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side view shot of a bowl of eggplant dip surrounded by toasted bread
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4.80 from 40 votes

Eggplant Dip (Salata de vinete)

This Eggplant Dip is a traditional Romanian eggplant dip or spread, known as "salata de vinete", served with bread, made with only 4 ingredients. Super easy to nake and incredibly delicious!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Chilling time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Salad, Snack
Cuisine: Romanian
Keyword: eggplant dip, eggplant recipe
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 160kcal
Author: Joanna Cismaru

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 4 large eggplants
  • ¼ cup sunflower oil or any mildly flavored vegetable oil
  • ½ small onion roughly chopped
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Cook the eggplant: You can either grill the eggplants or roast them in the oven at 375 degrees. Place them on a baking sheet, poke some holes in the eggplants with a fork, this is a very important step. If you don't poke them, you'll risk them exploding in the oven. Make sure they are baked really well, for about 45 minutes, turning them every 15 minutes using a pair of tongs. Once they are done, let them cool completely.
  • Peel the eggplants: Once cooled start peeling them using a knife. If you've cooked them enough, the peel should come off easily. Make sure to remove any of the dark peel. Transfer them to a colander over a bowl and let them drain for about 20 minutes. You want to extract as much water out of them as possible.
  • Blend the dip: Place the eggplants in a food processor, add the onion, salt and oil and pulse a few times until smooth. Chill for about 30 minutes before serving, it's best served cold.

Notes

  1. It's critical to poke holes in your eggplant before baking it, once I forgot to poke holes in the eggplants, and they literally exploded in my oven.
  2. Be sure to let the dip cool completely in the fridge before serving it, this will ensure the texture and flavor are right.
  3. You can add fresh garlic if you'd like, be sure to add it once the dip is blended.
  4. Don't use olive oil in your dip, use more of a mildly flavored oil.
  5. For a more creamier dip, try adding a bit of mayonnaise to it when blending. It's really great!
  6. You can store this dip in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. This recipe also freezes well too, freeze for up to 3 months and allow to thaw completely before feasting.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 160kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 200mg | Potassium: 713mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 70IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg