Healthy Greek Roasted Eggplant Dip

This Greek inspired eggplant dip is the perfect healthy mid-afternoon snack. This is a roasted eggplant dip easy enough for the Super Bowl or as a Game Day snack. It is a great make-ahead healthy dip appetizer for any gathering or crowd. Naturally gluten free and only one swap to make it vegan!

Roast eggplant and garlic together. Whip it with Mediterranean ingredients of feta, lemon juice and olive oil. So creamy and delicious. And, it is the perfect make-ahead snack! It tastes like a lemony roasted eggplant hummus.

In Los Angeles, one of my favorite restaurants serves whipped eggplant dip. The Mediterranean dip is addicting, so of course I wanted to recreate it! Funny enough, my late grandmother had an eggplant and garlic dip that she would make when I was growing up. She would roast eggplant with garlic stuffed inside of it. This gives the eggplant an even stronger garlic flavor that’s to die for!

Growing up, I was the pickiest eater. Meaning I wouldn’t eat anything that wasn’t chicken nuggets, white rice or plain white sandwich bread. The more I learned to cook, the more I experimented trying new foods. Sadly, this was after my grandmother passed, meaning I can’t remember if I ever even tried her eggplant dip.

One of the many reasons that I love food is that it is tied to so many memories and brings us closer together. In honor of what would have been my grandmother’s birthday today, I like to dream of us comparing eggplant dip recipes.

HOW TO MAKE GREEK ROASTED EGGPLANT DIP

STEP ONE: Stuff halved eggplants with garlic cloves by creating cuts with a knife.

STEP TWO: Roast eggplant halves skin side up.

STEP THREE: Blend roasted eggplant and garlic. Add lemon juice, Extra Virgin Olive Oil and feta until smooth.

STEP FOUR: Serve and enjoy!

TIPS TO MAKE EGGPLANT AND GARLIC DIP

• STUFFING EGGPLANT WITH GARLIC. Make knife cuts into the eggplant half. Place the knife straight into the eggplant and carefully rotate right and left a few times. This will create a small opening in the eggplant. Then take the garlic and stuff it in the small cuts you created.

• ROASTING EGGPLANT. Roast eggplant halves with the skin side up. This will make sure that the garlic roasts along with the eggplant. The skins will take the brunt of the heat and protect the inside from burning.

• SCOOP THE EGGPLANT. Scoop the roasted eggplant and garlic into the blender (or food processor). I used a large spiked spoon (almost like a spork) to pierce the eggplant to scoop from the skin. You can let the eggplant sit for 15-minutes after roasting so that you can handle it with your hands. Then you can also use your fingers to pull any stuck parts of the eggplant.

• BLEND THE DIP. Blend the dip for 30-seconds, until it becomes smooth.

• CONSISTENCY. The consistency of this healthy roasted eggplant dip is similar to a more runny hummus. To thicken up the dip, add more feta.

DIET SUBSTITUTIONS FOR GREEK EGGPLANT DIP

• VEGAN / DAIRY FREE. For a vegan eggplant dip, substitute the feta for a vegan feta. My favorite is from Violife – the taste and consistency is almost unrecognizable from traditional feta.
• PALEO / WHOLE30. Make substitute for vegan feta.
• GLUTEN FREE. This side dish is naturally gluten free!

WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS MEDITERRANEAN EGGPLANT DIP

Serve this eggplant dip as you would a hummus. Top with parsley and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. You can also add a sprinkle of paprika!

Serve with a plate of crudité, like carrots and celery. You can also serve with pita bread or pita chips, my personal fave! Other options are: chips or on top of a Greek-inspired protein bowl.

Pair with a pitcher drink like a non-alcoholic cucumber agua fresca or a rosé sangria with berries. If you’re in the mood for a cocktail, try pairing with a skinny margarita. No matter what, you’ll definitely want healthy baked steak and arugula sandwiches you can make in bulk!

Healthy Greek Roasted Eggplant Dip

This Greek inspired eggplant dip is the perfect healthy afternoon snack. Roasted eggplant and garlic together & whipped with other Mediterranean ingredients. Makes 2 cups.

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Recipe by Elise Shivamber

5 from 1 vote

Course: Side DishesCuisine: GreekDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Calories per Serving

98

kcal

Ingredients

• 2 Eggplants

• 14 Garlic Cloves

• 1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 1 Lemon (juiced)

• 1.75 OZ Feta (or ⅓ Cup)

• 1 TSP Salt

Directions

• Pre-heat the oven to 425ºF.
• Smash the garlic cloves to remove the skin and make sure they are thin enough to stuff into the eggplant. Do this by placing the knife blade horizontal to the cutting board and garlic clove, with the edge facing away from you. While holding the knife handle with your non-dominant hand, use a fist or the lower palm of the other and press firmly down on the blade to smash the garlic. The skin should come off immediately and easily.
• Place the eggplants skin side down on a cutting board or baking tray.
• Make knife cuts into each eggplant half. Place the knife straight into the eggplant and carefully rotate right and left a few times. This will create a small opening in the eggplant.
• In each crevice, take a garlic clove. Stuff it in the small cuts you created. Add a clove of garlic (or half of a clove) into each crevice. If there is more garlic left, make more holes.
• Brush the top of each eggplant half (the side with the cloves) with 1 tsp neutral oil (like canola or avocado oil). (You can use your fingers)
• Place each eggplant half skin side up on a greased or aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. This will make sure the skin gets dark while the inside and garlic roasts. Spread the eggplants out evenly – I used two smaller baking sheets.
• Roast for 30-minutes. 
• After done, let sit for 15-minutes to cool down. This will make it easier to handle.
• Using a spoon, scoop the roasted eggplant and garlic straight into the blender (or food processor). You can use your hands to rip the difficult parts out of the skins.
• Add lemon juice, feta, extra virgin olive oil and salt to the blender.
• Blend for 30-seconds or until smooth and creamy. 
• Empty into a bowl and serve immediately or keep in a airtight container for up to seven days.

Tips & Tricks

• CONSISTENCY. The consistency of this healthy roasted eggplant dip is similar to a more runny hummus. To thicken up the dip, add more feta.
• STUFFING EGGPLANT WITH GARLIC. Make knife cuts into the eggplant half. Place the knife straight into the eggplant and carefully rotate right and left a few times. This will create a small opening in the eggplant. Then take the garlic and stuff it in the small cuts you created.
• ROASTING EGGPLANT. Roast eggplant halves with the skin side up. This will make sure that the garlic roasts along with the eggplant. The skins will take the brunt of the heat and protect the inside from burning.
• SCOOP THE EGGPLANT. Scoop the roasted eggplant and garlic into the blender (or food processor). I used a large spiked spoon (almost like a spork) to pierce the eggplant to scoop from the skin. You can let the eggplant sit for 15-minutes after roasting so that you can handle it with your hands. Then you can also use your fingers to pull any less soft parts of the eggplant.
• BLEND THE DIP. Blend the dip for 30-seconds, until it becomes smooth.

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