This authentic baba ganoush recipe is a smoky Middle Eastern eggplant dip made with charred eggplant, tahini, lemon juice, and olive oil. Serve it with crisp raw veggies and pita bread for a healthy, flavorful snack.
Authentic Baba Ganoush Recipe
Baba ganoush is a Mediterranean eggplant dip that’s popular in many Middle Eastern countries. The smokiness comes from charring the eggplant, giving it wonderful flavor. The texture is creamy and perfect for scooping with pita bread, and it makes a great healthy appetizer or the perfect addition to a mezze platter. And just like hummus, it’s simple to make and the homemade version tastes so much better than store-bought!
Why This Baba Ganoush Is the Perfect Healthy Snack
This baba ganoush recipe is from Adeena Sussman’s cookbook, Sababa: Fresh, Sunny Flavors from My Israeli Kitchen. I’m SO in love with her cookbook, I want to make everything in it! Out of all my cookbooks, it’s probably the one I find myself grabbing the most. I know you’ll love this recipe as much as I do!
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Made with healthy ingredients: The main ingredient is eggplant, which is low in calories and carbohydrates and high in fiber. It’s also a good source of vitamins and minerals like potassium and vitamin K. It’s lower in calories than hummus since it’s mostly made of eggplant instead of higher calorie chickpeas.
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A snack for everyone: Baba ganoush is vegan, low carb, and gluten-free, so it’s a great appetizer to make for a party. Everyone can enjoy!
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Deep, delicious flavors: This dip is smoky, garlicky, lemony, and complex thanks to the addition of tahini. This is one of those recipes where a simple list of ingredients adds up to something spectacular.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s everything you need to make homemade baba ganoush. See recipe card above for measurements.
- Eggplant: Look for eggplant that’s firm, not spongy, which means it’s fresher.
- Tahini, a savory, nutty sesame paste.
- Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed is best because the flavor is more vibrant.
- Extra virgin olive oil helps create a rich, silky texture. Add a drizzle on top before serving, too.
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper to season.
- Garlic: Just enough to add some flavor without dominating.
- Parsley, for garnish.
How to Make Baba Ganoush
You’ll find the full instructions in the recipe card above.
- Cook the eggplant: You can either char it on your grill or broil it in the oven. For either method, cook the eggplant for 20-25 minutes, turning every 5 minutes. Cook until the eggplant is slumped, and the skin is charred and blackened.
- Combine the other ingredients: Mix the tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
- Add the eggplant: Peel the skin and discard it, remove the seeds with a fork, then chop the eggplant flesh by hand or use a food processor and then mix into the tahini mixture. Chill in the refrigerator for an hour.
- Serve: Transfer the baba ganoush to a serving bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and top with minced parsley.
Variations
- Add more layers of flavor: Sometimes I like to add ground cumin or fresh herbs for different flavor profiles.
- Make it tahini-free: You can make a mayonnaise version that Adeena says will convert you for life. Replace the tahini with 3 tablespoons of mayo, reduce the lemon juice to 1 tablespoon and reduce the olive oil to 1 tablespoon.
- Try mama ganoush: Swap the eggplant for an equal amount of zucchini. I love making this in the summer when I have zucchini from the garden to use up!
Authentic Baba Ganoush
Ingredients
- 2 pounds eggplant, 2 medium or 1 large
- 3 tablespoons tahini paste, check label for GF
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus optional more for serving
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small garlic clove, minced fine
- chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Pierce the eggplant all over with a knife. Char the eggplant on the grill or in the broiler. If charbroiling, place eggplant on a foil-lined baking sheet under the broiler.
- For the grill and broiler, cook for 20-25 minutes, turning every 5 minutes, until the eggplant is charred and blackened.
- Let the eggplant cool. Then scoop the charred eggplant out of its skin and finely dice by hand or in a food processor. Discard the skin.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic.
- Finely chop the eggplant or blend in a small blender or food processor, stir it into the tahini mixture, and season with more salt to taste.
- Chill for at least one hour to let the flavors meld. To serve transfer to a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and fresh parsley.
Last Step:
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Notes
Nutrition
How I Like to Serve Baba Ghanoush
- Baba ghanoush is excellent with raw veggies like carrots, cucumber, and bell pepper.
- You can also eat it with pita bread, pita chips, or crackers.
- If you want a complete Middle Eastern meal, serve the baba ghanoush with Mediterranean Meatballs, Persian Turkey Kofta Kebabs, Air Fryer Falafel, or Grilled Chicken Shawarma.
Proper Storage
Refrigerate baba ganoush in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Stir it well before serving.
If making mama ganoush, do you bake the zucchini?
Fabulous as is. I added another garlic clove. Will have this in my repertoire.
