Greek Roasted Eggplant Dip - Melitzanosalata

4.29 from 7 votes

Greek Roasted Eggplant Dip - Melitzanosalata

Roasted Greek Eggplant Dip - Melitzanosalata, is a simple yet tasty dish of roasted eggplant, red pepper, onion, garlic, oil, and lemon juice. It's perfect spread on crusty bread, toasted pita, crudités, or as part of a larger Greek meze platter!

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Resting Time35

Total Time1 20

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Greek Recipes, Mediterranean Recipes

Keyword: BBQ, Dairy Free, Dips and spreads, Easy Recipe, Eggplant spread, Gluten-Free, Lenten Recipe, vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 96kcal

Author: Sonia

Ingredients

2 lbs Eggplants, purple 2-4 depending on the size
1 Roasted Red Bell Pepper jarred, diced to 1/2 inch pieces
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Scallions finely sliced, white and green parts
2 tbsp Parsley only the leaves, finely chopped
1 clove Garlic roughly chopped
1 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
2 tsp Lemon Juice
Salt to taste

Instructions

Preheat the grill , if using, or the broiler.
If using the broiler, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easy clean-up) and place a rack in the prepared pan.
Using a fork, pierce the eggplants all over, several times, and arrange them on the rack of the pan or on the grill.
If using the grill, roast the eggplants for about 30 minutes on the grill, turning them occasionally until the eggplants are soft (when pierced with a fork) and their skin is charred on all sides evenly.
If using the the broiler, roast the eggplants for about 45 minutes, turning them occasionally until the eggplants are soft (when pierced with a fork) and their skin is black on all sides evenly.
When ready, set them aside for 10 minutes to cool. Place a mesh strainer over a mixing bowl.
Cut the eggplants lengthwise and using a fork scoop out the flesh and transfer to the strainer. If the eggplants have a lot of large seed, remove and discard the part with the seeds. Discard the skins.
Let rest for 15 minutes. Using a spoon, press occasionally to drain much of the eggplant juice. Discard the juice as it is very bitter.
While the eggplants are roasting, prepare the other ingredients.
Transfer the eggplant on a cutting board a roughly chop them. Transfer the chopped eggplants to a new mixing bowl.
Add the diced peppers, the parsley, the onions and set aside.
In a mini food processor, or the bowl of a blender, add the garlic, the vinegar, the olive oil and the lemon juice. Beat until the garlic is completed mashed and you have a thickened, light green mixture.
Add the liquid to the bowl with the eggplants and stir gently until all the ingredients are combined and the vegetables are spread evenly. Season with salt to taste.
Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour, to allow the flavors to blend.

Notes

I find that this dish tastes so much better the next day, so I typically make it the day before. All the flavors settle and the garlic intensifies.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Cooking the eggplants on the barbeque gives them a nice, smoky flavor that oven/broiler roasting just can't do.

Some recipes call for using a blender to puree the eggplants resulting in a dip with a creamy, smooth texture. The method described above is a more traditional way.

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Nutrition