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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 …)
Tuck those garlic cloves into the eggplant so that it roasts along with the veggies – then you can squish it into the dip for some roasted garlic magic.
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.
Spread the dip on toasted fresh bread and top with feta for a yummy & nutritious lunch … mmmm!
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!
- 1 eggplant (aubergine), sliced in half length-ways
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
- olive oil
- 2 long, thin red peppers or 1 big fat one
- 1 level tablespoon tahini (sesame seed paste)
- 1½ tablespoons tomato paste
- a squeeze or two of lemon juice
- fresh chopped parsley (about 3 tablespoons)
- salt & pepper
- 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.
You could also mix it through pasta for a quick, tasty and nutritious meal.
Feel free to leave the tahini out if you don't have it/can't find it easily (health food stores should have it if you can't find it in a local supermarket). The tahini just makes the dip slightly creamy in texture and gives it a faint nutty taste. The dip would still be delicious without it.
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What an awesome dip flavor! I love roasted eggplant, it’s always so creamy and flavorful (with the proper spices, of course) 😀 Totally good for some crackers and cheese 🙂
Hello, June! So happy you popped by and so glad you like this! 🙂
I used to make something very similar to this, but in soup form, as a go-to for dinner. It was seriously the best. Throw in some goat cheese and heaven.
I remember living in London with the markets there. I’d go “just to browse” and then have to carry loads of veggies and fruit back to my flat on an hour hike. Ah well, totally worth it!
Wow, I can imagine this is so good in a soup! With goat cheese … mmm! Same idea as mixing it with the feta I guess. So glad you like this, Chrissy!
The eggplant dip looks great enough for me! I had the best pepper and eggplant dip in Istanbul (never had it in Greece before, but I think the flavor is pretty similar), and I couldn’t believe the eggplant can be this good! We have eggplant appetizer here, but the eggplant is usually steamed. I really need to try out roasting them next time. Btw, love the picture of a piece of bread with the dip, looks so delicious! 🙂
Oh, thanks Maggie so much for the compliment on the photo – feel like I’ve been struggling with the light lately when photographing 😉
So happy you like this! Greek versions are indeed quite similar to the Turkish … so yummy!
I really love roasted red pepper dips – especially when in hummus. I just love the flavour of peppers roasted.
Me too! They’re so sweet – almost like candy! Glad you like this, Dannii 🙂
I made an eggplant dip last night and thought the same thing, if I put this on the blog how am I going to make it look pretty. Yours looks lovely and I love the use of peppers. Great recipe.
Mmmm J’aime bien tes recettes couleur méditerranée 😉
Merci, Eva!! 🙂
I love eggplant, and this looks so good. What a romantic story, I almost felt like I was at the market, and then walking up hill with my groceries. Lovely!
Hello, Linda … thank you so much for passing by and taking the time to comment. You have made me realise that this is actually vegan … well, if you omit the cheese, anyway.
So glad you enjoyed the story – I guess it is a little romantic 😉
Helen, I adore your eggplant dip – I made one recently too – but mine didn’t have tahini in it – yours sounds wonderful! I can just imagine those flavors mingling – oh so yum!
Do try a spoonful of tahini when you next make an eggplant dip, Shashi … the slight nutty taste works wonderfully!
There is a similar dip people in Bulgaria make. It is made in larger amounts and canned!
Looks absolutely delicious and so easy to prepare Helen!
Pinned for later!
Thanks so much for pinning, Mira – once again there is something similar in Bulgaria! So glad you like it!
Helen, I always love your stories. I have never been to Greece, but it’s definitely way up there on my list! I love eggplant dips and I think it’s fantastic that you added roasted red peppers – what a fabulous compliment! And I think your photos look mighty delicious too.
Thanks so much for the nice words, Kathleen. I would definitely recommend making the trip all the way over to Greece some day – you wouldn’t regret it, certainly when it comes to the food! 🙂
What a fantastic idea to make an eggplant dip, Helen! I would’ve never thought to use that veggie as the base of a dip. Love the red peppers in here, too. Sounds so full of flavor!
