Marinated Eggplant Hummus
Marinated eggplant hummus is a smooth chickpea and tahini dip blended with slices of garlicky, slightly sour marinated eggplant. The marinade adds a gentle tang and an extra hit of garlic, so a simple hummus turns into a real blend of flavors. You whip it up in a food processor in about five minutes, and the marinated eggplants can be prepped ahead in a jar so they are ready whenever a hummus craving hits.
Hummus is my passion, and I don’t think I would ever get bored of experimenting with new hummus recipes with new aromas and tastes. I eat hummus often, and I have noticed that its preparation has become a real pleasure! This time I tried a slightly unusual combination of flavors, adding marinated eggplant to the simple hummus recipe.
I discovered marinated eggplants a year ago and fell in love with their taste. I have used them so far in vegetable meatballs (and they were wonderful!), in pasta sauces, and in hummus. Below I will also show you how to prepare marinated eggplants in a jar, which will last a whole year. That is, if you don’t eat them faster!
What goes into this hummus
The base is a classic chickpea hummus, and the marinated eggplant is the twist that sets it apart. Here is what you’ll need for the dip:
- Chickpeas — two cans, rinsed and drained. Rinsing well keeps the flavor clean and the color pale.
- Marinated eggplant slices — about four slices, from the jars you make below (or a good store-bought jar in a pinch).
- Tahini — three tablespoons of sesame paste for that nutty, creamy backbone.
- Garlic — three cloves, raw, for a bright bite on top of the garlic already in the eggplant.
- Olive oil — for blending and a drizzle to finish.
- Ice cubes — a few, plus a splash of ice-cold water, which is the trick to a light, fluffy texture.
- Salt — to taste.
How to marinate eggplants in a jar
These jarred eggplants are the heart of the recipe, and they are worth making a big batch of. Below I will also write the recipe for three jars of marinated eggplants, using 600g jars.
- Slice four eggplants into rounds about 0.5cm thick.
- Sprinkle the slices with salt and let them sit for 20 minutes to draw out the excess liquid.
- Heat a little oil in a large pan, just enough to cover the base, and lightly fry the slices. Set them aside on a plate lined with paper towels.
- Mash the garlic, using half a garlic head per jar.
- Make the brine with warm water and vinegar (the ingredient list uses one part vinegar to two parts water). It does not need to boil, just be warm.
- Pack the eggplant slices into each jar with the mashed garlic and one teaspoon of peppercorns per jar. Pour in the vinegar and water solution and close the lid.
Tips for the smoothest hummus
- Process it long. Run the food processor on high for a full five minutes. That patience is what turns grainy into silky.
- Go cold. Add a few ice cubes and a little ice-cold water while blending. The cold water whips air in and lightens the texture.
- Drain thoroughly. Well-rinsed, well-drained chickpeas give you a cleaner, smoother result.
- Finish with oil. A drizzle of olive oil over the top adds gloss and richness right before serving.
- Taste and adjust. The marinated eggplant already brings salt and tang, so salt at the end rather than the start.
How to serve marinated eggplant hummus
Serve it as a dip with warm bread, crackers, or raw vegetable sticks, or spread it thick inside wraps and sandwiches. It also makes a lovely part of a mezze board next to olives and pickles. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, and keep any extra marinated eggplant jars sealed and cool until you open them.
Those jarred eggplants are endlessly useful beyond this dip. I love stirring them into a vegan eggplant pasta sauce or folding them into lentil and eggplant patties. And if you are still building your hummus confidence, my guide on how to make hummus from scratch and my best 5-minute hummus recipe cover all the basics.
More hummus flavors to dip into
If this one wins you over, keep the experiments going. A few of my other favorites are roasted red bell pepper hummus, avocado hummus, basil pesto hummus, and pumpkin hummus. You can browse the whole lineup in my roundup of the best hummus recipes. For another eggplant classic, the smoky mutabal tahini eggplant spread is a natural next step.
If you make this marinated eggplant hummus, I would love to know how your jarred eggplants turned out. Leave a star rating and a comment below and tell me whether yours lasted the whole year or disappeared in a week. I hope you prepare them too!
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Marinated Eggplant Hummus + How to marinate eggplants!
Ingredients
For the marinated eggplant hummus:
- 2 cans chickpeas rinsed and drained, (I used 14oz cans)
- 4 marinated eggplant slices ingredients and recipe below
- 3 Tbsps tahini
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 Tbsps olive oil
- 3 cubes ice
- salt to taste
Marinated eggplants preserve – 2-3 600g jars:
- 4 eggplants sliced
- ½ head garlic per jar
- vinegar and water – one part vinegar and two parts water / jar
- 1 tsp peppercorns per jar
- some oil
- salt
Instructions
For eggplant hummus:
- Put all ingredients in your food processor.
- Process on high speed for 5 minutes until hummus is extra-smooth.
- Add a little bit of ice-cold water in order to make it as smooth as you want.
- Drizzle with olive oil.
How to make marinated eggplants:
- Slice eggplants in 0,5cm thick slices.
- Drizzle with salt and let them sit for 20 minutes to remove all excess liquid.
- Heat some oil in a large pan. Not too much, just enough to cover the pan.
- Add eggplant slices and lightly fry them. Set them aside on a plate covered in paper towels.
- Mash garlic. Use 1/2 garlic head per jar.
- Make the vinegar + water solutions. Heat water in a pot. It doesn’t have to be boiling water, just warm. Use one part vinegar and three parts water per jar. I used 600g jars.
- Add eggplant slices in the jar. Add mashed garlic and 1 tsp pepper berries per jar. Pour in vinegar + water solution and close the jar with a lid.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Every ingredient is plant-based: chickpeas, tahini, garlic, olive oil, salt, and the marinated eggplant slices, which are preserved in a simple vinegar-and-water brine with garlic and peppercorns. There is no dairy, egg, or honey anywhere in the recipe.
They bring a garlicky, slightly sour note that lifts a plain chickpea dip into a fuller, tangier blend of flavors. Because the eggplant is already salted and marinated, it seasons the hummus as you blend, so you often need less added salt.
Yes, a good jar of marinated eggplant works well when you are short on time. That said, the homemade jarred version below lets you control the garlic, vinegar, and salt, and it keeps for a long time so you always have some on hand.
Process everything on high speed for a full five minutes, then add a few ice cubes and a splash of ice-cold water while it blends. The long processing plus cold water whips in air and gives you a light, silky texture. Rinsing and draining the chickpeas well also helps.
Sealed in jars in the vinegar-and-water brine, they can last a whole year, which is exactly why it is worth making a batch of three jars at once. Keep them sealed and cool until you open a jar, then store the open one in the fridge.
It is lovely as a dip with warm bread, crackers, or raw vegetable sticks, and it doubles as a thick spread for wraps and sandwiches. It also fits right into a mezze board alongside olives and pickles.
Such a great idea!