Zaalouk is a classic Moroccan cooked salad — a silky, spiced combination of eggplant and tomatoes that comes together in the most satisfying dip you’ve ever scooped up. We’ve been eating it our whole lives, and we’re convinced that once you try it, it’s going to become a permanent fixture in your rotation, too!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Moroccan Zaalouk Recipe
- One pot and about 30 minutes. Everything goes into a single pot. There are no complicated techniques and no special equipment.
- Naturally vegan and gluten-free. Made entirely from vegetables, olive oil, herbs, and spices, it works for basically every diet.
- Tastes even better the next day. The spices deepen overnight — it’s one of the best make-ahead recipes we know!
- Completely versatile. It can be a dip, spread, side dish, or sauce. We especially love it as a centerpiece of a mezze platter.
- Pantry-friendly. You likely have most of the ingredients for this zaalouk recipe already.
What Is Zaalouk?
Zaalouk is a Moroccan cooked salad. We know that sounds like a contradiction if you’re used to the American definition of salad, but in Morocco, salads are often cooked, served hot or at room temperature, and eaten as part of a spread of multiple dishes at the start of a meal. A traditional Moroccan table might have anywhere from one to three of these cooked salads sitting out alongside the main course, and zaalouk is often one of them.
The name comes from the Arabic word m’zaalak, which describes something mashed. That’s the whole technique in one word. You cook the eggplant and tomatoes until they completely break down, then mash them to your preferred consistency. The result is somewhere between a chunky stew and a smooth dip that’s super savory, warmly spiced, and finished with a drizzle of good olive oil.
Ingredients
- Eggplant – Choose a medium-sized globe eggplant with taut, shiny skin and no soft spots. Avoid the large ones — they tend to have more seeds and can be bitter.
- Tomatoes – Fresh, ripe tomatoes are traditional. You want them to break down fully during cooking, so the riper the better.
- Tomato Paste – We love using this for some extra umami and a little richness.
- Garlic – Fresh, minced cloves are best.
- Cumin + Smoked Paprika – These two spices are staples in this dish and give it its classic flavor.
- Olive Oil – We used this for both cooking and finishing. The finishing drizzle right before serving brings the whole dish together and makes for a glossy, restaurant-style presentation.
- Parsley and Cilantro – We use plenty of parsley for fresh, bright flavor. If you’re not a fan of cilantro, just skip it and replace it with more parsley!
- Sea Salt and Black Pepper – Season while you’re cooking, and adjust at the end if you need to.
- Water – A small splash will help the vegetables steam down without scorching. Add more as needed.
Substitutions and Swaps
- Paprika – If you only have regular paprika, use it with a pinch of cayenne.
- Tomatoes – Use canned crushed tomatoes and reduce the simmer time slightly.
- Acid – Add a small splash of lemon juice or white wine vinegar at the end.
How to Make This Zaalouk Recipe
One of the beauties of zaalouk is that, depending on how you cook the eggplant, it can be a one-pot dish from start to finish, or at least a very simple recipe with minimal clean-up. The key is not rushing it. Give the vegetables the full amount of time they need to break down completely and thicken. A watery zaalouk just needs more time.
Full instructions are in the recipe card below.
3 Ways to Prepare the Eggplant
The main technique variation in zaalouk is how you handle the eggplant before it goes into the pot. Here are your options:
- Stovetop – Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Then, add the chopped eggplant, and cook for 12-15 minutes or until it is soft and tender.
- Roasted – This is our favorite option and the one you’ll find on the recipe card below. Halve the eggplant, create a cross-hatch pattern, drizzle it with olive oil, and use a bit of salt and pepper to season, and roast at 400°F for 20 minutes. This concentrates the flavor and removes excess moisture before the eggplant ever hits the pot.
- Grilled – For this version, you’ll also halve the eggplant lengthwise and brush it with oil. Place it on the grill skin-side up until the skin is charred and collapsing. This gives you the closest thing to a wood-fire flavor without a grill.
Tips
Don’t rush the simmer. Twenty minutes is a minimum, not a target. If your mixture still looks watery after 20 minutes, keep going. The eggplant and tomatoes need to fully break down, and the excess liquid needs to cook off. The finished zaalouk should be thick and scoopable, not soupy.
Consistency is your call. Chunky is traditional in Morocco. A rough, textured mash where you can still see pieces of eggplant. Smooth and paste-like is also completely okay. Use the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher, but avoid the blender — it makes the texture gluey.
Finish with lemon off the heat. Pull the pan off the burner, squeeze in your lemon, stir, and taste. Just make sure to add it after cooking — lemon juice added during high heat loses its brightness almost immediately.
It’s better the next day. Make zaalouk the morning of a dinner party, or even the night before. The cumin deepens, and the tomatoes and eggplant fully come together. Bring it to room temperature before serving or serve it cold — both work!
What to Serve with Zaalouk
Traditionally, zaalouk is served with khobz — Moroccan round bread — as part of a spread of cooked salads at the start of a meal. Outside of Morocco, it’s most commonly eaten as a dip with crusty bread, pita, or naan. But the serving possibilities go way beyond bread.
- As a mezze dip. Set it out alongside our Chickpea Hummus and Baba Ganoush with warm Pita.
- As a sauce for grilled meat. Zaalouk is unbelievably delicious as a braising liquid for lamb chops, grilled chicken, or Kofta.
- As a spread. Spoon it onto flatbread or use it as a base layer in a grain bowl with chickpeas and herbs. Don’t sleep on using leftovers on toast the next morning!
