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Home Blog Course Appetizers

Baba Ganoush

Cheryl Malik
Cheryl Malik Posted: 06/07/21 Updated: 12/13/21
5
/5
25 Comments
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GF Gluten Free LC Low Carb P Paleo V Vegan VG Vegetarian 30 Whole30

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Pin graphic for baba ganoush
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Pin graphic for baba ganoush
Pin graphic for baba ganoush
Pin graphic for baba ganoush
Pin graphic for baba ganoush
Pin graphic for baba ganoush
Pin graphic for baba ganoush
Pin graphic for baba ganoush
Pin graphic for baba ganoush
Pin graphic for baba ganoush

This baba ganoush is restaurant-quality: smoky, creamy, and super flavorful. Easy to make, it’s naturally vegan, Whole30, and low carb, too. This Middle Eastern and Mediterranean appetizer is one of our all-time favorite dip recipes!

Baba ganoush in a bowl with pita chips

What Makes This Recipe So Good

  • Baba ganoush (or baba ghanoush, or baba ghanouj) generally starts with grilled eggplant, but sometimes you don’t have that perfect grill-weather… or even a grill! Never fear. Oven-roasting the eggplant gives the recipe an incredible, deep, rich flavor. You could add a little liquid smoke to give it even more of that grilled smokiness, but I don’t find that you really need it in this recipe!
  • The food processor (or blender) gives you amazingly silky, creamy baba ganoush with just a few simple ingredients. There’s no dairy or added sugar in this recipe, either!
  • You can serve this with pita or fresh veggies; it’s perfect either way! Try it as a mezze platter for a last-minute get-together: add a variety of olives (try green stuffed with garlic, kalamata tossed in fresh herbs, and dry-cured black olives); a block of feta cubed and tossed in a bit of olive oil and some fresh herbs; a few stuffed grape leaves (dolma; dolmata) from the olive bar; and a bowl of baba ganoush with pita wedges and crudité. Easy, refreshing summer entertaining in a heartbeat!
  • Baba ganoush is a great make-ahead option if you’re meal prepping or just like to snack on leftovers! Refrigerate it in an airtight container and it’ll keep up to 5 days.

Key Ingredients

Eggplants – Use the freshest eggplant possible for the best taste and texture! When you’re picking out your perfect eggplant, give them a little squeeze – they shouldn’t feel soft or mushy, and you shouldn’t be able to pierce the skin with your finger. It should be heavy for its size, with a smooth and shiny skin. Small- and medium-sized eggplants won’t taste as bitter as large ones, and they’ll contain fewer seeds.

Tahini – Sesame seeds ground into paste. Who knew something so simple could be so amazing? It’s creamy and a little nutty and delectably savory and I’m not necessarily saying you should eat it by the spoonful but I’m also not saying you won’t be tempted to. You can make your own tahini or pick some up at the store, whichever works best for you! Just make sure to use a really good tahini – you’ll notice if you don’t. It can be toasted or raw, whichever you prefer.

Chef’s Tips

  • This recipe is a loose one, which means you can really dial in each ingredient to make your personally perfect baba ganoush! Your eggplants may be a different size than mine, so you’ll want to adjust the tahini, salt, and lemon juice accordingly. My recommendation is to start low and add smaller increments until you’ve reached a flavor that you really love. Does your baba feel a bit heavy and sticky? Try a bit more lemon. Does it feel flat, one-dimensional? Try a bit more tahini. Does it taste properly smoky and not heavy, but just not quite “there“? Add a bit more salt.
  • Piercing the skin of the eggplants is a simple but important step, so don’t skip it! The piercings let the liquid drain from the eggplant so your baba ganoush isn’t thin and watery. Oh, and it lessens the chances your eggplants will explode in your oven, so… Super important! To drain them even more, set a metal baking rack in your baking sheet and broil eggplants on top of the rack (instead of directly on the pan).
  • Setting a bowl upside down over the broiled eggplant traps heat and moisture, creating a steam that’ll soften the skins of the eggplants and make them suuuuper easy to remove! Trust me, you’ll thank me for this tip.
Close up photo of baba ganoush in a white bowl

Try These Other Dips & Appetizers, Too

  • Guacamole Dip (Restaurant Style)
  • Beer Cheese Dip
  • Addictive Hot Crab Dip (Low Carb, Keto, Gluten Free)
  • Best Vegan Queso (Ever)
  • Tomatillo Red Chili Salsa

Hey – you’ve made it this far, so now we’re basically best friends! If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below. Make sure you follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook, too!

Close up photo of baba ganoush in a white bowl
5 from 8 votes

Baba Ganoush

Prep:5 minutes
Cook:45 minutes
Total:50 minutes
This baba ganoush is restaurant-quality: smoky, creamy, and super flavorful. Easy to make, it's naturally vegan, Whole30, and low carb, too. This Middle Eastern and Mediterranean appetizer is one of our all-time favorite dip recipes!
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6

Ingredients

  • 2 medium eggplants any kind with dark purple skin, approximately 1 ½-2 pounds total
  • 2-4 cloves garlic peeled, smashed
  • ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons tahini
  • 2-4 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1-2 teaspoons salt to taste
  • olive oil for garnish, optional
  • parsley for garnish, optional

Equipment

  • Broiler
  • Baking sheet
  • Large bowl
  • Blender or food processor

Instructions 

  • Preheat broiler on high. Use fork to pierce eggplants all over.
  • Place eggplants on baking sheet and set directly under broiler. Broil eggplants approximately 45 minutes, turning periodically, until blackened all over.
    Broiled eggplant on a baking sheet
  • Remove from oven. Set large bowl over eggplants to capture steam. Let cool, covered with bowl, until room or handling temperature.
  • Once eggplants have cooled, remove bowl and set aside. Remove top of eggplant and peel away eggplant skin. Discard.
  • Place peeled eggplants in blender or food processor. Add garlic, tahini, lemon juice, and paprika.
    Ingredients for baba ganoush in food processor
  • Blend until smooth. Taste and add more garlic, tahini, or lemon juice as desired. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt. Taste again. Add additional salt, if desired.
  • Transfer baba ganoush to serving bowl. Serve warm, or refrigerate until chilled. Garnish with parsley and a drizzle of olive oil, if desired. Serve with vegetables (celery, carrots, etc.) and/or pitas or pita chips.

Notes

  • I recommend starting with the smaller quantities of each spice, then tasting the mixture and adding more if desired. You can always add more, but you can’t take it back out if you use too much!
 
Recipe yields approximately 6 servings. Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving, not including any foods used in serving. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by 6. Result will be the weight of one serving.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 130kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Sodium: 396mg, Potassium: 435mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 210IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 38mg, Iron: 1mg, Net Carbs: 8g

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

 

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

 

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

© Author: Cheryl Malik

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Cheryl Malik

Meet Cheryl Malik

Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She's been a blogger for 10+ years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of three who lives in Memphis, TN.

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  1. Katie says

    Posted on 1/4/22 at 11:40 am

    I made this baba ganoush for the first time today and my husband and I are blown away!! Absolutely delicious!! I followed the recipe exactly. After blending it smooth, I did add an addition bit of tahini and salt, based on Cheryl’s suggestions. Additionally, I also added 2 or 3 TINY drops of liquid smoke. Amazing!! Will definitely be making this again as a refrigerator staple! Thanks for the recipe!5 stars

    Reply
    • Anna Claire | 40 Aprons TeamAnna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says

      Posted on 1/13/22 at 9:08 pm

      So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 Thanks for the feedback!5 stars

      Reply
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