ROASTED AUBERGINE (EGGPLANT) & RED PEPPER DIP

This roasted aubergine & red pepper dip is bursting with rich smokey flavours. Use it as a dip for your charcuterie board, a mezze party starter, sandwich spread, pasta sauce or add it to your salad bowl for extra flavour. It’s so versatile! Vegan & gluten free.

Whilst the aubergine season (or eggplant as my friends across the pond prefer to call it) is underway, I thought of making Russian style ‘aubergine caviar’, which my mum made a lot when I was younger. I’m not sure why we used to call it caviar (‘ikra’ in Russian), as it looks nothing like the traditional fish caviar. Nevertheless, it used to be one of my favourite mum’s recipes.

When I set off making the aubergine caviar, I started playing with extra ingredients, just because I thought they would go so well together. As a result, my recipe didn’t turn out quite like my mum’s traditional aubergine caviar but it was so delicious in its own right that I thought I have to share this recipe on my blog.

Why you’ll love eggplant & red pepper spread

• Roasted smokey flavours of this dip come together as one delicious marriage. You won’t be able to put that spoon down!
• It’s really versatile – you can use it as a dip for your charcuterie board, as a sandwich spread, pasta sauce or add it to your salad bowl for extra flavour.
• Full of nutrients, which makes it a great addition to your healthy diet.
• A great recipe to make-ahead, especially if you’re into meal prep.

Key ingredients

• Aubergines
• Red peppers
• Onions
• Carrots
• Garlic
• Tomato paste
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Spices: cumin, chilli flakes & black pepper
• Parsley

How to get your aubergine dip taste the best

• Roast aubergines & red peppers. Roasting intensifies the flavours & adds a little smokey note to the dip.
• Removing the skin from roasted vegetables removes slight bitterness of aubergine and makes the dip more silky & smooth.
• Use good quality extra virgin olive oil.
• Aubergines tend to absorb a lot of moisture & flavours, so be generous with your seasoning.

Step by step instructions

Step 1

First of all, arrange the red peppers and aubergines on a roasting tray lined with baking foil. Prick the aubergine with a fork. Season both vegetables with salt & pepper, drizzle a little olive oil and roast in the oven for 35-40 minutes at 180C/350F.

Step 2

Whilst the vegetables are roasting, sauté the onions, garlic and carrots in a frying pan with a little olive oil. Then add the spices and tomato paste and cook for a couple of minutes.

Step 3

Once the red peppers and aubergines are out of the oven, wrap them up in foil and allow to sweat for 10-15 minutes. This will make peeling the skin much easier. Cut the peppers in half, remove the seeds and peel the skin, then dice into cubes. Now remove the skin from the aubergines and cut into cubes (no need to scoop out aubergine seeds, they add extra texture).

Step 4

Add roasted vegetables into the frying pan and cook for 5-8 minutes to allow the flavours to mingle. Set aside and allow to cool down.

Step 5

Finally, transfer the dip into a food processor and blitz for a couple of minutes until smooth (you might want to add extra olive oil at this stage). If you prefer your dip chunky, skip this stage. Garnish with fresh parsley or herbs of your choice & serve with warm pita bread.

Storage & freezing

Place the aubergine spread into a sealed container & keep refrigerated. It’ll keep for up to 4 days. It’s also freezer friendly and will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just make sure you allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight.

Looking for more healthy dips?

Try some of the readers’ favourire recipes below:

• SMOKED PAPRIKA HUMMUS (VEGAN, GF)
• CAULIFLOWER DIP (GF & VEGAN)
• BUTTERNUT SQUASH HUMMUS

In conclusion, I really hope you’ll give this delicious aubergine & red pepper dip a try. If you recreate this recipe, I’d love to read your comments and hear your feedback. Be sure to drop a comment here on the blog, tag me in your photos on Instagram @Fit Foodie Nutter, Facebook or Pinterest .

Healthfully yours,

Tania x

ROASTED AUBERGINE (EGGPLANT) & RED PEPPER DIP

This roasted aubergine & red pepper dip is bursting with rich smokey flavours. Use it as a dip for your charcuterie board, a mezze party starter, sandwich spread, pasta sauce or add it to your salad bowl for extra flavour. It’s so versatile! Vegan & gluten free.

4.63 from 8 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine British

Servings 2 cups

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 medium aubergines
• 2 red bell peppers
• 2 white onions
• 2 carrots
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• Black pepper to taste
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste
• ½ teaspoon red chilli flakes
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• A bunch of fresh parsley

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Arrange red peppers and aubergines on a roasting tray lined with baking foil. Prick the aubergine with a fork. Season both vegetables with salt & pepper, drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil and roast in the oven for 35-40 minutes.
• Whilst the vegetables are roasting, sauté the onions, garlic and carrots in a frying pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add ground cumin, chilli flakes & tomato paste and cook for a couple of minutes.
• Once the red peppers and aubergines are out of the oven, wrap them up in foil and allow to sweat for 10-15 minutes. Cut the peppers in half, remove the seeds and peel the skin, then dice into cubes. Now remove the skin from the aubergines and cut into cubes.
• Add roasted vegetables into the frying pan and cook for 5-8 minutes to allow the flavours to mingle. Set aside and allow to cool down slightly.
• Transfer the dip into a food processor. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, a bunch of fresh parsley and blitz for a couple of minutes until smooth. If you prefer your dip chunky, skip this stage. Taste the dip and adjust the seasoning (salt & pepper), if required.
• Garnish with more parsley. Serve warm or cold. Refer to the blog post for storage instructions.

Keyword Aubergine & red pepper dip, vegan aubergine dip, eggplant dip, vegan eggplant recipes

Making this? I’d love to see!Tag your snaps @Fit.Foodie.Nutter and #fitfoodienutter