Eggplant Dips & Spreads

This silky dip gets its flavor from garlic and thyme, stuffed into slits in the eggplant before it's grilled. For a rustic look and feel, serve it on crispy grilled crostini.

This smoky dip's flavors get stronger -- and better -- when it sits in the fridge for a couple of days. Try keeping it on hand to serve when friends drop by for a drink, or to add it to sandwiches.

Enjoy the smoky flavor and minty aroma of this terrific lighter version of baba ghanoush, a Middle Eastern dip.

Creamy dips are often laden with fat, but yogurt makes an eggplant-and-onion version a guilt-free pleasure; we used baked pita chips for dipping.

Briny olives bring a gratifying richness to this Mediterranean-inspired eggplant dip.

The tangy relish that tops these crostini is very versatile -- it also works as a quick pasta sauce or sandwich spread. The recipe was adapted from "Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast."Also try:Crostini with Tuna and White Bean Puree, Crostini with Fresh Ricotta and Grilled Radicchio

An old Russian favorite, this dish goes perfectly atop pita bread or served as a dip.

Roasting the eggplant in its skin steams the flesh, turning it soft and silky—great for a dip to serve with pita wedges as an appetizer.

Update baba ghanoush for Halloween by making the smoky eggplant dip as dark as night—with black tahini. Serve with homemade grissini "snakes."

This roasted-eggplant dip, made silky by the addition of yogurt, arrives alongside crisp, Herb-Rubbed Pitas for easy scooping.

If making ahead of time, store baba ghanoush in an airtight container in the refrigerator, up to one week. Garnish with parsley just before serving.