Total Time: About 1 hour 15 minutes, plus several hours or overnight for resting
Recipe By: Global Table Adventure
Servings: 4-8
Ingredients:
- 3 eggplants
- 4 red bell peppers
- 3 ripe tomatoes
- 2–5 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 1–2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2–3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Prepare the vegetables. Rinse the eggplants and poke them several times with a fork to allow steam to escape while roasting.
- Roast the vegetables. Place the eggplants, bell peppers, and tomatoes on a grill over medium-low heat. Roast for about 1 hour, turning occasionally, until the vegetables are very soft and their skins are deeply charred and wrinkled. Alternatively, roast them in a 350°F oven until completely tender and charred.
- Roast the garlic (optional). For a sweeter, mellower garlic flavor, wrap the garlic cloves in foil with a little olive oil and roast for about 30 minutes, until soft. Raw garlic can be quite sharp in this dip, especially when freshly made.
- Peel and drain. Allow the roasted vegetables to cool enough to handle. Scoop the eggplant flesh from its skin. Peel the charred skins from the peppers and remove their stems and seeds. Remove the tomato skins if desired. Drain off as much excess liquid as possible, especially from the eggplant.
- Blend. Add the roasted vegetables, garlic, parsley, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper to a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is blended but still has some texture. Avoid completely puréeing it into a smooth paste.
- Rest. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for several hours or preferably overnight. This gives the flavors time to meld and allows the sharpness of the garlic to mellow.
- Serve. Bring to room temperature before serving, or serve chilled, with warm pita, crusty bread, crackers, or as a vegetable spread.