Roasted Kale and Eggplant Tapenade
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Author Notes: Not quite a pesto, nor tapenade, nor hummus, this recipe takes elements of each and introduces a new cast of ingredients. Roasted kale and eggplant star, united by a process that renders one crisp, the other soft. The textural juxtaposition is balanced as the two are pureed together and infused with garlic and Italian herbs. Pistachios contribute a subtle nuttiness with balsamic vinegar adding a note of sweetness to round out the complexity of flavors in this Mediterranean-inspired spread.
A recipe that is easy to tweak according to personal taste, it is delicious at room temperature served with toasted rustic bread as a crostini, as a sauce for pasta or to top grilled meat / poultry. - alasully - alasully
Food52 Review: This fun summer dip is a nice alternative to hummus or babaganoush. The crispy kale and pistachios give the finish a nice texture and the balsamic adds a lovely touch of acidity. Grab the pita chips and dig in! - thehappycook - thehappycook
Makes 2 cups
- 4 cups torn kale
- 1 large eggplant
- 4-5 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (plus additional for drizzling)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (plus additional for drizzling)
- dried Italian herbs (basil, thyme oregano)
- sea salt
- 1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup roasted pistachios
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel 4-5 cloves garlic and set aside.
- Peel eggplant and cut into 1/2 inch slices lengthwise. Lay them in a pan, sprinkle both sides with sea salt and allow to sweat for about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, wash about 4 cups of kale, pat dry with a towel and remove tough stems. Toss kale with olive oil and place in an oven-safe pan. Roast for 5 minutes, check and turn with tongs. Continue roasting for an additional 5 minutes until browned and slightly crisp. Remove from oven and set aside.
- After eggplant has rested, squeeze pieces between a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Cut into smaller pieces and combine with garlic cloves in a roasting pan (you can transfer the kale to a plate and reuse that pan for convenience). Drizzle eggplant and garlic with balsamic vinegar and olive oil and generous sprinkle with dried Italian spices of your choice (basil, thyme, oregano).
- Roast eggplant and garlic mixture for about 30 minutes, checking and stirring after 15. Eggplant should be very tender and browned. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
- In a food processor, pulse together roasted kale, eggplant and garlic with 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley and 1/4 cup roasted pistachios. Consistency should be smooth but not lacking texture.
- Taste and tweak seasonings to your liking. Best served at room temperature atop a toasted crostini round.
- This recipe is a Community Pick!
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Greens
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7 months ago Riss
Made this last night. I did not have pistacios so I used walnuts. It turned out really well! Delicious on a Wasa cracker. The only other thing I changed was to add a squeeze of lemon to give it a little more of a brighter, fresher finish.
11 months ago Fig and Quince
Kale is my new passion and pistachio is an old flame and I'm mad for eggplants. I just can not wait to try this.
about 1 year ago Chef D'OBryan
I tried this tonight at home. It's amazing! Even my 3 year old was loving it. I followed the recipe except I forgot fresh parsley at the store (so I used a few shakes of dried). It was still fantastic. Thanks for sharing!
over 1 year ago alasully
I love pepitas and urge you to give it a try! Unfortunately didn't have any on hand this time around...
over 1 year ago boulangere
Cynthia is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.
Lovely combination. I have a pesky nut allergy. Would pepitas work here?