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Everybody make room for some baba ganoush!!!!! See ya later hummus!!!
Umm just kidding hummus, I still love you – you’re my everyday dip whereas baba ganoush is my special occasion/party dip. Not because baba ganoush is super fancy or anything but because it takes a little more time than just throwing some chickpeas into a food processor and blending away – but trust me it’s soooo worth it!
If you’re like…”what is this weird sounding stuff you speak of?!” Baba ganoush is a Middle Eastern dip made from charred or roasted eggplant. The roasted eggplant meat is then peeled from the skin and blended up with Tahini paste, Greek yogurt, and cumin until it is tasty! I also threw in some roasted onions and roasted garlic…because everything is better with a little roasted garlic and onion, don’t you agree?!
More traditional methods require you to either grill the eggplant whole or roast it (I have done this in the past by roasting the entire eggplant over the open flame on my gas stove – it works but takes a lot of attention), then you let the excess liquid drip from the eggplant for 30 minutes and blah blah blah – I don’t have time to mess with that! Recently I was inspired to make roasted baba ganoush when I had an eggplant lying around with no plans in mind and it needed to be eaten.
All I did was slice the eggplant and roast it in the oven along with onions and garlic then blend things up. You guys, it was bonkers delicious (yes bonkers is my new word lol), and it didn’t need to be drained from the liquid because the eggplant slices reduced in size – losing their water weight (ha!) – while they roasted in the oven. Kill two birds with one stone, that’s how I like to roll!!!
The only downfall of this method is that you kind of loose out on some of the smoky flavor that grilling or charring the eggplant would provide. That is fixed easily by adding in a dash of one of my fave spices ever..smoked paprika!!! Smoked paprika (not regular paprika) has a very potent smoky flavor and aroma to it. Just a touch will help us achieve that smokiness in our baba ganoush. TSM, smoked paprika!
Once the baba ganoush is blended up throw in a little bit of parsley for a hint of freshness and you are ready to serve. I like to garnish my baba ganoush with a sprinkle f chopped parsley and some toasted sesame seeds for a little texture. You can serve baba ganoush straight out of the food processor, room temperature, or chiled. You can make baba ganoush up to several days in advance, making it a great appetizer to serve at parties.
Serve roasted baba ganoush with pita chips (if not gluten free), gluten free crackers or mild veggies such as cucumber slices, carrots or sweet bell pepper slices. Although I generally go for all the veggies I tend to gravitate towards dipping my baba ganoush with crackers or pita chips, I find that the veggies kind of detract from the delicious flavor of the baba ganoush – the crackers just add a nice salty crunch.
The way I see it is that I’m getting all my veggies from the dip. HELLO there are two eggplants in there, nothing can be bad about that!
I know you’ll love this baba ganoush the texture is thick and silky, and almost fluffy. The taste is a little smoky, tangy, garlicky, and seriously one of a kind!
This baba ganoush would make the perfect appetizer to any meal and would be great for bringing to pool parties or picnics this spring, summer, and fall!
You’ll never be at a loss for what to make with eggplant again! Yay for that! Just in case you are at a loss…because eggplant is a strange and wonderful vegetable…here are some more ideas: Eggplant green curry with chicken, Brussels sprouts eggplant Buddha bowl, and eggplant pizzas!
Have fun eggplanting??! Ummm??? Can that be a thing?!
This post was originally published on August 29th 2014. I have tweaked the recipe and method and updated the photos. I hope you enjoy this updated version.
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Roasted Baba Ganoush (Eggplant Dip)
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 6 to 8 1x
- Category: Appetizer, Side, Snack, Dips & Sauces
- Cuisine: Vegetarian, Gluten Free
Description
Baba ganoush is a creamy Middle Eastern dip made from roasted Eggplants. This method is easy to make – no need to drain the eggplant. Serve with crackers, or pita chips for in intriguing dip that’s perfect for any party!
Ingredients
- Veggies for the dip
- 2 medium eggplants, sliced into 1 inch thick rounds
- 3 to 5 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
- 1/2 yellow onions, cut into wedges
- 1/4 cup olive oil (or as much as needed)
- salt
- Remaining ingredients
- 2 tablespoons tahini paste
- 1/4 cup plain fat free Greek yogurt*
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons parsley leaves
- Options for garnish
- chopped parsley
- roasted sesame seeds
- smoked paprika
- Options for serving
- pita chips or gluten free crackers (my fave)
- sliced cucumbers
- carrot sticks
- sliced bell peppers
Instructions
- Prepare: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the sliced eggplants onto the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush each slice with the oil, sprinkle with salt and flip the eggplant slices over and repeat on the other side. On a separate small baking sheet toss the onion wedges in a little bit of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place the garlic cloves on a small sized peace of foil and toss with a little bit of the oil, seal up the foil packet. Keep in mind you may or may not use all of the oil.
- Roast: Place the eggplant closest to the heat source and the onions and garlic on the other rack. Roast the eggplant for 30 minutes, or until the slices are tender and browned, flip them at 15 to 20 minute mark. The garlic should only take 15 minutes, you will know it’s done when the cloves are tender. The onions should take 20 minutes, or until they are tender. Once the garlic and onions are done you an remove the from the oven and add them to the bowl of your food processor to cool.
- Steam the eggplant: Once the eggplant is done cooking transfer it to a mixing bowl and cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Allow the eggplant to cool in the bowl for 10 minutes, this creates steam making it easier to peal off the skin.
- Peel the skin off the eggplant: Once the eggplant has cooled enough to handle use your fingers to peel the skin from the meat of the eggplant – place the meat in the food processor and discard the skin. It’s okay if some skin gets into the food processor.
- Make the dip: To the food processor add the tahini paste, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, and smoked paprika, process until well incorporated and no big chunks remain, scrape down the sides as needed. Add salt and pepper to taste and adjust the flavors as needed. The texture should be mostly smooth, but very slightly chunky. Pulse in the fresh parsley so you see small green specks.
- To serve: To serve you can either store the dip in the fridge for a few hours so it’s cold or serve immediately while it’s still slightly warm – the flavors are better when it’s sat in the fridge for a few hours. Also, it can be made up to 1 day in advance. Garnish with sesame seeds, chopped parsley, or smoked paprika. Serve with crackers/pita chips and veggies mentioned above for dipping. This dip also great served at room temperature.
Notes
*for a vegan/dairy free version you could try subbing the Greek yogurt for a coconut or almond yogurt.
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