Prep Time 10min Cook Time 30min
by Catherine Newman
I am a fan of eating dip for dinner, or packing it up for a school lunch. Because that's how it is around here. And I don't mean that bacon-horseradish dip and Ruffles makes a perfectly fine meal, although, yum. But hummus and bean dips and veggie dips — why not? The zuke dip is, like its eggplanty cousin baba ganoush, addictively garlicky, minty, and lemony, with a smoky vegetal undercurrent from the zucchini. If it's the zucchini you're most desperate to use up, the flesh of the behemoths tends to be excessively seedy and watery. So, in a pinch (I do this), you could quarter a huge one lengthwise and slice out and discard the super-seedy interior before proceeding with the recipe. That works just fine.
What you'll need
- 1 1/2 pounds small or medium zucchini, scrubbed, trimmed, quartered lengthwise (or halved if they're small) and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon plus 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or half as much table salt)
- 1 clove garlic, smashed and peeled
- juice of one lime, plus half of its finely grated zest
- a large handful of cilantro, washed and dried
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
Helpful Tip:
Unless you've been living under the Dannon factory, you know about Greek yogurt, right? Super-thick, super-rich. I love it as a dip ingredient because it adds so much creaminess without liquefying anything
How to make it
- Heat the oven to 450ºF. Toss the zuke cubes with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of salt, then spread them in one layer on a large, rimmed baking sheet and roast for around 30 minutes, until they are browned in spots and very soft, but not burnt (duh, but I thought I'd say it). Let them cool slightly so they don't cook the cilantro when you blend them.
- In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, whir together the zukes and the garlic, then add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, the lime juice and zest, the cilantro, and the sugar, and blend, stopping the machine to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed, until it forms a coarse puree.
- With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil, then whir in the yogurt and taste the mixture, adding more salt or lime juice as needed for maximum zing. Serve with crackers or chips.