Eggplant Hummus

Eggplant Hummus is a fabulous snack to prepare when having guests over to entertain. When having friends visit, prepare something that will make friends take notice of your culinary prowess. This treat goes well with crackers, pita chips, or fresh vegetable chips.  

One hint I cannot leave out, is to cut back on the garlic to a desired taste. Sometimes the garlic will overpower the flavor and make your dip bitter as it marries in the fridge.  

Ingredients

• 1 (1 1/2-pound) eggplant or 3 Japanese eggplants, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• Olive oil, for drizzling, plus 1/3 cup
• Kosher salt, for seasoning, plus 1/2 teaspoon
• Freshly ground black pepper, for seasoning, plus 1/4 teaspoon
• 1 (15-ounce) can cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/3 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 hothouse cucumber, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450° and place an oven rack in the middle.

Place the eggplant on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. 

Set aside to cool.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the cooled eggplant, beans, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped. With the machine running, gradually add 1/3 cup of olive oil until the mixture is creamy. Season with salt and pepper, to taste

Place the hummus in a dipping bowl and serve with the cucumber slices. Alternatively, spoon the hummus over the cucumber slices and arrange on a serving platter.