Spicy Eggplant Dip with Homemade Pita Chips

I have to admit, I would be lost without my gas grill. It’s my favorite for summer cooking, and now that I live in Southern California, I can use it year round. It’s so nice to walk to the farmer’s market a block away and then grill fresh, seasonal, local produce on the same day. Grilling eggplant is my favorite way to cook it. There’s something about grilling in general which I find really relaxing and fun, even if it’s just for one. Eggplant cooks very quickly on the grill and the best part is that there’s nothing to really clean up. I got the idea for this recipe from watching the Barefoot Contessa. She uses a charcoal grill to get a more intense smoky flavor for her eggplant dip. However way you decide to cook your eggplant, this recipe won’t disappoint you! If you don’t have a grill, you can certainly roast the eggplant in the oven for this recipe instead. Just cut the eggplant in half, prick it with a fork, brush both sides with olive oil, and bake at 400F for about 50 minutes or until soft all the way through (turn eggplant half way through). This dip is meant to be chunky and easy to scoop up with crispy pita chips. It’s literally bursting with flavors – it’s creamy, spicy, lemony, salty, and garlicky. There’s a hint of mint that’s just right. I just wanted to keep eating more and more! The pita chips are also super tasty. The cumin on the pita chips adds depth and aroma and keeps you coming back for more. Homemade pita chips are the way to go! They have so much more flavor compared to store bought pita chips and they’re so easy to whip up. The combination of flavors from the dip and pita chips is really quite delicious. I had about 4 friends over for a socially distanced happy hour outside and paired this dip and chips with Barefoot Contessa’s Cosmos. My friends pretty much devoured all of it! (You can find her Cosmo recipe here.) It also goes well with rose or any white wine. It’s quite filling and none of us were super hungry after this delicious appetizer. If you make this recipe, make sure to take a picture and tag @thefriendlyepicurean on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook or Pin this recipe on Pinterest! (You will need a food processor or high powered blender for this recipe.)

Grilled Eggplant Dip

Servings: 4-6
Time: 45min
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

For the eggplant dip:

3 medium Italian eggplants, cut in half lengthwise
1/4 cup vegan sour cream (such as Tofutti brand)
2 cloves garlic
3 tbs fresh lemon juice
3 tbs of fresh chopped mint leaves plus more to garnish
1 tbs Sriracha sauce
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp Kosher salt plus more to taste
1/4 tsp paprika to garnish

For the pita chips:

4 whole pitas, cut into wedges
1 tbs kosher salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin powder
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 375F. Combine paprika, cumin, and salt in a small bowl. Brush both sides of pita bread with olive oil and place on baking sheets without overlapping. Sprinkle each piece with spice mixture and bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool while preparing eggplant dip. Start grill on medium heat. While grill is heating up, brush eggplant halves with olive oil on both sides. Grill on each side for about 6-8 minutes or until eggplants are very soft all the way through. Allow to cool completely, then scoop out eggplant into food processor and discard skins. Add vegan sour cream, garlic, lemon juice, mint, Sriracha, olive oil, and salt. Pulse in food processor for about 30 seconds until ingredients are combined but still chunky. Add more salt to taste and mix well. Sprinkle with paprika, chopped mint, and a little olive oil just before serving.