Hi!
The dip queen strikes again! That’s me by the way. Just talking about myself in the third person like a total narcissist hah. My friends call me this because I’m always the one that brings a homemade dip to the party. I also have a whole section on my recipes page dedicated to dips. I really love making them because what’s better than chips and dip? In my opinion, not much.
This dip is a play on a classic, baba ganoush, which is a middle eastern dip usually involving eggplant roasted over coals and then mixed with tahini, lemon juice, and various seasonings.
Instead of roasting the eggplants over coal or a grill, I chose to roast the eggplant in the oven at 425.
I went with 5 baby eggplants because that is what the grocery store had. One large eggplant will work just as well. My small hands for reference on how small these were..
Baby eggplants!
I poked holes in the eggplant to help them cook faster and roasted them at 425 for about 35 minutes until they were nice and soft.
Once the eggplant is cooled slightly I peel off the skin and place the roasted flesh into the food processor. The skin is pretty bitter which is why I choose to omit it in the dip.
In the food processor went the roasted eggplant, olive oil, garlic, parsley, calabrian chili, tahini, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and honey.
A quick pulse together and that’s it! So delicious.
I like to top it with a little drizzle of olive oil and a dash of smoked paprika. This dip has such a nice savory flavor from the roasted eggplant and a little heat from the calabrian chili.
Roasted Eggplant Dip
Makes 2 cups of dip
Ingredients:
- 1 large eggplant, or 4-5 baby eggplants (yields about 2 cups of roasted eggplant)
- ¼ cup tahini
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (or apx juice of 1 lemon)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp honey
- 3 tbsp flat leaf parsley, just the leaves
- 1 clove of garlic, chopped
- ½ tbsp calabrian chili (or crushed red pepper flakes)
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- ½ tbsp black pepper
- garnish options: drizzle of olive oil, cracked black pepper, smoked paprika, parsley
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Use a fork to poke holes in the eggplant all around. Roast for about 35 minutes until the eggplant is nice and soft.
- Once eggplant is cool enough to handle, peel all the skin off and place the flesh into the food processor with the rest of the ingredients. Pulse a few times until everything is incorporated. Season to taste.
- Garnish and serve with pita chips or veggies.
Ain’t no party like a dip party! My favorite hummus recipe is coming tomorrow!
xx Chelcie