What can I use besides tahini?
This truly is the BEST baba ganoush! I use just like I do hummus and dip my veggies in it. I have never discarded the eggplant seeds tho, as I see in a previous comment, is it necessary for the flavor?
In one comment you said seeds and all and in another comment you said discard seeds which one is correct I would think just use the entire eggplant
Its really a matter of preference. Either way is fine, if some seeds are there its ok but I usually take most out.
Gina,
Did you discard the seeds after roasting the eggplant or did you just discard the skin?
Anxious to make this! Thank You
Seeds too
Thanks so much for your quick reply!!!
question? do you discard the seeds along with the skin or do you put them in the processor? you didn’t mention anything about the seeds in your instructions. Thank you
Yes I discard the seeds.
Delicious, easy and so nutritious!
I used 2 big American eggplants.
I added 1/4 tsp of chili flakes.
I made the tahini version.
I just made this and it tastes divine. I probably would have been need three or four eggplant so then I had enough pulp. It’s in the refrigerator chilling to be used as an appetizer this evening. I had no idea it was so easy to make, especially since I threw everything into the Cuisinart.
What are the toppings on the finished recipe in the picture? Is it Paprika and Olive Oil? I don’t see it mentioned in the recipe or anywhere else. Looks good!
yes!
you can keep for a week.
Kosher salt is not that salty, however I still think 2 tsp is a lot. I would just put to taste or max I would do 1/4 tsp.
Feel free to make it to your taste.
I am interested if using different types of eggplant would change texture or taste? Is there one that should NOT be used?
I just made this – it would have been excellent BUT it is WAAYYY over-salted. 2 tsp is too much for this amount of eggplant, as I just learned. Compared this recipe to one in a mediterranean cookbook and that recipe, for the same amount of eggplant, calls for 3/4 tsp salt. Much better. I hated to do it but I threw my batch out and will try again later.
curious if you are using table salt or sea salt vs kosher salt?
I made the mayo version of this today. YUM! The two teaspoons of salt were a little much, so I went out to the garden and picked another eggplant to add in order to tame down the saltiness. I added nothing more and it turned out well. Thanks!
Such a stellar recipe! My family really enjoyed this. I think I put a little too much lemon juice the first time I made it but that was on me.
Will definitely be a repeat in my household and a great appetizer when hosting!
Thank you!!
Made this morning! Delicious!!
How long does this keep in the refrigerator?
This was easy & delicious. I used fresh eggplants from our garden – first time I have grown them and they turned out great! I used the food processor to mix the eggplant up. I whisked the remaining ingredients together and then incorporated them all together by hand. This reminds me of the delicious and fresh baba ganoush that my daughter and I had several times on a trip to Palestine this past January. Thank you!
Came out really well. Got some eggplants from my CSA and wanted to make something simple without cheese…this was perfect.
Just as good as the stuff you buy in the grocery store–and it’s really fast to put together. Another great recipe!
Delicious. I cut the salt and olive oil in half and used Nanami Togarashi Japanese pepper instead of black pepper. Family loved it. Thank you.
When am I going to learn that Kosher salt and sea salt are not the same thing! Mine turned out a little salty, but I can tell this is a great recipe and couldn’t wait to give it a try!
Does this freeze well? I made both variations, delicious, but too much for me to eat! Easy to make, especially with the food processor.
I haven’t tried but I don’t see why not.
I too would like to freeze some. I found some info online that explains how to store the baba ganoush for freezing. I plan to try this out and will comment again after I test the results
!https://www.livestrong.com/article/475974-how-to-freeze-baba-ghanoush/
I made the baba ganoush this afternoon and it tastes heavenly. But, both eggplants exploded in the oven while roasting. Did I miss a step? I don’t recall see anything about piercing the skin of the eggplant before roasting. I placed a foil tent over them while they continued to cook to retain the moisture and they worked fine but it was a bit of a shock when they exploded.
Ah so sorry! Yes, you’re supposed to pierce it all over. I will adjust that.
Hi, Gina i made the chicken kabobs with sauce it was so yummy Thank You for sharing
Gina – Any recommendations for a good tahini paste brand?
Thanks for this recipe! Any suggestions for good tahini sauce ?
I love this squeezable tahini! https://amzn.to/3gBuCn6
I have wanted to make Baba ganoush and I have an eggplant ready to be used. Any sub for tahini which we can’t use due to a sesame allergy. Would it affect the flavor if I just omitted?
Yes, she also has a mayo baba. Swap tahini for mayo, use 1 tbsp lemon instead of 2 and reduce olive oil to 1 tbsp.
I also have a sesame allergy and I always sub sunflower seed butter for tahini