Baba Ghanouj – Creamy Eggplant Dip
Baba Ghanouj is a creamy eggplant dip that’s not only super delicious but also crazy good for you! Finally a dip you can enjoy absolutely guilt free! Try it with veggies, pita bread or your favorite crackers!
Baba Ghanouj is one of those dishes that I’d been enjoying numerous times in many different Lebanese restaurants, but never dared attempting to make at home because, for some reason, I thought it would be super complicated to make.
Complicated AND long!
But boy was I wrong… it just couldn’t be easier. Although it does take a little bit of time, you don’t really need to attend to it. Most of the work, the eggplants will take care of themselves, comfortably basking in the oven, not requiring your assistance in the least.
Basically, all YOU need to do is cut your aubergines in half, shove them in the oven, scoop the flesh out when it’s done and cooled, throw that in the food processor along with a few other ingredients and give that a quick spin.
All your very minimal efforts get instantly rewarded with this mild, creamy, dreamy, nutty and slightly smokey aubergine dip, which you can enjoy with pieces of warm or toasted pita bread, crackers, or even better yet, crudités.
Of course, this makes for a fantastic appetizer, snack or even light lunch... it’s exactly the kind of thing that I love to make on Sundays, so I can enjoy throughout the week for my afternoon snack.
I strongly suggest that you do the exact same…
Start by preheating your oven to 350°F. Next, slice your eggplants in half lengthwise place them on a baking sheet and drizzle them with a little bit of olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Depending on the size of the eggplants that you get, you’re gonna want to use 2 to 3. If they are really big, 2 will do the trick, but if they are on the smaller side, go ahead and add a third one.
Now turn your eggplants cut-side down and bake until they are super soft and start to collapse, about 45 to 60 minutes, depending on their size.
You’ll know they’re done when they feel really soft and if, when you poke them gently with your finger, it leaves a great big indentation.
Take the eggplants out of the oven and let them cool in the pan until you can safely handle them with your bare hands, about 30 minutes. Then, scoop out the flesh with a large spoon.
Put that aubergine flesh into the bowl of your food processor, along with the tahini, garlic, lime juice, salt and pepper; process until smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds.
Add a handful of chopped parsley and pulse a few times until just incorporated.
Technically, you could serve your Baba Ghanouj right away but ideally, you want to let it rest for a few hours in the fridge to allow flavors to meld and fully develop.
When ready to serve, transfer to a pretty bowl, sprinkle a few sesame seeds on top, drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and garnish with parsley. Serve with fresh crudités or pieces of pita bread or with your favorite crackers.
Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to several days.
Baba Ghanouj
Ingredients
- 2 large or 3 medium eggplants, peel on, halved lengthwise
- ½ cup tahini
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- juice of 2 limes
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Garnish
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Sesame seeds
- Few fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Drizzle eggplants with a little bit of olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper
- Place eggplants cut-side down on a baking sheet and bake until soft and collapsed, about 45 to 60 minutes, depending on the size of your eggplants.
- When cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh of the eggplant and put it into the bowl of your food processor. Add tahini, garlic, lime juice, salt and pepper and process until smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds. Add parsley and pulse a few times until just incorporated.
- You could serve your Baba Ghanouj immediately but ideally, you want to let it rest for a few hours in the fridge to allow flavors to meld and fully develop.
- When ready to serve, transfer to a pretty bowl, sprinkle a few sesame seeds on top, drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and garnish with parsley. Serve with crudités or pieces of pita bread or your favorite crackers.
- Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to several days.
Notes
Nutrition
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25 Comments on “Baba Ghanouj – Creamy Eggplant Dip”
Eggplant is one of my alltime favourite vegetables and in season here now. Most of my friends love the small Japanese ones which do not have to be degorged before using, but I mostly buy them fullsize. This particular dish is one of my favourites and I am making it very week at the moment in somewhat a similar way! You have achieved a lovely consistency: what appetizing photos 🙂 ! Truly sorry to hear of your family troubles: hour by hour and day by day, huh? And take care on those wheels, won’t you!!
Funny, I don’t tend to ever degorge my eggplant, except for when I make Moussaka, and I never really felt the need to, even the really large ones. I don’t find them to taste bitter at all! Have you ever tried making baba ghanouj with grilled eggplant? I so can’t wait to try that one…
Thanks for your lovely comment on my photos, and I will try and keep them wheels inflated for a while! 🙂
May I tell you a secret? Shush!!! I am usually so flat out that I don’t degorge either, even tho’ every book and cookery teacher tells you to do so 🙂 ! I use eggplant both ways, but somehow prefer the baked forms [make myself a baked stuffed aubergine almost every week at the moment]. Take care, as a couple of close friends always say to me 🙂 !
This is one of my absolute favourite things EVER! I ate it a lot in Syria (lots of overlap between Syrian and Lebanese food), and couldn’t get enough of it. It’s a great dish for converting apparent ‘aubergine-haters’ too!
Right on! You don’t tell people that it’s made from aubergine and they will absolutely love the stuff! 😉 Great way to convert them indeed!
I almost bought some eggplant at the farmer’s market this morning…wish I would have! But I pinned the recipe for another time 🙂
Bummer. You really should have. Oh well. Definitely get some next time, Anna! You will not regret it! And thanks for pinning the recipe! 🙂
Yum! I love baba ghanouj, but I haven’t made it in ages. Thanks for the recipe!
Yummy. Even at 8 am, I’m kind of craving baba ghanouj after this post.
I think I will hit up the Jean-Talon market and get some aubergine.
