• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Your Guardian Chef
  • About
  • Start Here
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Start Here
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Subscribe
    • Amazon
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Start Here
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Shop
    • Subscribe
    • Amazon
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Sauces, Pate and Toppings

    Easy Aubergine Caviar (Eggplant Caviar)

    Published: Aug 27, 2019 · Modified: Jun 2, 2024. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    Recipe Jump to Video
    Aubergine caviar may sound sophisticated, however it is very simple to make. It is baked aubergine with plenty of garlic, thyme and olive oil. #yourguardianchef #aubergine #eggplantrecipes

    Aubergine caviar, or eggplant caviar, may sound sophisticated, however, it is very simple to make. It is made with baked eggplants with plenty of garlic, thyme and olive oil. A Summer vegan delight!

    Eggplant dip in a bowl served with socca chips
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Step by step instructions with images
    • How to serve it
    • Top tips
    • Storage
    • More vegan/vegetarian dips
    • Recipes with eggplants you might also like
    • 📋Aubergine caviar - Eggplant Caviar

    Aubergine caviar is the French name for an eggplant dip you can serve at buffets or parties. I like to serve it over a bruschetta, and if I have some leftover, I serve it with pasta.

    I have found many versions of this recipe with many more ingredients, but I prefer the simplicity of this version.
    Aubergine caviar

    Ingredients

    You need very few ingredients:

    • 3 eggplants
    • 6 peeled garlic cloves
    • 6 spring of thyme
    • olive oil
    • salt and pepper

    You can also use the round eggplants, they normally have fewer seeds than some long ones.

    ingredients for eggplant caviar

    Step by step instructions with images

    1. Wash the eggplants and cut them in half.
    2. Lay them on a baking tray over a sheet of aluminium foil.
    3. Make diagonals diamond shape cuts and inset in the cuts the slices of garlic cloves.
    4. Sprinkle with thyme, salt pepper and olive oil.
    5. Cover with another sheet of aluminium foil and let it cook in a hot oven at 355 F - 180 C for 1 hour.
    6. Remove from the oven, and let it cool down completely.
    7. Remove only the skin of the eggplants, and put the pulp along with the garlic into a blender.
    8. Using the blender mix it until it has a pure texture
    9. Serve it sprinkled with some virgin olive oil and parsley on top to give it a bit of color.

    process for aubergine caviar
    How to serve it

    I usually serve it together with other dips or toppings, and you can read my article on 4 Bruschette Toppings Using Virgin Olive Oil.

    tray with 4 dips to serve with bruschette

    Top tips

    • Make sure the eggplants don't have too many seeds
    • If you prefer you can substitute thyme with basil
    • The eggplants have to steam in the oven, so keep the temperature at 180 C - 350 F and cook them for a longer time if the pulp is not completely soft.
    • Keep them cover in foil
    • Let them cool down before you peel them, they will be very hot
    Socca chips dipping into the aubergine caviar

    Storage

    The eggplant caviar keeps in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, stored into an airtight container.

    It is actually better if it is made the day before serving it, as the eggplants have the time to really absorb the flavor of the garlic and the herbs.

    It can be frozen, although, its taste is better when fresh.

    More vegan/vegetarian dips

    If you are interested in more vegan dips, you can find the recipe for Black Olive Tapenade Recipe or Sicilian Caponata, which is a sweet and sour vegetable stew made with eggplants and other vegetables.

    You can also try the Ciambotta or Giambotta, an Italian vegetable stew that can also be served as a side dish.

    I also have a summery red pesto sauce made with fresh tomatoes or a winter Hot Artichoke Dip With Parmesan And Garlic for a vegetarian dip.

    For more appetizers with eggplants, check out the story: 15 Authentic Italian Eggplant Recipes

    Caponata on a serving dish and slices of baguette-1

    I served this eggplant caviar with Socca chips, they are chips made with chickpeas flour cooked in the oven. Unfortunately, they are only sold here in the Cote d'Azur and they are delicious.

    Socca is classic street food from Nice and if you want to try to make it, you will find here the recipe:

    Socca or Farinata: chickpeas pancakes

    Socca or Farinata: Chickpea Flour Pancakes

    Recipes with eggplants you might also like

    For more eggplant recipes, check out the category: Mediterranean Vegetables & Fruits

    Also check the recipes below:

    • Grilled zucchini eggplants and peppers
    • Baked Eggplant Pasta Anelletti
    • Sicilian Caponata Recipe
    • Deep Fried Eggplant Balls
    • Easy Ratatouille Recipe Baked
    • Healthy Eggplant Parmesan
    • Pasta with Swordfish Ragu and Eggplants
    • Vegetarian Rice Timbale with Grilled Eggplants Recipe
    • Pizza with Fresh Vegetables
    • Traditional Pasta Alla Norma with Eggplants
    slice of rice timbale

    If you are making the Eggplant caviar, leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram or sign up to my newsletter.

