Rounds of soft, smoky and slightly charred eggplant are blended with garlic and fresh herbs until aromatic, slightly spicy and silky smooth. My Grilled Eggplant Dip is absolutely delicious and healthy too. The spread is wonderful spooned over grilled naan bread, tucked into a wrap or as a low-carb dip for crisp cucumbers, carrots or bell peppers. Eggplant is my new summer vegetable…it’s healthy, versatile and absolutely delicious!
To start, heat a grill to 400 deg F. Wash and trim the green stems off of three small to medium-sized globe eggplants. Slice the eggplants into ¼ to ½-inch slices and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle both sides of the eggplant rounds with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Grill the eggplant for 3-4 minutes on each side, until grill marks form and the eggplant turns tender.
Allow the grilled eggplant to cool slightly, then add it to a large food processor along with 3 cloves of garlic, ½ teaspoon of kosher salt (a bit more if using Diamond brand), 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons of water, 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley and about 8 large basil leaves. Process the ingredients for one minute until very smooth and creamy.
Serve this dip with grilled naan bread, pita chips or raw vegetables. This recipe makes about 1½ cups of eggplant dip.
Grilled Eggplant Dip
Ingredients
- 3 small-medium globe eggplant
- 3 cloves of garlic
- ½ tsp Morton's kosher salt, plus more for seasoning the raw eggplant
- 1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for seasoning the raw eggplant
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp cold water
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley
- 8 large basil leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to 400°F.
- Wash and trim the green stems from the eggplant, then slice into ¼" to ½" rounds. Place the eggplant on a pan and season each side with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt.
- Grill the eggplant for 3-4 minutes on each side until nice grill marks form and the eggplant turns tender. Remove from the grill and allow to cool slightly.
- Add the eggplant to the food processor along with the remaining ingredients. Process the dip until creamy and smooth, about one minute.
- Serve the dip with grilled naan bread, pita chips or raw vegetables. Enjoy!
- This recipe makes about 1½ cups of dip.