I love cooking batches of it, and I get to eat as snacks for a whole week. Most of the time, I degorge them because they tend to be too bitter, and I add some extra sumac for extra tastiness 😛
Another way I love eating aubergine is to grill thin slices (after degorging).I do that in my oven these days since I don’t have a barbecue, but it’s even better on charbon de bois because the extra smokiness. Then I add a mix of greek yogourt + a bit of oven baked garlic + pinch of paprika + oven baked red pepper + sun dried tomatoes (I mix that all up in a food processor). I add lots of fresh mint, and then pour it on top of the grilled aubergine. It’s absolutely to die for (IMHO) and extra delicious with toasted pita or afghan bread.
Oh great! Now you got me wanting to hit the market. Wish I didn’t live that far… I think I need to plan a little visit there fairly soon. Like next week-end or something. Stock up on fresh, locally grown produce.
And your recipe sounds soooo delish! I definitely need to try that! Sans the degorging part 😉 I’m thinking of throwing everything on the grill: aubergine, garlic and red pepper. Maybe add a little bit of goat feta to the mix. HAS to be super yummy! HAVE to try! Thanks for the inspiration!
You should definitely try it. And feta would be a great addition!
The Jean-Talon market is within walking distance of my apartment and it’s where I get most of my supply of fresh veggies and fruits. Sometimes, I take it for granted; and then I see all those American and Ontarian tourists going gaga over all the cheeses and buying and taking pictures all over the place… So it reminds me of my luck living it up in this cosmopolite city and stop envying my friend living in Paris and enjoying the morning markets and the best authentic sourdough baguettes. At least, there is always the cheap air transat charter flights from time to time 😛
Oh, I am so envious now. Would you believe me if I told you I never set foot in that market yet? I’ve been to other markets, but NEVER to Jean-Talon. I recently heard that Marché Jean-Talon would be the second largest Farmer’s Market in North-America! Don’t know if it’s true, but it certainly piqued my interest. Now I HAVE to pay it a visit. I just need to remember to eat before I head there… 😉
My dad and I cook our babaganoush eggplants in his wood smoker — it adds a fantastic flavor!
Oh wow! It must be plain GRAND when cooked in a smoker! I HAVE to try that!
You definitely have to come to the market, Sonia! Do you live outside of Montreal? Anyways, you definitely have to come faire un tour. There is a nearby piste cyclable on Berri, there is also the metro Jean-Talon nearby; and of course now they also have underground parking, although I’ve never used it.
Make sure to visit the Marché des Saveurs. My own pêché mignon is the Havre-aux-Glaces. I try to come up with any excuse I can find to order a specially made ice-cream cake for any and all occasions :P. There is much more animation during summer time, but remember that all stands are not equal. They don’t all have the same quality. But that’s half the fun: choosing and picking the best fruits and veggies you can find 🙂 In august, they have lots of ripe yummy (and cheap!)red peppers and lovely tomatoes. That’s when I buy lots and lots to make sauces and oven baked red peppers that I then freeze for the harsh winter months. Sorry for the rambling, but I can’t seem to stop when I start talking food lol
Oh maaaan! Now I really really really want to go. And while I was strictly thinking fruits and veggies and perhaps a few cheeses, now you got me to realize that there’s a heck of a lot more at the market, namely ice creams, breads, cakes, pastries, meats, sausages, fish and seafood, gorgeous rustic pizzas… Oh my, yum! Suddenly, I’m not so sure I should be going… of if I do go, I should cycle there, so I can burn a few calories in the process. I live in the Laurentiens, by the way. So really, cycling all the way there would be a tad complicated.
I get the feeling that I will be visiting soon. Maybe I’ll go on a Sunday and head for the Tam-Tam afterwards… or the Piknic Electronik.
Oh yeah. This is happening soon. VERY SOON!
ps… don’t worry about rambling, I’m just the same when I start talking about food. 😉
You just rocked my world. I just made this (for breakfast, no less) and it is SO amazing! I had to force myself to at least spoon it on to a plate because I couldn’t stop eating it straight from the blender. BRAVO!
So very happy to hear! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Kristine. You just so made my day! 😀
HI!
I don’t have tahini on hand now but REALLY want to make it…is there something else I could use? 🙂
btw thanks for your amazing recipes and picutres, they are really inspiring!
Hmmm… I don’t know Valerie, tahini does play an important role in this. It has such a distinct flavor, I’d be very hard pressed to replace it with anything else. Maybe… maaaaaybe toasted almond butter? But honestly, I think I’d make a quick run to the store for some tahini! Unless maybe you happen to have a whole bunch of sesame seeds on hand, then you could easily make your own! 🙂
And thank you for your kind words, I truly appreciate that!
Made this for dinner tonight and the family raved! Thanks for sharing.
Brought this along to a dinner party my friend was throwing last night; it was a major hit and the bowl was scraped clean! Thank you so much, like you I always thought it would be complicated to make but it’s so easy that I’m making more today! Really love your blog, keep up the great work!
Real glad to hear and thank you so much for the great feedback, Gayle. I truly appreciate that! 🙂
Oh My GOODNESS!!! I have just stumbled upon your site and I’m beyond excited!!! I can hardly keep from printing off all your recipes!! You have such an eye/taste for the exact type of food I LOVE and the photography just sends it all over the top!! Thank you for your dedication to all things lovely!
Right now I’m adoring the bowl that you’ve put the BaBa Ghanouj in above. Do you happen to remember where you found such a beautiful bowl?
I can barely wait to start cooking! Off to the store now…..
Haha thank you so much Colleen, that’s incredibly nice of you to say! So happy to hear that you’re that excited about my recipes. I’m truly flattered. As for the bowls, I think I got them at the flea market… can’t quite remember. Sorry about that! Happy cooking, and be sure to let me know how things went for you! 🙂