Baba Ganoush is a silky flavor-packed eggplant dip that makes a wonderful addition to your appetizer table. It’s also great as a spread on sandwiches or as a side to your meal!
Where I grew up, it is called baba ganoush, which literally means “spoiled dad.” In the Levant, it is called muttabal or salat hatzilim (eggplant salad). The French–I learned from David Lebovitz–call it caviar d’aubergines.
All these fancy names refer to the same thing: a silky, delectable eggplant dip whipped with tahini, spices, garlic, and in some cases, yogurt.
In general, it is rare for people of the Mediterranean–or at least the Eastern Mediterranean– to start dinner on time. Blame it on lack of punctuality, if you want; guests often arrive late. But there is more to it: people of the Mediterranean equally enjoy the pre-dinner mezze.
The hour or so of catching up with friends and sharing drinks, small dishes, and warm pita is just part of the deal–you sign up for dinner, you get mezze too. And you can bet on a little baba ganoush dip and its creamy companion, hummus, as part of the evening’s mezze.
I used to think that you need to grill the eggplant over hot coal or an open flame until it’s deep purple skin is well charred. This contributes a nice smoky taste to the Baba Ganoush dip. But when it is not feasible to grill the eggplant, roasting it in the oven, as in today’s recipe, will work very well.
Some recipes do not use yogurt, but I found that a small amount of plain yogurt adds a rich creamy texture and tang to this roasted eggplant dip. It’s really a personal choice and can easily be omitted if you are looking for a vegan option.
For storage and other suggestions, please read the notes below the print-friendly recipe.
Step-by-step for today’s easy Baba Ganoush recipe:
(Print-friendly recipe to follow)
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Cut a few slits through the skin of the eggplant.
Sprinkle the eggplant flesh with salt and let it sit for a few minutes to “sweat out” it’s bitterness, then dab dry.
Place the eggplant halves, flesh side down, on a lightly oiled baking sheet then drizzle with olive oil. Bake in the 425 degree F heated-oven for 30-40 minutes or until the eggplant fully softens through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
When the eggplant has cooled, scoop the flesh out and transfer to a food processor (discard the eggplant skins).
Add the yogurt, tahini, garlic, lime juice, and spices. Run the food processor until you achieve a nice creamy puree. Taste and adjust spices and lime juice to your liking.
Transfer the baba ganoush spread to a small bowl. Just before serving, top the baba ganoush with a sprinkle of sumac, olive oil, toasted pine nuts and parsley leaves. Enjoy with a side of warm pita bread.
Easy Baba Ganoush Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant, cut in half
- Olive oil
- 1 tbsp plain yogurt
- 1 1/2 tbsp tahini
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tbsp lime or lemon juice, more if you like
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp cayenne pepper (eliminate if you prefer mild)
- 1/2 tsp sumac, more for garnish
- Toasted pine nuts for garnish
- Parsley leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Cut a few slits in the skin of the eggplant.
- Sprinkle the eggplant flesh with salt and let it sit for a few minutes to “sweat out” it’s bitterness, then dab dry.
- Place the eggplant halves, flesh side down, on a lightly oiled baking sheet then drizzle with olive oil. Bake in the 425 degree F heated-oven for 30-40 minutes or until the eggplant fully softens through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- When the eggplant has cooled, scoop the flesh out and transfer to a food processor (discard the eggplant skins).
- Add the yogurt, tahini, garlic, lime juice, and spices. Run the food processor until you achieve a nice creamy puree. Taste and adjust spices to your liking.
- Transfer the baba ganoush spread to a small bowl. Just before serving, top the baba ganoush with a sprinkle of sumac, olive oil, toasted pine nuts and parsley leaves. Enjoy with a side of warm pita bread.
Notes
– You can make this recipe ahead of time, refrigerate in an airtight container (it is best served within 2 days, but will keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days). Before serving, bring the baba ganoush to room temperature.
– For a more rustic dip, forgo the food processor and beat with a whisk or fork instead.
-This recipe serves four, simply double the recipe for a larger party.
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So good! We really enjoyed it. I felt there was a nice balance of ingredients that produced layers of flavor. I did omit the cayenne pepper and sumac. Next time I think I will double the recipe and serve it at a family gathering. Will make again!
Wonderful, Cynthia! I am so glad to hear you guys enjoyed it!
Hi, is it me or did anyone else find the baba ganoush too spicy? I thought it may have been a typo to add 1 tsp. Of cayenne, so I added only 3/4 tsp and it was still too hot. Other than that, the dish was delish.
Hi Patti, thanks for sharing. So this is a bit on the spicy side as you mentioned. If you’re not one for spicy food, it’s good to start like you did, with a little bit less. I’m glad you enjoyed the dip.
This was great. Thanks!
★★★★
Awesome, Amanda! Glad you enjoyed it
I absolutely LOVE eggplant, I make moussaka a few times a year, but never this dip. Having a big party in December, can’t wait to make it for the party. Thank you for sharing. I have made several of your other recipes. Always a hit. And I am already on your mailing list!
