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Inspired by Ina Garten’s recipe, this easy Roasted Eggplant Dip is full of roasted vegetables and fresh herbs. Enjoy this healthy dip with pita wedges, on a sandwich, or as part of a mezze platter.
Ina Garten does it again! Her five-star Roasted Eggplant Spread recipe is the inspiration for my easy Mediterranean dip. Each time I serve this easy-prep spread, friends and family beg for the recipe. So here it is, ready for your next party (or for tonight’s dinner appetizer).
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Eggplant: Look for an eggplant with firm skin and feels hefty for its size. Heavy eggplants tend to be fresher and more hydrated than their lighter, similarly-sized peers. Avoid eggplant with any soft spots, discoloration, or wrinkling.
- Tomato paste: Since you’ll only need 1 tablespoon for this Roasted Eggplant Dip, try to find the tomato paste in a tube rather than a can to extend its life. Cento, Amore, and Tuscanini all offer tubes of tomato paste that tend to be widely available across America and online.
- Crushed red pepper flakes: Not a fan of heat? Simply omit the pepper flakes. Prefer it fiery? Add extra!
Step-by-step instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil for easy cleanup. In a large bowl, combine eggplant, red bell pepper, onion, garlic, and thyme. Drizzle with olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and toss to combine.
- Spread on prepared baking sheet and roast until the vegetables are soft and lightly browned, about 45 minutes, stirring halfway through roasting time. Cool 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a food processor and add tomato paste. Pulse until blended, 3 or 4 times. Transfer to a bowl and stir in lemon juice, red wine vinegar, sugar, and red pepper flakes.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes six snack-sized servings of Roasted Eggplant Dip; each slightly more than ⅓ cup.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: To freeze, pack into freezer-safe containers leaving at least 1/2-inch headspace for expansion. Label, date, and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Some separation may occur when it thaws. Just stir to recombine if it looks watery.
- Dress up your dip: Serve with purchased or Homemade Pita Chips, Toasted Baguette, fresh vegetables, crackers, store-bought or Homemade Tortilla Chips, or as a sandwich spread. Or enjoy alongside my Homemade Hummus with Za’atar Butter and Olive Tapenade for a full Mediterranean snack platter.
Recipe FAQs
What is baba ganoush?
Baba ganoush is a thick Mediterranean sauce or dip made of eggplant, sesame seeds (usually in the form of tahini), garlic, lemon, and olive oil. It’s similar to this recipe, but we don’t add tahini.
Do you have to peel eggplant?
Eggplant skin is 100% edible. We peel it here to control the texture of the dip (so it’s uniformly smooth). Leave some peel on when you want the eggplant to hold its shape better, such as in Eggplant Parmesan.
More easy vegan recipes
Meal Planning
Vegan Mediterranean Bowl
Stews and Soups
Sweet Potato Chili
Vegan Recipes
Cauliflower Tinga Tacos
Appetizer Recipes
Bruschetta on Baguette
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Roasted Eggplant Dip
Inspired by Ina Garten's recipe, this easy Roasted Eggplant Dip is full of roasted vegetables and fresh herbs. Enjoy this healthy dip with pita wedges, on a sandwich, or as part of a mezze platter.
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (see note 1)
- 2 red bell peppers stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 red onion peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste (see note 2)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes optional (see note 3)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil for easy cleanup.
- In a large bowl, combine eggplant, red bell pepper, onion, garlic, and thyme. Drizzle with olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and toss to combine.
- Spread on prepared baking sheet and roast until the vegetables are soft and lightly browned, about 45 minutes, stirring halfway through roasting time. Cool 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a food processor and add tomato paste. Pulse until blended, 3 or 4 times. Transfer to a bowl and stir in lemon juice, red wine vinegar, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Eggplant: Look for an eggplant with firm skin and feels hefty for its size. Heavy eggplants tend to be fresher and more hydrated than their lighter, similarly-sized peers. Avoid eggplant with any soft spots, discoloration, or wrinkling.
- Tomato paste: Since you’ll only need 1 tablespoon for this Roasted Eggplant Dip, try to find the tomato paste in a tube rather than a can to extend its life. Cento, Amore, and Tuscanini all offer tubes of tomato paste that tend to be widely available across America and online.
- Crushed red pepper flakes: Not a fan of heat? Simply omit the pepper flakes. Prefer it fiery? Add extra!
- Yield: This recipe makes six snack-sized servings of Roasted Eggplant Dip; each slightly more than ⅓ cup.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.33cupsCalories: 109kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 2gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 27mgPotassium: 329mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1381IUVitamin C: 57mgCalcium: 22mgIron: 1mg
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I’ve been looking for this recipe for a while now. I saw this years ago on Ina’s Barefoot Contessa show and wanted to make it one day. My question is can you freeze this as the portions are too big for us and we would not use it all up in 4 days.
Hi Suzanne, thanks for your question! It should freeze up to 2 months, but may separate some and the consistency may change a little. I hope you try this dip! – Meggan
I actually made this for an appetizer for Thanksgiving dinner at my sister’s house last year. I used tricolor mini peppers and sweet onion, but otherwise followed the recipe. I served it at room temp with store bought pita chips. Outstanding!!!
I loved it and my sister and very fussy nieces loved it!!
I just came back to the recipe so I can make this again for myself as a snack, dinner and sandwich topper!!!
Thank you!!!
That’s great news! Those picky ones are hard to please sometimes 😉 I’m glad you found this recipe, and delighted you came back for it again. -Meggan
Delicious. Used some freshly made sauce instead of paste. So yummy if you love eggplant and roasted flavor.
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Ren! Take care! – Meggan
Delicious! Served with pita chips (pita brushed with za’atar in olive oil and grilled)
I heated the small amount of leftover dip, spread across the top of (breakfast) polenta then topped with a fried egg. Devine!
That sounds delicious! Thank you so much, Carol! I appreciate the comment! – Meggan
Love love love this!! I used 2 eggplants and only 1 red pepper since that’s all I had. I followed everything else except I cut the sugar to 1/4 tsp, which to me was perfect! Only problem was that this didn’t make more!! So good that I could have eaten all of it myself in one sitting! This recipe is a keeper!
Hi Louupnorth! Thank you for your comment! I’m so glad you loved it! – Meggan