    Socca chips dipping into eggplant caviar

    📋Aubergine caviar - Eggplant Caviar

    5 from 2 votes
    Laura Tobin
    Servings 8 people
    Prep Time 30 minutes mins
    Cook Time 1 hour hr
    Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
    Print Recipe Save Saved! Pin Recipe
    Aubergine caviar may sound sophisticated, however, it is very simple to make. It is made with baked eggplants with plenty of garlic, thyme and olive oil.
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Braun blender

    Ingredients
     

    • 3 eggplants
    • 6 peeled garlic cloves
    • 6 thyme
    • olive oil
    • salt & pepper

    Instructions
     

    • Wash the aubergines and cut them in half.
      3 eggplants
    • Lay them on a baking tray over a sheet of aluminum foil.
    • Make diagonals diamond shape cuts and inset in the cuts the slices of garlic cloves.
      6 peeled garlic cloves
    • Sprinkle with thyme, salt pepper and olive oil.
      6 thyme, olive oil, salt & pepper
    • Cover with another sheet of aluminium foil and let it cook in a hot oven at 350F - 180C for 1 hour.
    • Remove from the oven, and let it cool down completely.
    • Remove only the skin of the eggplants, and put the pulp along with the garlic into a blender.
    • Using the blender mix it until it has a pure texture
    • Serve it sprinkled with some virgin olive oil and parsley on top to give it a bit of colour.
      olive oil

    Video

    Notes

    • Make sure the eggplants don't have too many seeds
    • If you prefer you can substitute thyme with basil
    • The eggplants have to steam in the oven, so keep the temperature at 180 C - 350 F and cook them for a longer time if the pulp is not completely soft.
    • Keep them cover in foil
    • Let them cool down before you peel them, they will be very hot

    Nutrition

    Calories: 47kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 1gSodium: 3mgPotassium: 406mgFiber: 5gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 75IUVitamin C: 5.7mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 0.6mg
    Tried this recipe?Please consider Leaving a Review!
    important notes on ingredients

    More Sauces, Pate and Toppings

    • authentic Genovese Pesto Sauce
      How To Make The Authentic Genovese Pesto Sauce
    • red onion relish on a ramekin
      Caramelized Sweet Red Onion Relish Recipe
    • Ham Hock Terrine on a tray served with bread
      Easy Leftover Ham Spread Terrine
    • homemade mayonnaise in a bowl eggs in a corner
      How To Make Homemade Olive oil Mayonnaise Recipe

    Your Guardian Chef Mug Collection

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Patty @pattysaveurs.com

      August 04, 2017 at 3:00 pm

      5 stars
      Lovely recipe Laura, I love this aubergine caviar, never made it though, I really should remember about it for my next gathering, seems that everybody loves it! 🙂

      Reply
      • Laura

        August 06, 2017 at 4:01 am

        the name is so posh, but it is really very simple

        Reply
    2. Anna

      October 05, 2018 at 8:48 pm

      Nice recipe but so far the aubergines (which are quite small) have been in the oven for 1h 45 minutes and they need about another 15 minutes so I’m glad I wasn’t making this on a time limit.

      Reply
      • Laura

        October 06, 2018 at 6:37 am

        Anna, thank you for your feedback. Usually, 1 hour is enough for me. Did you cover them with aluminium foil? If too long they will dry too much. This recipe is best to make ahead of time as it has to cool down before serving.

        Reply
    3. Gala

      October 27, 2019 at 2:18 pm

      5 stars
      Laura, very interesting! I love eggplant caviar but have slightly different recipe. Usually, caviar is fish eggs meaning:) I thought it is only in Russia , where I am from, this unusual name for this kind of dishes. In Russian cuisine we have also squash caviar ( deep, spread), eggplants caviar, mushroom caviar, beets coviar... I like your blog and need visit more often!

      Reply
      • Laura

        October 28, 2019 at 5:14 am

        Thank you Gala for your comment. In France, they use the name caviar a lot, especially here in the South of France where there is an historic strong influence from Russia. The French love to use fancy names for food. Caviar makes it so refined

        Reply
    5 from 2 votes

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Laura Giunta Tobin

    Hi, I’m Laura. Welcome to my blog! While many talk about Italian food, I’ve lived it firsthand. Here, I share real Italian home cooking, just as it’s made in Italy. Won’t you join me?

    More →

    Popular posts

    • Stuffed Round Courgettes
      Stuffed Round Courgettes - Round Zucchini
    • Italian gelato recipe vanilla, chocolate and pistachio balls in a serving bowl
      Italian Gelato Recipe (Vanilla, Chocolate and Pistachio)
    • Pasta a frittata Italian fried pasta
      Pasta a Frittata: Italian Fried Pasta
    • Chiacchiare Italian fried cookies
      Chiacchiere - Italian Fried Cookies

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Cookie Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Acceptable use policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • About
    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Your Guardian Chef

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.