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I made this as said but mine was really dark and bitter, even after the tips in the comments and i know my eggplant is fresh bc it came from garden : ( But I thought to myself how can i save this… Make it sweeter and lighter… So i added some fresh sweet corn to the blender and it worked like a charm! It blended in completely. Not authentic, but really does work!
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Eggplant can be tricky sometimes because of the bitterness. But I love your creativity in adding the sweet corn! Thanks for sharing!
Just made this as I’m a huge fan of Baba Ganoush. Love how easy & flavorful this recipe is. Thanks for sharing!
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Awesome, Amanda! Glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Azelia…not sure why it would come out watery. But yes, a sprinkle of salt and letting the eggplant sit out for 30 minutes or so will help it sweat it’s bitterness. I will add that note. Thank you!
Also one trick I learned. When you scoop out the eggplant flesh, spin it in a salad spinner and you’ll get rid of any water that way.
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Great idea, Nisa! Thank you for sharing.
Look delicious. I ‘ll add this dish on the menu in the party with my family on weekend. Love this !!!!
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Lisa, that’s awesome! Let me know how your family likes it!
Hi, I tried to make this dish but the taste was so bitter and the colour very dark. I have no idea what I did wrong.
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Ana, the only thing I can think of is that eggplants can sometimes be bitter. You’ll want to choose eggplant that is shinny and firm indicating smaller/younger seeds so the flesh would not have absorbed too much bitterness. Overripe eggplants tend to have that bitter taste. If you open the eggplant and you find that it’s got too many seeds, and maybe it’s a bit more ripe, you should sprinkle the flesh with salt and let it sit to “sweat out” its bitterness. Then pat dry and proceed with roasting. Just a thought.
As far as the color, if you use part of the roasted eggplant skin, that can add more color, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I assume you used Greek yogurt and the remaining ingredients as indicated?
Hi there, I’ve made this twice now within a month. Love it to bits. It’s great with nachos, pita bread or even raw veggies. I only found that one eggplant makes a rather small portion, so I’ve gone over to doubeling the recipe 🙂 The bowl is always empty! <3
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So good to hear! I love this Baba Ganoush recipe, it is super easy! Good point, I’d double the amount if I were serving more people. I’ll make a note of that.
Oh this has reminded me how much I love babaganoush! And yours looks incredible – especially those charred and caramelised eggplants, and the olive oil on top is gorgeous – just begging to be wiped up with thick chunks of turkish bread! So lovely, and going straight to top of my dips-to-make list! <3
Hi Claudia! Thank you so much for stopping in. I love baba ganoush, and I’m so glad you like my recipe!
To sum it up in one word, FANTASTIC! Since it’s pouring out and the only ingredient I didn’t have was tahini, I improvised. Took white sesame seeds and roasted them until they browned a bit. Was going to grind them, but figured I’d just add them into the blender. Only had vanilla yogurt, so I used that. Love sumac, so used a little more a heavy hand with that.
So easy to make and I absolutely loved it. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful recipes and talents.
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I was trying to give the recipe 5 stars but for some strange reason it only registered 3 stars.
This is a FIVE STAR recipe.
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Thank you, Sharon! That is sweet of you.
Wow, Sharon! I like your creative take on this baba ganoush. You totally made it your own! Love it!
The simplicity with pictures of your recipes is an extra, yourself and maureen’s recipes gives me the urge of opening a restaurant. (will that be stealing)*side eyes*Funny
Keep it up ladies
Karen,
You are too kind. Thank you! If you open a restaurant, make sure you let me know 🙂
Suzy, I have stolen Maureen’s idea to have a dip o’clock….probably coinciding with wine o’clock! So now I need to fill that time.
And this looks perfect for my new time of day!
I make a roasted eggplant dip but the yoghurt and tahini in this make it look so rich and creamy.
I can’t wait to try it!!!
Yum. Pinning 🙂
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Claire, we should all have a dip o’clock! Maureen is one smart lady. And I do like the wine o’clock of course 🙂 Let me know if you ever try this one. XO
At our house there’s a time called dip o’clock. It’s the perfect way for us to come together, have a snack and talk about where we are on our daily to-do list. We both love baba ganoush but if I’d known it was called caviar d’aubergines I would have used that name just to be fancy. Sometimes I find tahini to be overpowering so I put a bit of yogurt in my dip too. Yummy post!
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Maureen, I am so stealing dip o’clock!!!!!! What a great name 😉
love it x
Dip O’clock! I love it!!! And I love that you and John have set aside time to check in and talk through your work. That is so important! Thank you for stopping in, friend!
I’ve never heard of sumac and I’m sure we can’t get it here (Zimbabwe, Africa). Is there any alternative that could be used?
Hi Kathy! Thanks for your good question. Sumac is a spice that comes from sumac berries, very typical of the Eastern Mediterranean. It adds a bit of a lemony earthy taste, but you can easily omit it in this recipe as it is not a main ingredient. Adjust the remaining spices to your liking, and that should be just fine. Paprika or even smoked paprika would give a nice earthy addition to the dip, if you want to try that. It is not an alternative to sumac in taste, but would still compliment the baba ganoush.
Do you have Indian or Middle Eastern groceries, they would most likely have it.
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