Creamy Roasted Eggplant and Red Pepper Dip
Tender roasted eggplant combined with sweet red bell peppers, tahini, garlic and balsamic vinegar makes up this exceptional creamy eggplant dip.
Think romesco and baba ganoush have a baby and this creamy eggplant dip is the result. It’s smoky, luscious, and oh so delicious! It has a consistency like hummus – but there are no beans in the dip, so it’s lower-carb than a bean dip.
I used the dip as a base for a roasted chickpea flatbread with caramelized onions. I’ll give the recipe for both in the recipe card just in case you want to make the flatbreads.
Last weekend we were in Vail and the Gourmet on Gore Creek food and wine festival was going on and my favorite restaurant, Sweet Basil was offering lamb gyros with a roasted eggplant tahini sauce.
I wanted to recreate the eggplant tahini sauce and because Safeway has red peppers and eggplant on sale, I decided to roast them both for a dip or spread.
Ingredients in Creamy Roasted Eggplant and Red Pepper Dip
- 1 eggplant, roasted
- 1 red bell pepper, roasted
- 1.5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 large clove of garlic
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients for the roasted chickpea flatbreads
- 2 onions, thinly sliced and caramelized
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 can garbanzo beans
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
- mini naan flatbreads
- crumbled feta cheese
- sriracha (for garnish)
How to Roast Eggplant and Red Bell Pepper
This is the easiest part of the dip.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Poke the eggplant in several places with the tines of a fork. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and brush the cut sides lightly with olive oil (about 1 tablespoon).
Place on a foil-covered baking sheet, cut side down.
Cut the red bell pepper into 4 large chunks, removing the seeds and place it on the baking sheet with the eggplant.
Roast until tender, about 35 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes
Either peel away the skin with your fingers or use a spoon to scoop the flesh out of the halved eggplant. For this dip, the skin is not used.
How to Make Roasted Eggplant Dip
Place the roasted eggplant into a food processor along with the roasted red pepper, garlic, tahini, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, and salt and pepper. Pulse until creamy. Check for seasoning.
Serve the dip with a drizzle of olive oil, some toasted pine nuts, or a sprinkle of smoked paprika.
To make the roasted chickpea flatbreads, start by placing the sliced onions and olive oil in a non-stick skillet over low heat at the same time as when you are placing the eggplant and red pepper in the oven to roast. Let the onions cook for 35 minutes until soft, translucent, and caramelized.
Meanwhile, drain and rinse the chickpeas and lay them on a baking sheet. Drizzle with a touch of olive oil, then season with smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Shake the baking sheet to coat the chickpeas.
Roast the chickpeas for 6-8 minutes while the eggplant and pepper are roasting.
Prepare the creamy eggplant dip and assemble the flatbreads.
Toast the naan, spread a layer of eggplant dip, a layer of caramelized onions, roasted chickpeas, and top with feta cheese and sriracha if desired.
Ingredients
Roasted Eggplant and Red Pepper Dip
- 1 eggplant roasted
- 1 red bell pepper roasted
- 1.5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 large clove of garlic
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
Roasted chickpea flatbreads
- 2 onions thinly sliced and caramelized
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 can garbanzo beans
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
- mini naan flatbreads
- crumbled feta cheese
- sriracha for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Poke the eggplant in several places with the tines of a fork. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and brush the cut sides lightly with olive oil (about 1 tablespoon).
- Place on a foil-covered baking sheet, cut side down.
- Cut the red bell pepper into 4 large chunks, removing the seeds and place it on the baking sheet with the eggplant.
- Roast until tender, about 35 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes
- Either peel away the skin with your fingers or use a spoon to scoop the flesh out of the halved eggplant. For this dip, the skin is not used.
- How to Make Roasted Eggplant Dip
- Place the roasted eggplant into a food processor along with the roasted red pepper, garlic, tahini, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, and salt and pepper. Pulse until creamy. Check for seasoning.
- Serve the dip with a drizzle of olive oil, some toasted pine nuts, or a sprinkle of smoked paprika.
- To make the roasted chickpea flatbreads, start by placing the sliced onions and olive oil in a non-stick skillet over low heat at the same time as when you are placing the eggplant and red pepper in the oven to roast. Let the onions cook for 35 minutes until soft, translucent, and caramelized.
- Meanwhile, drain and rinse the chickpeas and lay them on a baking sheet. Drizzle with a touch of olive oil, then season with smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Shake the baking sheet to coat the chickpeas.
- Roast the chickpeas for 6-8 minutes while the eggplant and pepper are roasting.
- Prepare the creamy eggplant dip and assemble the flatbreads.
- Toast the naan, spread a layer of eggplant dip, a layer of caramelized onions, roasted chickpeas, and top with feta cheese and sriracha if desired.
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