This dip knocked my socks off when I had it the first time in Turkey. right then I knew I had to get the recipe, luckily it wasn’t hard to get, the dip is somewhat like Mutabaal, a popular dip all over the Levantine region. I want to say this recipe is close to what I ate.
We’ve had so much fun experimenting with and sharing some delicious over the years and this one might just be one of our favorites. This easy roasted eggplant dip is packed with flavor. The base starts with a smoky roasted eggplant, along with toasted walnuts, tahini, creamy Greek yogurt, garlic and lemon juice. We bump up this dip with some amazing garnishes like more toasted walnuts, fresh herbs, tart sumac, chili flakes, and a drizzle of pomegranate molasses(optional) + e.v olive oil to take it to the next level.
Trust me when I say one bite and you’ll be HOOKED. It’s such a great hummus alternative that’s perfect for dipping crackers, pita chips, veggie crudités, and toasted pita slices, and would even make a yummy spread on a sandwich.
Share it with friends and family for smaller get-togethers! No one will be able to get enough.
Everything you’ll need to make the best Eggplant Dip
Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Eggplant: we’re roasting 1 large or 2 small-medium eggplants for this dip, which gives it a lovely natural smokiness.
- Tahini: the dip gets extra creamy with mildly bitter, creamy tahini. I love this brand from Israel, it is creamy and runny, exactly the texture I love. It is possible to find it cheaper in some Middle Eastern stores, but for sure on Amazon, but it’s pricy.
- Lemon juice: a little fresh lemon juice adds the perfect amount of acidity.
- Greek Yogurt: Adds volume and creaminess thats essential, also takes away some of the bitter smokiness off the eggplant.
- Roasted Walnuts: you’ll toast some walnuts either on a pan or oven, and pulse a few times to get a coarse flour like texture. This adds a nutty, toasty, rich base to the dip. Then finally garnish with extras for crunch.
- To garnish: top this dip with a drizzle of e.v olive oil or pomegranate molasses (optional), more roasted walnuts, sumac, chili flakes and fresh parsley.
Eggplant Walnut Dip
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant or 2 small
- 2 small cloves garlic
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
- ¼ cup walnuts toasted
- 2 tbsp tahini, heaped tbsps
- 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
- salt and pepper as needed
Garnishes** see notes
- e. v olive oil
- sumac
- ground cumin
- chili flakes
- parsley or mint
- pomegranate molasses
- toasted walnuts
Serving Suggestions
- cut raw Veggies
- Pita or pita chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and place both halves face down on the baking sheet. Pierce the eggplant halves a couple more times so the steam can escape.** see notes for roasting on a bbq.
- Bake eggplant until very soft, blackened and wrinkly on the exterior, about 40-45 minutes. Remove eggplant and let cool slightly.
- In a food processor, pulse the walnuts until they are finely ground. Next to the food processor, add the tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, garlic,, salt, and pepper. Process until smooth and creamy.
- Once cooled scoop the soft flesh out of the cooled eggplant and transfer it to the food processor. Pulse the food processor motor a few times until you have a slightly chunky, but mostly smooth and luscious dip, scraping the sides down if necessary.
- Adjust the dip for seasoning if necessary. Transfer the dip to a shallow bowl, spread it in concentric circles making a couple of deeper trenches for the beautiful olive oil and garnishes to accumulate. Garnish with sumac, chili flakes/paprika, ground cumin, parsley, olive oil, and pomegranate molasses if using.
- Serve the dip at room temperature with vegetable crudies, pita chips or crackers or part of a summer meal with meatballs, Shirazi salad and pitas.
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