Vegan aubergine and walnut spread

Vegan aubergine and walnut spread with tahini, garlic and lemon juice: creamy, nutty and savoury. A simple spread for bread, made with just a few ingredients.

At a glance

• Serves 6
• Prep time: 10 min
• Cooking time: 25 min
• Total time: 35 min
• Calories: 95 kcal per serving
• Protein: 3 g
• Fat: 7 g
• Carbs: 5 g

Ingredients

• 2 aubergines
• 30 g walnuts
• 1 tbsp tahini
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 pinch of pepper
• 1 pinch of paprika

Method

You’ll need: oven · frying pan · baking tray · stick blender · chopping board · knife

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C fan). Halve the aubergines, lay them cut side up on a baking tray and brush with olive oil.
2. Roast the aubergines at 200 °C for 30–35 min, until the flesh is very soft and lightly browned at the edges. Leave to cool briefly.
3. Meanwhile, toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan until fragrant. Scoop the aubergine flesh out of the skins.
4. Put the aubergine flesh in a tall blending jug with the walnuts, tahini, garlic and lemon juice. Blend briefly until creamy but still slightly chunky.
5. Season to taste with salt, pepper and paprika. If needed, adjust the texture with a little more lemon juice or olive oil.
6. Spoon into a clean jar and serve well chilled, for example on toasted bread or with raw veg.

Good to know

A spread like this looks rather plain – until it lands on fresh bread. Creamy, savoury and full of depth, without being heavy.

Swaps

Walnuts → almonds (more vitamin E) | tahini → white almond butter (milder, a little more vitamin E) | olive oil → avocado oil (also provides unsaturated fats) | lemon juice → pomegranate molasses without added sugar (more tartness and a few more polyphenols)

Allergens

Contains tree nuts (walnuts) and sesame (tahini). For children, season mildly and reduce the garlic if needed. In pregnancy it's fine with fresh, well-washed ingredients, kept properly chilled.

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