Melitzanosalata Recipe

• servings: 6 servings
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 large eggplants

1 to 2 large garlic cloves (minced)

¼ red onion finely chopped (about 1/3 cup, more for garnish)

1 cup chopped fresh parsley (packed, more for garnish)

Kosher salt and black pepper

1/2 tsp each ground cumin and crushed red pepper flakes, more to your liking (optional)

1 lemon (zested and juiced)

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (more for later)

A few

Feta cheese (a sprinkle for garnish, optional)

Directions

Keep the eggplant whole and pierce with a fork in a few places.

Smoke the eggplant. Place the eggplant over a gas flame, grill or under a broiler, and cook, turning around using a pair of tongs, until the skin is fully charred, and the eggplant is quite tender.

Cool and drain eggplant. Place the eggplant in a bowl and set aside until cool enough to handle (a bowl is helpful because the eggplant will release some juices). Peel the charred skins off and discard. Cut the eggplant into chunks and place in a colander to get rid of any remaining excess juices (about 10 more minutes).

Transfer the eggplant to a mixing bowl. Add the garlic, onion, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil. Add salt and pepper and spices (if using). Mix to combine and use your fork to break up the eggplant into smaller chunks.

At this point, if you have the time, it’s a good idea to cover and chill the eggplant dip in the fridge for a few brief minutes.

Transfer the eggplant dip to a serving plate and spread. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil. Arrange Garnish with lemon zest, parsley, red onions, olives, a sprinkle of feta. Serve with crusty bread or pita bread.

Nutrition

• Calories: 129.8 kcal
• Total Fat: 9.5 g
• Saturated Fat: 1.3 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 7.7 g
• Sodium: 106.6 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 12 g
• Dietary Fiber: 5.5 g
• Total Sugars: 6.1 g
• Protein: 2.1 g