The Best Mediterranean Dip Recipe- Roasted Pepper and Aubergine Dip
What is this roasted red pepper and aubergine dip? Perhaps a love child of muhammara and baba ganoush, this dip is sweet, creamy, garlicky, smoky and a little bit nutty. And it’s super moreish.
This is a great dip to share with friends at a party or as part of a mezze board. I’d say 6-8 people could enjoy a good portion of this dip, depending on how hungry they are. Then again, me and Remi can easily destroy this between the two of us- it really is impossible to stop once you get going!
Muhammara or baba ganoush?
Muhammara is a classic levantine dish, made from roasted red peppers and walnuts. It usually contains aleppo chilli as its main spice, so has a bit of a kick to it! Baba ganoush is a creamier grilled aubergine dip, made with garlic and tahini, and a dash of lemon. Both of these dishes are so delicious on their own, but their combined flavours could only be even better!
I wanted to combine the luxurious creaminess of baba ganoush with the fresh nutty flavours of muhammara- a delicate balance. Well, if the inability to pull Remi away from this dip is anything to go by, I think I got it. Ground almonds give the dip consistency whilst adding a nutty, creamy flavour. Garlic and lemon juice give the dip a fresh zing, and the cumin and smoked paprika give it the smoky depth it needs.
How to make roasted red pepper and aubergine dip
I find it far easier to roast the peppers and aubergine for this dip. It’s less fussy than grilling and I trust it enough to leave the veggies in the oven whilst doing something else, without worrying about over-grilling. I start by cutting the aubergine in half lengthways, then laying it cut-face down on an oven tray next to the peppers. The peppers are left whole and all of the vegetables are brushed with plenty of oil. These are then roasted in the oven for around half an hour, until the skins are charred.
In the meantime, I like to get all of the other ingredients measured out and into the food processor. This is the ground almonds, maple syrup (you can also sub agave here), garlic, lemon juice, cumin, salt and smoked paprika.
When the vegetables have charred skins, remove them from the oven. Put the aubergines to one side, and place the peppers in a bowl and cover. We try not to use cling film in the kitchen, so I just place a plate on top of the bowl. This process traps the steam, making it much easier to peel them afterwards.
Using a spoon, scoop the flesh from the roasted aubergine and discard the skin. The flesh can be a little wet, so you have the option of putting it into a sieve here and pressing it to remove some of the liquid. This is completely optional and will just dictate how wet your dip is.
After about 5 minutes, take the peppers out of the bowl to cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skins, seeds and stalks. Add the peppers to the food processor along with the other ingredients, and process until smooth.
Once the dip is smooth, I add the aubergine. I think that you lose a bit of the creamy goodness of the aubergine if it’s completely blended into the dip, so I either just stir it through or lightly pulse in the food processor.
How to serve roasted red pepper and aubergine dip
The dip is best served at room temperature. I like to top it with some flaked almonds and parsley, and a good drizzle of olive oil, but wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to dive straight in! This goes great with grilled or toasted pitta breads or hummus flatbreads, but is also lovely with fresh and crunchy slices of cucumber, carrot and pepper. I also love to eat this on the side of a big slice of vegan tortilla (also known as Spanish omelette).
For a little something different, a batch of these tofu nuggets works a dream alongside this too. I’d also recommend whipping up a quick batch of Turkish sumac onions to enjoy on the side- they add an awesome crunch and punchiness!
How to store
This dip will keep well in the fridge in an airtight container for 4 days. In my opinion, the flavours are even better after a day or two! I like to leave it to warm to room temperature before eating.
Looking for more dip recipes?
I love some homemade carrot and broad bean hummus for another smooth and creamy option. If you’d like something a little chunkier, this coriander free pico de gallo is completely raw and so quick to throw together!
Roasted Pepper and Aubergine Dip- The Best Mediterranean Dip Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 red bell peppers
- 1 aubergine
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°c/ fan 180°c/ gas mark 5.
- Cut the aubergine lengthways, brush with olive oil, and place cut face down on an oven tray. Brush the red bell peppers with the remaining oil and place on the tray next to the aubergine. Roast for 30 minutes until the skins are charred, turning the peppers halfway through.
- Remove from oven when charred. Place the aubergine to one side, and put the peppers in a bowl. Cover the bowl for 5 minutes to slightly steam the peppers. This will help with removing the skins.
- When cool enough to touch, remove the peppers from the bowl and peel them. Remove the skin, stalks and seeds- this should be very easy to do after steaming them.
- Place the peppers in a food processor along with the almond flour, maple syrup, garlic, lemon juice, cumin, salt and smoked paprika. Blend until smooth.
- Use a spoon to scoop the flesh from the aubergine. If you would like to, push it through a seive to remove some of the liquid. Otherwise, add straight to the food processor and pulse until just combined. Transfer to a bowl and serve with warm grilled pitta.
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Recipe turned out really well in the end, but the instructions say to preheat the oven to 200°. I did that and it certainly did not cook anything in 30 minutes. I ended up Cooking it for 45 minutes and then finally popping it under the boiler for about 15 minutes to achieve the charring. Nevertheless, the eggplants still weren’t cooked. I am a beginner, so this was difficult for me, but once I figured out what I needed to change, it came out really well!
Apologies, this recipe is in Celsius rather than Fahrenheit! If using Fahrenheit, you will need to put them in around 390 degrees 🙂
I would like to try this recipe, can I substitute almond flour with normal cake flour
Hi Sarah, unfortunately almond flour is essential to this recipe and cannot be replaced with cake flour.