Melitzanosalata Recipe (Greek Eggplant Dip)

Melitzanosalata is a traditional Greek eggplant dip made with roasted or chargrilled eggplants, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar and parsley. It’s easy to prepare and belongs to a staple of Greek recipes or Greek dishes known as “mezze” (small plates) in Greek.

a hand scooping bread into a bowl with a kitchen towel nearby and 2 eggplants with garlic. — Enjoy this aubergine dip with plenty of bread

Jump to:

Why you'll love this recipe
Ingredients
How to make melitzanosalata
Expert tips
FAQ’s
Video - how to make it
More Greek eggplant recipes
📖 Recipe

Why you'll love this recipe

It's perfect for sharing. Be like the Greeks and share your food! Variety is the spice of life, and nothing is more inviting than a choice of foods all laid out for everyone to enjoy. Enjoy it along with a selection of other Greek dips such as tzatziki, taramasalata and htipiti. Add some crusty bread (or flatbread), and you have a feast fit for a Greek king!
It’s a great way to use up eggplants. If you somehow end up with too many eggplants during eggplant season, I highly urge you to make this melitzanosalata recipe. It’s as easy as roasting, peeling and blending.
It’s perfect if you’re following a plant-based diet. Greek cuisine might be synonymous with its roast lamb; however, vegan Greek food has a heavy focus on greens and plants. Melitzanosalata is a humble roasted eggplant dip packed with flavour and a great way to introduce yourself and others to this eating style.

Ingredients

Eggplants: Use the large, purple variety (these are sometimes referred to as American eggplants). These eggplants have a meaty texture and are perfect for roasting or grilling, and hold their shape well.
Garlic Cloves: It’s almost compulsory! The garlic adds an intense flavour and another signature taste to our melitzanosalata.
Red Wine Vinegar: The vinegar provides acidity and rounds out the flavours of the remaining ingredients. Substitute with lemon as an alternative.
Fresh Parsley: Adds an earthy and fresh flavour to the dip
Olive Oil: Helps to emulsify and bring everything together. Be sure to use an excellent Greek extra virgin olive oil when making melitzanosalata.

Optional ingredients

Breadcrumbs: This is entirely optional. I find that adding a tablespoon helps to keep everything together without the dip being too runny.
Smoked Paprika or Liquid Smoke: Melitzanosalata is traditionally made by charring the eggplants over an open flame, giving it its signature smoky flavour.
If you don’t have access to an open flame, try cheating by adding ½ teaspoon of good quality smoked paprika or a few drops of liquid smoke.

How to make melitzanosalata

For the full melitzanosalata recipe - see the recipe card at the end of the post.

Step 1 : Place eggplants on a lined baking sheet and roast in a preheated oven (180 deg C - 350 F) for 1 hour.
Step 2 : Once the eggplants are cooked, allow them to cool on the baking tray for half an hour.

Email This Recipe

Enter your email and we’ll send the recipe directly to you!

Step 3: Very gently peel the skin of the cooked eggplants.
Step 4: Place the eggplant flesh in a colander to drain for half an hour.

Step 5: Place the eggplant flesh, garlic, breadcrumbs, olive oil, salt, pepper and parsley in a food processor and blend until smooth (make sure there is a little texture - we don't want eggplant paste).
Step 6: Serve the melitzanosalata immediately or refrigerate for a few hours and serve later.

Expert tips

Broil or grill your eggplants. If you don’t have a gas stove and prefer a more pronounced smoky eggplant flavour, you can broil your eggplants instead. (This process should take approximately 20 minutes). Place your eggplants on a baking tray and place them under a hot broiler. Cook until the skin on the whole eggplant is blistered (be sure to turn periodically to get all sides).
Use a fork to prick the eggplant flesh before roasting.
Use a fork instead of a food processor. If you prefer not to use a food processor, place all the ingredients for the melitzanosalata in a medium bowl and mash roughly with a fork. Just be sure to finely chop your garlic in advance. The texture will be a little more on the chunky side but still equally delicious.
Add roasted peppers. If you want to make this delicious Mediterranean eggplant dip, “next level” fold through a small chargrilled red pepper once it has been blended or mashed. It adds an extra smoky hit and a delicious flavour.
Top tip: use fresh lemon juice if you don’t have any vinegar on hand. It works just as well.

a bowl of Greek eggplant dip surrounded by an eggplant, sliced bread and a head of garlic — The most divine roasted eggplant "salad"

FAQ’s

How do you pronounce melitzanosalata?