It’s really common over here in the Mediterranean area, Gayle – and so delicious. I really hope you try it!
Oh, perfect for us Down Under – all this produce is currently in-season – I adore eggplant and use it heaps at this time of year.
Absolutely, Rachel! Of course I made this with you Antipodeans in mind! 😉
I love these mediterranean flavors you’ve got going on, Helen, and this dip would be so delicious with pita chips! I don’t think I would share it with anyone!
Thanks so much, Marcie! I think I’ll try this out with pita chips next time … and that’s a great tip too not to share! 😉
I love your Greek-ish dip with eggplant & roasted red peppers…my two favorite veggie loves of all time. And I still think you did an excellent job at presentation ~ despite knocking down the looks of your dip! I would definitely sample this at any party and the healthy factor can’t be beat. I’m tempted to take your advice and make this into a creamy, smooth dip with my Ninja food processor! Thanks for sharing =)
I did knock it down a bit, didn’t I? It’s just that I have a very direct husband who had a few choice things to say about it – until he tasted it and then declared it delicious. So glad I’ve persuaded you to think about making this, Laura … and hey, that Ninja food processor sounds like something I’d like!
I’ve been on such an eggplant kick lately … this dip looks so right up my alley! I think I would smear it on everything!
Glad you like it, Ashley! We DID smear it on everything! Yum yum!
My mom makes this all the time. I have memories of eating this as a kid all the time. Love it. Pinned
Thanks so much for pinning, Kathy. Glad this reminded you of your childhood!
Such a great looking dip Helen! And yes I know what you mean about the colour. I served one recently and it wasn’t the prettiest colour! 😛
Yes, Mr. Scrummy had a few less-than-complimentary things to say about this, including ‘are you really going to post that photo?’ Hmmm. Glad you think it’s pretty, though!
This looks and sounds absolutely incredible – love the roasty, smoky flavour! I throw tahini into everything humanly possible, so I’ll have to try this soon!
I picked up a huuuge pot of tahini last time I was in Greece, so I think I need to start taking your lead and throwing it into everything, too. So glad you like this, Alessandra! 🙂
I dunno, it looks pretty darned good in the ‘looks department’ to me!!! I think I could do some damage to this, as an appetizer or even light lunch.
Hello, Jessie. Thanks so much for passing by and saying hi. Thanks for the compliment, too. We ate this on bread for lunch and it was great, so it’s definitely not just confined to the ‘dips’ department!
You have inspired me to make this, this weekend! I loooove eggplant dips and yours is as beautiful as they come…no, more beautiful!! Thanks, Helen!!
You’re welcome, Annie … let me know what you think if you do make it!
Oh wow – these are some of my absolute flavors all together. This looks amazing, Helen!
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! 🙂
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!
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!
OHHHH YUM! I am pinning this and then I am going to make it and dip chicken in it, OH SO GOOD!
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!
Hi Helen, roasted eggplant is one of my new favorite things, love all your flavors here.
Thanks, Cheri! I thought you might like this one … 😉
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.
Thanks, Liz – I’m happy you don’t think this looks horribly unappetizing … I was worried for a while there! 🙂
Now THIS is my kind of dip! Love that it’s not smothered with cheese and oil, but full of healthy delicious ingredients!
I would have guessed that this would be right up your alley, Joanne! Glad you approve!
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
Hello, Consuelo! So nice to hear from you! You’re right that this would be really good with crudites! 🙂
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 😉
This is certainly a healthy dip, Mariana! The market is indeed amazing – I so wish I had one like it back at home!
Sounds like a great holiday, Helen! I love it when my holidays revolve around food 🙂 This looks like a delicious fresh dip!
Thanks Denise – having a great time here and enjoying the Greek food immensely!! Glad you like the dip!
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. 🙂
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!)