A Greek dip worth making with only five ingredients. The Greeks have a simple approach to mezze or small dish recipes. Fresh herbs, fresh lemon juice, and good olive oil. Roast one quality eggplant on a grill, under a broiler or directly over the fire to develop the signature smoky flavor of this eggplant dip.

Melitzanosalata is the name you’ll see on a menu at Greek restaurant, which translates to eggplant salad. When you say salad here in America, you think of crunchy green lettuce leaves with a creamy or oily dressing. Think of this dip as a dippable salad substituting the lettuce for eggplant with a lemony olive oil vinaigrette.

Unlike its Middle Eastern cousin baba ghanoush, this recipe usually omits the tahini, letting the eggplant’s smoky earthy flavor shine. It’s a rustic chunky rather than creamy dip and it’s typically enjoyed with slices of crusty bread or warm pita, but we ate it with a crudite platter.

Carefully peel your charred eggplant and smash into a bowl to make the dip. We used a mortar and pestle to pulverize the eggplant because even roasted the eggplant needs to be smashed well. Fold in your remaining ingredients and adjust the seasonings. Refrigerate overnight for the best results.

Bring your dip to an outdoor picnic or pool party for a light refreshing treat that keeps you feeling good after enjoying. Put this spread on an appetizer table to give your loved ones a healthy option that can really inspire more simple recipes. Be sure use lots of lemon in here and bring ENOUGH because this dip will be the first to go.