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Baba Ganoush Recipe – smooth, creamy, silky and flavorful cold Middle Eastern eggplant dip, that is easy to make, low-carb and tasted amazing. Learn what ingredients you need and how to prepare Baba Ganoush at home.
This dip is perfect for an appetizer, aka “mezze”, served with pita bread, crackers or sliced vegetables, it makes a great pre-dinner treat.
Very creamy and garlicky, this dip somehow reminds people of hummus, but it tastes even better than it in my opinion.
It takes minimal ingredients and time to make.
This dip is low carb, especially when served with the right vegetables. Perfect for a quick NYE appetizer.
What is Baba Ganoush? What does it mean?
Baba ghanoush is a Levantine or Greater Syria dish of mashed cooked eggplant mixed with tahina, olive oil, and various seasonings.
It translates as “spoiled dad”or “father of coquetry”, although I’ve heard different representations of the name.
What ingredients do I need to make this Baba Ganoush recipe?
- eggplant
- olive oil
- tahini
- garlic
- spices (optional)
- lemon juice
- salt
Full list of ingredients and amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Some recipes call for a small amount of yogurt, which makes the dip extra creamy. I sometimes add about 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt to my Baba Ganoush. Full fat yogurt is recommended.
How to make Baba Ganoush?
The first step is to get all of your ingredients.
Then you need to grill or roast the eggplant.
I personally prefer grilling it, but don’t do it all the time. The reason why is because it gets pretty cold around here in the winter and we don’t bother grilling.
But the truth is that smoky, charred eggplant makes a better, more flavorful Baba Ganoush. If you have the ability to grill the eggplant at high temperature, just do it. The taste will be more authentic.
If you don’t get to grill the eggplant, you can roast it in the oven at high temperature, until the flesh is soft and cooked.
After the eggplant is nice and charred (roasted), spoon out the flesh and place in a food processor.
Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
Serve.
How to cut the eggplant before roasting (grilling) for this Baba Ganoush recipe?
Option #1:
Cut the eggplant in half vertically.
Sprinkle with sone sea salt (about 1 teaspoon) and let it sit like that for at least 15 minutes. Pat dry the liquid that the eggplant releases. This usually gets rid of its bitterness.
Cut 2-3 incisions along the length of the eggplant pieces, on the skin side, not cutting through the flesh.
Drizzle the flesh side with olive oil.
Place on a baking sheet, cut side down and roast for 40 minutes at 425 F or grill on high for 20 -30 minutes.
Option #2:
Cut eggplant into rounds. Place in a colander. Sprinkle with salt. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes to release water. Squeeze out the water carefully and pat dry with paper towels. Roast or grill until charred.
Peel off the skin and use in the recipe.
How to thicken Baba Ganoush?
Once the dip is made and consistency appears to be too runny, the only way to thicken the dip is by adding more eggplant. I understand that often times we don’t have any extra eggplant to add, so this is why the second option for slicing the eggplant might be the better one in most cases.
How to make the Baba Ganoush Recipe extra creamy?
Tip to make the Baba Ganoush smooth and creamy: Instead of adding the olive oil with the rest of the ingredients, add it slowly while the food processor is running on low, this will emulsify the mixture.
Use 1-2tablespoons of full fat yogurt.
What spices to use on Baba Ganoush?
Just sea salt and garlic will do the trick. You can also add some sumac to enhance the lemony flavor. Sumac can be used as a seasoning and topping. If you’d like to add a kick of heat, adding Cayene pepper will be great.
Other toppings that could be added to baba ganoush are:
- toasted sesame seeds
- pine nuts
- green onions
- parsley
- cilantro
- dill
How to serve Baba Ganoush?
Baba Ganoush can be served as a spread, dip or on an appetizer platter. It goes well with crackers, toasted bread and sliced vegetables.
Since I usually try to keep carbs on the lower side, I served it with sliced radishes and cucumbers. Carrots and cauliflower work great, too.
More Middle Eastern + Eggplant Recipes:
- Mini Phyllo Baklava Cups
- Middle Eastern Red Lentil Soup
- Easy Homemade Falafel
- This Air Fryer Eggplant from Running to the kitchen is crispy and delicious. The perfect, easy to make side dish, that goes well with any main course.
Baba Ganoush Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant, extra large
- 1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp Tahini
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp Greek Yogurt
For topping, optional, choose one:
- zaatar
- sumac
- pine nuts
- sesame seeds
- cayenne pepper
- olive oil
Instructions
- Cut the eggplant in half vertically.Sprinkle with some sea salt (about 1 teaspoon) and let it sit like that for at least 15 minutes. Pat dry the liquid that the eggplant releases. This usually gets rid of its bitterness.
- Cut 2-3 incisions along the length of the eggplant pieces, on the skin side, not cutting through the flesh.Drizzle the flesh side with olive oil.Place on a baking sheet, lined with foil, cut side down and roast for 40 minutes at 425 F or grill on high for 20 -30 minutes, until charred and smokey.
- When the eggplant is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and place in a food processor. Add 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tbsp yogurt (optional), 1-2 garlic cloves, 2 tbsp Tahini. Pulse a few times until smooth. With the processor running on low, slowly add 1 tbsp olive oil.
- Place in a bowl and add toppings (optional). Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I just made this and it is so good! Much better than hummus. Thanks for the awesome recipe!