Melitzanosalata
Eggplants, garlic and extra-virgin olive oil come together in this Greek starter — 55 minutes, 6 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 6 steps.
You'll mainly reach for grill / broiler. At easy difficulty across 6 steps, it's a good one for a busy evening. As written, the ingredients are plant-based.
What you'll need
Shopping list (1)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Prick the eggplants all over with a fork and char them whole directly over a gas flame or under a hot broiler, turning often for 20 to 25 minutes until the skins blacken and the flesh collapses to soft.
- Set the eggplants in a colander to cool, then peel away and discard all the charred skin and let the flesh drain for 10 minutes to shed bitter juices.
- Chop the drained flesh finely on a board, or pulse briefly, keeping a little texture rather than a smooth purée.
- Mash in the crushed garlic, lemon juice, and vinegar, then beat in the olive oil a little at a time until the dip turns creamy and pale.
- Fold through the chopped parsley and finely diced red onion, then season with salt and pepper and adjust the lemon to taste.
- Chill for at least 30 minutes to let the smoky flavor settle, then serve drizzled with a little extra olive oil alongside warm bread.
You'll use: Grill / broiler
Ingredient substitutions
- Lemon
- lime · 1 tbsp white wine vinegar per lemon
- Red Wine
- beef stock + 1 tsp red wine vinegar · grape juice + vinegar
What to serve with Melitzanosalata
- Garides Saganaki Seafood
- Moussaka Beef
- Honey Yogurt Cheesecake Dessert
- Stuffed Lamb Tomatoes Lamb
Tips & common questions
How long does Melitzanosalata take to make?
About 55 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 8 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of lemon?
Try lime. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Melitzanosalata vegan?
Based on its ingredients, this recipe contains no meat, fish, dairy or egg, so it looks vegan-friendly. Always double-check labels on packaged items.
Related recipes
Melitzanosalata is an original Greek recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Eggplant salad.JPG by Badseed, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.