A while ago I was on a hummus kick and it reminded me of another great dip that is very similar, baba ghanoush. Baba ghanoush is a levantine dish made with grilled eggplant, tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt which are basically the same ingredients in hummus replacing the chickpeas with roasted eggplant and that makes it a great, lighter alternative to hummus. Another great thing about baba ghanoush is how easy it is to make, you simply need to roast the eggplant and then puree it with the remaining ingredients and you are ready to dig in with pitas or crackers, etc. Baba ghanoush is commonly garnished with olive oil, parsley or cilantro and optionally chili powder. In addition to making a great dip baba ghanoush also makes a nice side dish or even a light meal and I enjoy having it for breakfasts along with whole wheat pitas.
Baba ghanoush is also great topped with pomegranate!
Baba Ghanoush
Prep Time:5 minutes Cook Time:40 minutes Total Time:45 minutes Servings: 8(~4 cups)
A light, tasty and healthy grilled eggplant dip or salad with tahini, lemon juice and salt.
ingredients
- 2 medium eggplants (~2-3 pounds)
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup lemon juice (~1 lemon)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin, ground (optional)
- salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
- 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped (optional)
- 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
directions
- Prick the eggplants a few times with a fork, place on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 400F/200C oven until really tender, about 30-40 minutes.
- Cut the eggplants open, scoop out the flesh and puree in a ford processor along with the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin and salt.
- Serve garnished with olive oil, chopped parsley and paprika.
Note: If you have a gas stove you can also grill the eggplant over an open flame at medium-high heat until the skin is charred and the inside is tender instead of baking it in the oven. Doing it this way adds a really nice smokiness to the baba ghanoush!
Tip: Best enjoyed while still warm, though it will keep for several days in the fridge.
Option: Serve topped with pomegranate and/or a drizzle of pomegranate molasses.
Option: Replace the parsley with cilantro or mint.
Nutrition Facts (per cup): Calories 96, Fat 5g (Saturated 0.8g, Trans 0), Cholesterol 0, Sodium 11mg, Carbs 10g (Fiber 5g, Sugars 3g), Protein 2g
Nutrition by: 
This is such a great dip & I like the way you added the pom arils too!
marla {Family Fresh Cooking}: The sweet and juicy pomegranate goes really well with this creamy dip!
Best snack ever! I love the pomegranate garnish.
Always a favorite!
One thing missing from your recipe is sumac spice.
Kevin – this is one of my favorite dips! Love the pom seeds on top – so pretty!
Such a great dip. Thanks for sharing!
Sumac is nice but not a necessity. This is a great basic recipe.
Anonymous: Sumac would be a great addition! That is one of the things that I love about the recipe, you can teak it to your preferences!
YES!! I love this dip so much, but haven't made it on my own!! I can't wait to try this Kevin!
Oh, Kevin! You've hit a homerun!! Love love! xo
I love eggplant and look for recipes to use them in! I will be trying your recipe very soon! Thanks, Kevin!
This is found everywhere over here in Greece … I love it and would love a good recipe to make my own so definitely bookmarking this. Thank you!
This is one of my favorite dips! I especially love it with the pom arils on top…such a nice burst of fruity flavor!
OOOOOHHHHH!!! I never make this right! I am SO excited to have what looks to be a perfect recipe! Thanks Kevin!
Baba Ghanoush is a great substitute for hummus!
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Made this today and served it with toasted whole wheat pita bread quarters dusted with pimenton, a little cumin and Maldon sea salt. Also sprinkled the pimenton over the top of the top of the Baba Ghanousch, olive oil and parsley. Wonderful flavors and immensely satisfying.
Looks delicious : )) The pomegranate looks really odd on the top of this but I hope it's still delicious.
I am totally in love with hummus and love baba ghanoush with the pom seeds. Your recipe looks divine. Fabulous photo!
Your finger looks dried up….try using hand cream 😉 love the recipes….greetings from Manila, Philippines!
Yes I wan to make this today. I was going to eat out one day and ordered the baba ghanoush. I though it looked too white and asked how it was made. They used mayonnaise. It is a good thing I asked because I don't eat mayonnaise. I hate eating out. I can now make baba ghanoush out home. Thanks.
I had something very similar when I was in Abu Dhabi. it was delicious. I must try.. I am wondering what sumac is that someone mentoned should be added?
Anonymous: Sumac is a dark red spice with a lemony flavour. Really it's a personal thing as to whether you use it or not. If the hummus that you had in Abu Dhabi had sumac in it then this recipe might taste a little different. You should be able to find sumac at a good grocery store or a middle eastern or India grocery store and you can easy add it.
Good recipe, but using a food processor makes it too creamy, whereas it's supposed to be chunky. Next time I make it, I would mash the ingredients with a fork or potato masher instead.
Jeanette: Chunky is good as well! And then you don't need to clean the food processor! 🙂