Melitzanosalata {Greek roasted eggplant dip}

Melitzanosalata, a delicious Greek roasted eggplant dip, is always a winner when you put it on the table. A creamy spread that is full of Mediterranean flavors. With an extra rich flavor compared to most recipes because of the Feta cheese. And because you roast the eggplants they will get that delicious smoky taste. Serve this dip as a Mezze, lunch, or as a side dish.

A traditional Greek salad

Melitzanosalata is a traditional recipe from Greece and Cyprus. The name is derived from the Greek words Melitzana which means eggplant and Salata (salad). Literally translated it is an eggplant salad.

There are a lot of different variants of this dip, but the ingredient that's always used is, of course, the eggplant. And olive oil, garlic, red onion, lemon, and parsley are also permanent ingredients. Serve it with toasted (pita) bread slices. With the slices, you can easily scoop a little bit out of the bowl.

I added a delicious Feta cheese to the dip, to give it even more flavor (I really like Feta). This makes the dip even creamier and richer.

The feta cheese gives it more flavor and makes this dip creamy.

This recipe is adapted from the Dutch blog Claudia's Keuken.

A delicious Mezze

In Greece, you can order Mezze in bars and restaurants. Mezze are small dishes that you can share with your friends and family. And in addition to this Greek appetizer, Tzatziki and Hummus are often served at a Mezze platter. As a side, some crunchy pita bread or toasted bread is served.

And this Greek dip is also a great side dish with souvlaki, Greek kebabs, or at your Greek buffet.

• Eggplant - This is of course one of the most important ingredients in this salad. The eggplants should be firm and have no soft or discolored spots. You can prepare this dip with all sorts of eggplant.

• Red onion, garlic, and lemon juice - With these ingredients, you flavor the eggplant spread.

• Olive oil - Use an extra vierge olive oil. This gives a delicious flavor to this Greek dip. And when choosing a delicious Greek olive oil (which is fresh and fruity) it's even better.

• Parsley - Gives flavor to this salad. Get fresh parsley. You can use flat parsley or curl parsley.

• Feta cheese - This greek cheese will give a creamy flavor to this dip. You can also substitute it with Greek cheese. Do you want to make a skinny and/or vegan dip? You can omit the cheese.

🔪 Instructions

A printable recipe can be found at the bottom of this blog.

Step 1 - Roast the eggplant. To give the Melitzanosalata a smoky flavor, roast the eggplant before using it. You can do this by holding the eggplant in an open flame (at your gas stove) until the skin is burned black.

Or you can take the BBQ and roast the eggplants until they skin is black.

But in this recipe, I used the oven. Prick with a fork holes in the eggplant and roast them for an hour at 390 °F (200 °C). Let them cool slightly. You can now remove the skin quite easily.

Step 2 - Mash the roasted eggplant dip - Put the peeled eggplant in the kitchen machine. Add the onion, garlic, parsley, and feta. Pulse a few times. Then pour the olive oil to the bowl and blend until it's got the right consistency.

Some people love this Melitzanosalata with a bite. But I love a smooth dip, so I turned the machine on for a bit longer.

Step 3 - Prepare to serve. Put the Melitzanosalata in a bowl and let it cool down for at least one hour in the refrigerator.

Garnish before serving with a dash of olive oil. And you can also add crumbled feta, fresh parsley, or olives as a delicious topping. Serve the spread with pita bread triangles or roasted bread.

Do you like to eat Greek food? Then you might like these recipes too.

Did you make this recipe? Tag #byandreajanssen via Instagram. I enjoy seeing what your creation looks like. Video recipes can be found on my YouTube channel. And don't forget to save the recipes on Pinterest so you can easily find them next time!

📖 Recipe