skin), then poke a garlic clove into each. Brush the eggplant with olive oil and bake for about 40 to 45 minutes or until the peppers are soft and charred and the eggplant is soft.
- When ready, remove the eggplant from the tray and cover the peppers (still on the tray) with some aluminium foil. Leave the peppers to steam and cool for a while (this will help the peel come off easily). Meanwhile, remove the garlic from the eggplant, scoop the eggplant flesh out of its skins with a metal spoon and put it into a medium bowl.
- Mash up the garlic with a fork and add that to the bowl, along with the tahini, tomato paste, lemon juice, parsley and salt and pepper. Then pull the peel off the peppers, slit them open with a sharp knife, scrape out the seeds and chop them into small pieces. Add these pieces to the bowl as well.
- Mix the ingredients together well, then tip the dip into a serving bowl and garnish with a little more chopped parsley. Serve with toasted bread (or pitta bread) or tortilla or pitta chips.
[email protected] Eats says
All I can say is that we must never go to markets together. Because I am exactly like you. If it’s a bargain, I can’t resist. Pretty much all the recipes I post revolve around excessive purchases. Like today. I bought an incredible lamb shoulder from the markets on the weekend because it was SO CHEAP. How could I not? So I had to cook it. Who cooks a roast on a Tuesday?
Love the smoky flavours in this. It is MY kind of dip! I like the idea of blitzing it but I think the colour might end up a bit odd. I like the pops of colour you have. 🙂
Helen says
If I try blitzing this next time, Nagi, I might add a bit more tomato puree. I think red is much better than a browny pink – yuck!
I actually would love to go to a market with you – except I suspect we would go into a bit of a crazy buying frenzy, egging each other on!!
Can’t wait to see what you did with the lamb shoulder – I trust it’s going on the blog!! (I recently roasted a lamb shoulder with vegemite and honey for a 1950s-themed recipe for an Aussie health insurance company – it was great!)
Denise | Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Sounds like a great holiday, Helen! I love it when my holidays revolve around food 🙂 This looks like a delicious fresh dip!
Helen says
Thanks Denise – having a great time here and enjoying the Greek food immensely!! Glad you like the dip!
Mariana @The Candid Kitchen says
This market sounds amazing!!! I am not very adventurous when it comes to aubergines but making a dip with them is such a good idea. Especially as I am on a health kick at the moment 😉
Helen says
This is certainly a healthy dip, Mariana! The market is indeed amazing – I so wish I had one like it back at home!
Joanne says
Now THIS is my kind of dip! Love that it’s not smothered with cheese and oil, but full of healthy delicious ingredients!
Helen says
I would have guessed that this would be right up your alley, Joanne! Glad you approve!
Consuelo | Honey & Figs says
Yum!!! Nothing better than the roasted eggplant/red pepper combo! I’m so liking the sound of this dip. I’m sure it’d be awesome with some crusty sourdough and crudités *-* My mouth is watering!
Hope you’ve had a wonderful weekend Helen! xxx
Helen says
Hello, Consuelo! So nice to hear from you! You’re right that this would be really good with crudites! 🙂
Liz says
What a wonderful dip! I think adding red peppers was genius—as it’s not the bland color of the typical eggplant dips I’ve made 🙂 What a yummy healthier appetizer.
Helen says
Thanks, Liz – I’m happy you don’t think this looks horribly unappetizing … I was worried for a while there! 🙂
cheri says
Hi Helen, roasted eggplant is one of my new favorite things, love all your flavors here.
Helen says
Thanks, Cheri! I thought you might like this one … 😉
GiGi Eats says
OHHHH YUM! I am pinning this and then I am going to make it and dip chicken in it, OH SO GOOD!
Helen says
Ooh, now that’s a good idea – dipping chicken in this! Or just serving it alongside some roast chicken. Thanks for the idea, and thanks too for passing by!
Jess @ whatjessicabakednext says
This dip looks amazing, Helen! I love those red peppers when roasted – they go all sweet and delicious. I’m really loving all your Greek recipes and food, keep them coming! I cannot wait to try this with some of my Mum’s homemade bread! So yummy!
Helen says
Ooh, with freshly made bread – think I’ll be popping around for a few slices of that!
So glad you like this, Jess – it’s almost impossible not to make Greek food while I’m here – those fresh ingredients just constantly call my name – so hopefully you’ll be seeing more Greek recipes here soon!
Marissa | Pinch and Swirl says
Oh wow – these are some of my absolute flavors all together. This looks amazing, Helen!
Helen says
Hi, Marissa … so glad you like the flavours in this. I just love that it tastes so good and yet is super healthy, too. It’s a win-win! 🙂