Ingredients: The main ingredients are roasted eggplant, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and salt.

Texture: The eggplant gives baba ganoush a silky, creamy texture.

Serving: Baba ganoush is typically served with pita chips or raw vegetables, or alongside hummus.

Baba Ganoush Ingredients

• Eggplant – You’ll roast or grill it to create the dip’s smoky base. I recommend using 2 medium eggplants to make this recipe. They’ll cook more quickly than 1 large eggplant would.
• Tahini – This sesame seed paste makes the dip rich and creamy. Be sure to use good-quality tahini in this recipe. Because it has so few ingredients, the tahini’s flavor really comes through. I like Cedar’s, Soom, and Seed + Mill. Each of these brands has an ultra-smooth texture and nutty—not bitter—flavor.
• Lemon juice – For brightness.
• Olive oil – It makes the baba ganoush rich and smooth.
• Garlic – It adds sharp, savory flavor.
• And sea salt.

Preparation:

Grill or Bake the Eggplant

The first step in this recipe is grilling or roasting the eggplant.

• To roast the eggplant, pierce each one a few times with a knife or fork and wrap it in foil. Roast at 400°F until very soft and collapsing, 50 to 60 minutes.
• To grill the eggplant, pierce each one a few times with a knife or fork. Place directly on a grill over high heat. Cook, rotating the eggplants as they char, until they’re very soft and charred all over.

Remove from the oven or grill and set aside to cool to room temperature.

The eggplant will be very watery after roasting, so the next step is draining its excess liquid.

When it’s cool enough to handle, peel off and discard the skin. As you work, remove any large clumps of seeds.

Place the eggplant flesh in a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl and let it stand for 20 minutes.

Discard any liquid that pools in the bowl, and transfer the eggplant flesh to a food processor.

Blend and Season to Taste

Next, blend up the dip. Traditionally, baba ganoush is mixed together without a food processor. However, I like mine silky smooth. I find that the easiest way to achieve this texture is with a few quick pulses in the food processor.

• Tip: Add a pinch of smoked paprika for smokier baba ganoush.

Chill until you’re ready to serve. Then, devour with pita and fresh veggies!