Eggplant Dip (Greek Melitzanosalata)

A flavourful Greek eggplant dip, which is the perfect addition to your meze (appetizer) platter, a delicious side for a meaty dish or just on its own! This is the simplest, no fuss version of the traditional Greek melitzanosalata recipe with only three very simple, straightforward steps to follow. This traditional Greek eggplant dip (melitzanosalata) is best served with some crusty bread or home-made pitas and also as part of a meze platter with some spicy feta cheese dip.

4 large purple eggplants
½ red onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ cup extra-virgn olive oil (125 mL)
4 Tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
3 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat an oven to 400°F (200°C/180°C fan, Gas Mark 6).

To prepare this super easy melitzanosalata recipe (Greek eggplant dip), start by baking the eggplants in a preheated oven. You could either bake them whole or sliced, depending on the time you have available. If you choose to bake them whole, use a fork to make some holes on the aubergines, place on a tray and bake for about 1 hour.

Alternatively for a quicker version of this melitzanosalata recipe, cut the eggplants in slices and place them on a baking tray, lined with parchment paper. Coat with olive oil, sprinkle with fresh thyme, season with sea salt and pepper and add 1-2 cloves garlic. Cover with parchment paper and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, until tender.

For this melitzanosalata recipe you need to use only the flesh of the eggplants. Peel the eggplants and dice the pulp.

Place the pulp and the other ingredients in a large bowl and vigorously mix with a wooden spoon. (If you prefer your melitzanosalata to have a creamier texture, then add the ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse, adding the olive oil gradually on a steady stream. Alternatively mash the eggplants using a fork). Let the melitzanosalata (Greek eggplant dip) cool down and put in the fridge to allow the flavours to mingle.

Serve the melitzanosalata in a small bowl garnished with a whole black olive and toasted pita bread.

Makes 8 servings.