- As a side dish. Serve it at room temperature next to any roasted protein as a vegetable side.
Storage and Make-Ahead
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The flavor just keeps getting better!
- Freezer: Freeze for up to 3 months. The texture will soften slightly when you defrost it. Stir it well after thawing and add a fresh drizzle of olive oil to bring it back to life.
- Reheating: Warm it gently on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of water, stirring. Or serve at room temperature, which is actually the traditional Moroccan way.
- Make-ahead note: Eggplant zaalouk is one of the best make-ahead recipes! Make it up to 3 days ahead of when you need it.
Common Questions About This Zaalouk Recipe
Zaalouk is made from eggplant and tomatoes that are cooked down with garlic, olive oil, cumin, paprika, parsley, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. It’s a traditional Moroccan cooked salad. The name comes from the Arabic word m’zaalak, which describes its characteristic mashed consistency.
Zaalouk is savory, warmly spiced, and slightly smoky. The tomatoes add a little sweetness, the lemon brings brightness, and the cumin and paprika give it its classic North African flavor profile. The texture is between a chunky stew and a thick dip.
Both! In Morocco, zaalouk is traditionally served at room temperature or cold as part of a spread of salads alongside the main course. You can absolutely serve it warm straight from the pot, but cold or room temp is the classic presentation. Many people (us included) think it’s even better that way.
Both start with eggplant, but they’re totally different dishes. Baba ganoush is Levantine — it gets its signature smoky, creamy character from charred eggplant blended with tahini. Zaalouk is Moroccan. It’s cooked with tomatoes and warm spices like cumin and paprika, has a chunkier texture, and contains no tahini.
Yes, and you should! Zaalouk is one of those rare dishes that genuinely improves after a night in the fridge. The spices deepen, and the flavors come together. Make it up to 3 days ahead and store in an airtight container. Bring to room temperature or warm gently on the stovetop before serving.
It needs more time on the stove. Once the eggplant and tomatoes have softened, remove the lid and let the mixture simmer uncovered, stirring frequently, until the excess liquid evaporates and the dip reaches a thick consistency.
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Zaalouk Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant
- 2 cups tomatoes on the vine cut in half and skin side down
- 4-5 mini sweet peppers or 1 large bell pepper halved
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided (plus more for drizzling)
- ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon sea salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper more or less to taste
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Extra virgin olive oil for serving
Instructions
- Roast the Vegetables
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Slice the eggplant in half lengthwise. Using a knife, score the flesh in a crosshatch pattern, being careful not to cut through the skin. Drizzle the cut sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.1 large eggplant, 1 teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Place the eggplant cut side down on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
- If using a large bell pepper, cut it in half and remove the seeds. Place it cut side down on the same sheet pan. If using mini sweet peppers, leave them whole. Add the tomatoes to the pan.4-5 mini sweet peppers or 1 large bell pepper, 2 cups tomatoes on the vine
- Drizzle all the vegetables with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.1 teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 3 tablespoons olive oil (drizzle)
- Roast for 45 minutes, or until the eggplant is very tender and the skin looks wrinkled. The tomatoes should be blistered and the peppers softened.
Make the Dip
- Allow the vegetables to cool slightly.
- Peel the skin from the eggplant and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Peel the skin from the peppers if desired, then roughly chop them. Chop the roasted tomatoes.
- Heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, crushed red pepper, and sauté for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.4 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, 3 tablespoons olive oil (portion)
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly, to remove the raw tomato flavor.3 tablespoons tomato paste
- Add the cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine.1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Add the roasted eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, and water Cook for 5–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is well combined and heated through.¼ cup water
- Using the back of a spoon or a fork, gently mash the vegetables until you reach your desired consistency.
- Stir in the chopped parsley and cilantro.¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Transfer to a serving bowl and finish with a generous drizzle of olive oil. Serve warm or at room temperature with pita, crusty bread, or fresh vegetables.Extra virgin olive oil
Equipment
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Plant-Based Recipes
Check out more of our other favorite veggie-based dishes!
Roasted Eggplant and Tomatoes with Yogurt Dip
Cucumber and Tomato Salad (Salata Baladi)
YOu havent changed your recipe regarding the added garlic as per you video to your printed version! UPDATE IT!
Hi, The garlic is listed in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
So good. OMG 😲
Thank you so much, Natalya!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
Thank you for this quick version of zaalouk! but girls! You forgot to mention the garlic 🙂 I can see you added it in the video but not in the ingredients list! I love all your recipes 💕
Good catch! We just updated the recipe! Be sure to let us know how it turns out! xo, Alia & Radwa
Loved this recipe! Super quick and easy to prepare, simple ingredients and ready in no time.
I made this as a “snack” for my husband and I however it turned into a meal. I didn’t have fresh parsley so I subbed for dried. I also added shaved garlic. Instead of using a spoon/fork to smash, my emersion blender did the trick. I assume this can be stored in the fridge for a few days. Any other ways to incorporate this into other dishes?
Thanks for sharing this gem of a recipe. I’ll be making this again.
Amazing! So, glad it was a hit! You can store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in an air tight container.
Other ways to serve/eat:
-On toasted ciabatta or any baguette and serve it as “Zaalouk Toast,” can be great served as an appetizer for a party too!
-Throw in uncooked raw and thawed shrimp after you have smashed and let cook for a few minutes until the shrimp is cooked.
-Add cooked couscous or orzo.
Let us know if you end up trying it any other ways!
xo,
Alia & Radwa