Caponata Recipe – The delicious Mediterranean dip for every occasion

Caponata is a simple and very tasty dish from Sicily. It is often eaten as a dip or side dish and brings a fresh, sweet and sour taste to your table. In this post I will explain to you how to easily prepare this delicious dish. Follow the step-by-step explanation for the caponata recipe and enjoy it with your loved ones.

What is Caponata?

Caponata is a dish of roasted eggplant with tomatoes, celery, olives and capers. There is also a sweet and sour sauce made from vinegar and honey. This mixture makes Caponata so special. The dip tastes best if it sits cold and lets it steep for a few hours.

I left out two ingredients in this caponata recipe. Firstly, I didn’t have any celery stalks at home and secondly, my husband doesn’t like raisins. I still found it very tasty and my friends loved it too.

Ingredients for your caponata recipe

Here is the complete list of ingredients for about 6 servings:

• 1 large eggplant (approx. 450 g), cut into 2.5 cm cubes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
• 1 zucchini, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 100 g green olives, pitted and roughly chopped
• pepper to taste
• 240 ml pureed tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons honey (more to taste)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon chili flakes
• 60 ml red wine vinegar
• 60 ml dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 stalk rosemary

This is how you prepare the Caponata recipe – step by step

Follow these simple steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
2. Dice the eggplant and sprinkle it with salt. Let them stand for 20 to 30 minutes. This makes the eggplant less bitter. Then pat them dry with kitchen paper.
3. Place the eggplant cubes on a baking sheet. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of olive oil over the top and mix well. Roast the eggplants in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.
4. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet. Add the rosemary, onions, peppers and zucchini. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté the vegetables over medium heat until tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
5. Now add the can of tomatoes, capers, olives, honey, bay leaf and chili flakes. Pour in vinegar and wine. Let everything simmer gently for 10 minutes.
6. Mix in the roasted eggplant and cook for another 10 minutes.
7. At the end the parsley is added. Stir everything well and remove the pan from the heat

Tips and ideas for your caponata

Tips and ideas for your personal caponata recipe:

• Salt the eggplants before frying so that they do not have a bitter taste.
• Caponata tastes best if you make it the day before. This allows the flavor to permeate well.
• Serve caponata with freshly toasted bread, such as baguette or ciabatta.
• For the vegan version, you can replace the honey with maple syrup or agave syrup.
• Also try caper leaves or pickled artichokes as additional ingredients.

Alternatives to the ingredients for the caponata recipe

Sometimes you crave other foods or, like me, you don’t have some on hand. In this case, there is a list of alternative ingredients here.

• Instead of large eggplant cubes, you can also use small eggplant halves.
• Black or Kalamata olives bring more flavor and color.
• You can also add raisins or replace them with small dried apricots. This gives a fruity note.
• You can replace wine vinegar with apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar.
• Honey can be swapped for date syrup or sugar.
• Fresh herbs like mint or basil are a nice alternative to rosemary.

Where do you get the ingredients?

You can find most of the ingredients in well-stocked supermarkets or health food stores. For special ingredients such as capers or special olives, I recommend online shops or delicatessen stores.

• Fresh vegetables (aubergine, peppers, zucchini): preferably organic from the organic or weekly market.
• Capers and olives: delicatessens or online shops with Mediterranean specialties.
• Honey: preferably regional from a beekeeper
• Vinegar and olive oil: A good selection is available in most supermarkets
• Fresh herbs: from the garden or from the supermarket.

Conclusion on the caponata recipe

You need a lot of ingredients for this recipe, but the preparation is very easy. The caponata is easy to prepare and is therefore perfect as meal prep.

And now to you: Have you ever made caponata yourself? How did you like it? What is your favorite bread with it? Feel free to write it in the comments and upload photos of your results. I look forward to your feedback and new recipe ideas from you!

With this delicious caponata recipe you have a simple and versatile Mediterranean dip that is always a hit. Try it and enjoy the sweet and sour freshness!

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