Melitzanosalata is pronounced meh-lee-tza-no-sa-lata. It is derived from two Greek words - melitzana (eggplant) and salata (salad), which translates as eggplant salad. You’ll often see it in a Greek restaurant labelled as “Greek eggplant salad.”

Can you freeze melitzanosalata?

It is not something I recommend as I find the dip becomes watery after defrosting.

What is the difference between melitzanosalata and baba ghanoush?

A lot of variations exist in the Middle East, and baba ghanoush is one of them. While these two dips share many similarities, the primary difference is that baba ghanoush has a good quantity of tahini added to it. This delicious Greek eggplant dip focuses on the eggplant allowing it to be the star of the dish.

Why do my eggplants taste bitter?

If you end up with a bitter eggplant, try removing the seeds. This will help remove any bitterness.

Is melitzanosalata vegan?

Yes. There are no animal-derived ingredients in it.

Video - how to make it

More Greek eggplant recipes

If you've tried this melitzanosalata or any other recipe on the blog - don't forget to rate it and leave a comment below. You can also follow the blog on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest OR sign up to the Newsletter for the latest delicious recipes.

📖 Recipe

a close up of a bowl with Greek dip in it

Melitzanosalata - Greek Eggplant Dip

4.67 from 9 votes

Prep: 10

Cook: 1

Total: 1 10

Servings: serves

Cuisine: Greek

Author: Peter G

PRINT PIN

📩 Save this recipe!

Enter your email and we’ll send the recipe directly to you!

Conversions

Metric - US Customary

Ingredients

▢ 2 eggplants
▢ 5 cloves garlic
▢ 1½ tablespoon breadcrumbs
▢ ⅓-½ cup extra virgin olive oil, (adjust as necessary)
▢ 3 tablespoon vinegar, red wine
▢ pinch salt and pepper, to taste
▢ ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, loosely packed

Instructions

Place eggplants on a lined baking sheet and roast in a preheated oven (180 deg C - 350 F) for 1 hour.
Once the eggplants are cooked, allow them to cool on the baking tray for half an hour.
Very gently peel the skin and place the eggplant flesh in a colander to drain for half an hour.
Place the eggplant flesh, garlic, breadcrumbs, olive oil, salt, pepper and parsley in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Serve the melitzanosalata immediately or refrigerate for a few hours and serve later.

Peter's Tips →

Broil or grill your eggplants. If you don’t have a gas stove and prefer a more pronounced smoky eggplant flavour, you can broil your eggplants instead. (This process should take approximately 20 minutes). Place your eggplants on a baking tray and place them under a hot broiler. Cook until the skin on the whole eggplant is blistered (be sure to turn periodically to get all sides).

Use a fork instead of a food processor. If you prefer not to use a food processor, place all the ingredients for the melitzanosalata in a medium bowl and mash roughly with a fork. Just be sure to finely chop your garlic in advance. The texture will be a little more on the chunky side but still equally delicious.

Add roasted peppers. If you want to make this delicious eggplant dip, “next level” fold through a small chargrilled red pepper once it has been blended or mashed. It adds an extra smoky hit and a delicious flavour.

Nutrition

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

Made this recipe?Please consider !

This post was originally published in February 2015, but was republished with completely new pictures, step-by-step instructions and video in March 2021.

Comments

4.67 from 9 votes (8 ratings without comment)

Why you'll love this recipe