Israeli Roasted Eggplant and Tahini Salad (Salat Chatzilim)

About This Recipe

Salat chatzilim is one of Israel's most beloved cold vegetable salads, built around eggplant roasted until the skin blackens and the interior turns completely soft and smoky, then mashed together with tahini, lemon juice and garlic into a rich, creamy dip-like salad. It's a fixture of the Israeli salad spread served at nearly every meal, alongside hummus, Israeli salad and other small vegetable dishes. The technique that defines a proper salat chatzilim is charring the eggplant's skin thoroughly, traditionally over an open flame or under a very hot broiler, since this smokiness is what gives the finished salad its signature deep flavor — roasting at a gentler temperature without real char produces a flatter, less interesting result. Once charred and completely soft, the eggplant flesh is scooped out, drained of excess liquid, and mashed rather than pureed, keeping some rustic texture rather than turning it perfectly smooth. Served cold or at room temperature with warm pita for scooping, this salad reflects the centrality of eggplant to Middle Eastern and Israeli cooking, transformed here into something smoky, creamy and deeply savory through nothing more than fire and a few simple additions.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 2 largeeggplants
• 0.25 cuptahini
• 2 tbsplemon juice
• 2 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2 tbspolive oil(plus extra for drizzling)
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 0.5 tspsmoked paprika
• 2 tbspfresh parsley(chopped)

Instructions

1. 1

   Char the eggplants

   Char the eggplants directly over a gas flame, turning with tongs, or under a very hot broiler, until the skin is completely blackened and the flesh is very soft, about 15-20 minutes.

   Real char, not just light roasting, is what gives this salad its signature deep, smoky flavor — the skin should be genuinely blackened all over.

2. 2

   Scoop and drain

   Cut the charred eggplants open and scoop out the soft flesh, discarding the skin. Let drain in a colander for 10 minutes to remove excess liquid.

3. 3

   Mash and season

   Roughly mash the drained eggplant flesh with tahini, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt and smoked paprika, keeping some texture rather than making it fully smooth.

4. 4

   Serve

   Drizzle with extra olive oil, scatter with parsley, and serve at room temperature or chilled with warm pita.

Variations

• •

  Add a spoonful of mayonnaise for a creamier, more indulgent version common in some households.

• •

  Add a small diced tomato for extra freshness and color.

• •

  Increase the garlic for a sharper, more assertive flavor.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature before serving for the best flavor, since chilled versions can taste muted.

Frequently Asked Questions