Name: Eggplant Dip (Salata de vinete)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 4 large eggplants; 1/4 cup sunflower oil (or any mildly flavored vegetable oil); 1/2 onion (roughly chopped); 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)

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!

Eggplant Dip

I’m really happy to share this recipe with you today because it’s one I grew up with! It’s my mom’s recipe and we’ve been making this for as long as I can remember. I mentioned before, I’m not crazy about eggplants, but this dish is one of my favorites, honestly.

You can serve this dip as a spread on some nice crusty bread with some sliced tomatoes on the side, oh man, it doesn’t get better than that. It is the simplest recipe in the world, only 4 ingredients and it’s just to die for! I grew up eating this spread/dip, and it’s probably one of the first things I ever learned how to make!

What Is “Salata De Vinete”?

“Salata de vinete” simply means eggplant salad, though it really isn’t a salad and more of a dip or spread. This recipe is as Romanian as it gets, which is one of the reasons I love to whip it out for guests who might not be super familiar with Romanian cuisine. With just 4 ingredients this dip or spread really exemplifies that simple, quality ingredients can come together and make magic happen.

We want to make sure the eggplants are either roasted or grilled until they are fork tender and easy to peel. As a result, this eggplant dip has a real nice and smoky flavor. I’ll include a section below detailing how to best prepare your eggplant, for novices and kitchen pros alike! If you’re a fan of baba ganoush, get ready to meet your new favorite eggplant delicacy.

Ingredients In Eggplant Dip

Keep scrolling for the full recipe and ingredient amounts.

Oil – Traditionally we use sunflower oil. If you can’t find it use another neutral tasting oil, just not olive oil. Olive oil has a very strong flavor, we want more of a mildly flavored oil.
Eggplant – We’re using 4 large eggplants today to get lots of dip.
Onion – Whatever kind of onion you’d like. We won’t be cooking down this onion, instead it will be introduced raw so use an onion variety that is a bit more mild if you’d like.
Seasoning – Just salt to taste.

How To Make Eggplant Dip

Keep scrolling for the full recipe and ingredient amounts.

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.

What Can I Serve With This Dip

Besides nice crusty bread to spread this dip over, to then be topped with some sliced tomatoes, there’s definitely some other perfect accompaniments. This dish is vegan, gluten free, and nut free so it’s perfect for a crowd!

Pita bread
Crackers
Carrot sticks
Sliced cucumbers
Tortilla chips
Bell pepper slices
Celery sticks

Tips For Getting The Most Out Of Your Eggplants

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.
Be sure to let the dip cool completely in the fridge before serving it, this will ensure the texture and flavor are right.
You can add fresh garlic if you’d like, be sure to add it once the dip is blended.
Don’t use olive oil in your dip, use more of a mildly flavored oil.
For a more creamier dip, try adding a bit of mayonnaise to it when blending. It’s really great!

Looking To Take Your Spread To The Next Level?

Now that you’ve tried and fallen in love with salata de vinete, it’s time for you to take my next favorite snack for a test drive. Roasted Eggplant And Pepper Spread is about to become your next obsession, and luckily I’ve got a recipe for it right here on the blog! I recommend keeping a jar of both on hand in the fridge at all times.

How To Store Leftover Eggplant Dip

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.

More Eastern European Delicacies To Try:

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