Smoky Eggplant Dip
I remember the first time I received eggplant in my CSA basket. I’m pretty sure I had never tasted eggplant before, let alone tried to prepare it. I was at a complete loss.
So I did what I do whenever I receive something new in my basket: I began to search for recipes.
Thankfully, I stumbled across a recipe for eggplant burgers. And my family loved them.
Every time I received eggplant in my basket, I made eggplant burgers. You can imagine what happened next.
We got tired of them.
I got tired of making eggplant burgers. And my family got tired of eating them.
So I began searching for recipes again, and stumbled across this recipe for smoky eggplant dip from Smitten Kitchen. I admit I was a bit apprehensive at first, given that I’ve never attempted to char anything over a gas flame, but I decided to give it a try.
I’m so glad I did.
This dip is amazing, and we absolutely love it. It’s a nice change of pace from our favorite hummus, and a great way to incorporate eggplant into your diet. Charring the eggplant prior to roasting results in a rich, smoky flavor that really enhances the dip. It’s a step that is absolutely worth the time.
I generally serve this smoky eggplant dip with homemade tortilla chips and carrot sticks, but we also love to spread it inside a whole wheat pita and add cherry tomatoes and a generous handful of greens.
I made a few modifications to the original recipe and have shared them below. I’ve tried the various preparation methods outlined in the original recipe, and prefer the texture created by the food processor. I also double the recipe to make sure we have enough for a couple of days. If you don’t have a gas stove, the charring can be done on a gas grill or even under the broiler in your oven.
I hope you enjoy this smoky eggplant dip as much as we do.
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplants (about 1 pound each)
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 2 garlic cloves
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided
- Toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375 degrees.
- Brush a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon coconut oil, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sea salt. Set aside.
- Prick whole eggplants on each side with a fork.
- Place one eggplant over gas burner and set flame to medium. Rotate eggplant every few minutes until evenly charred. Transfer to a cutting board to cool, and repeat with remaining eggplant.
- When cool enough to handle, trim off stem and slice each eggplant lengthwise with a knife. Place face down on prepared baking sheet.
- Roast for 35 minutes, or until eggplants are tender.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
- When cool enough to handle, scrape flesh from each eggplant into the bowl of a large food processor.
- Add tahini, garlic cloves, lemon juice, cumin, cayenne pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the chopped parsley.
- Pulse several times, until desired texture is achieved. We like our dip to be fairly smooth, but if you prefer more texture, simply pulse until ingredients are just combined.
- Transfer to a bowl, and sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped parsley. Serve with carrot sticks and homemade sprouted grain tortilla chips. Note: I reserve the remaining parsley in an air-tight container to sprinkle on top again as needed.
