baba ghanoush

I would say that the day we discovered that I can make a mean baba ghanoush Lou’s heart grew 15% larger, a la The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. It’s one of our most favorite snacks, but for a long time we were buying a pre-made kind from Whole Foods. Not anymore my friends. Now we can eat it by the bucketful! It’s insanely easy, and even though eggplant is a nightshade vegetable (and allegedly not the best for you) i will focus on the antioxidant properties and eat up with a big fat happy smile on my face!

the what: 

1 large eggplant, 2 small eggplants

1 1/2 tablespoons tahini

juice of one lemon (or more, to taste)

3/4 tsp sea salt

4 cloves of garlic

olive oil

chopped flat leaf parsley

the how:

slice eggplants in half, the long way

using tongs, char eggplants over open flame on your stove until equally blackened and crispy.  

once they’re sufficiently crispy (this is important because it’s where the yummy smoky flavor comes from) place eggplants on a baking sheet and roast at 375 degrees until they can be easily pierced with a fork.

remove eggplant from oven and peel off skin (careful not to burn yourself!) combine garlic, tahini, lemon juice, eggplant and salt in food processor and blend until it’s a consistency you like. i prefer a pretty smooth baba ghanoush, so i let it run for a bit.

drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle chopped parsley over the top.  serve with pita, pita chips, spread on sandwiches, eat with veggies, on a  plate with humus/olives/feta/mint & sliced cucumber. there are so many possibilities! enjoy, and do let me know if you make it and mix it up at all! {be warned, this makes a very large batch meant for sharing!}

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Reader Comments

  1. sarah yates|

    yes try it! and natalie, this is so easy it's *barely* considered cooking. :)

    Reply
  2. Kammie|

    Yum, I love me some eggplant. Didn't realize it's not "the best" for you. Whatever it's delicious. An this recipe looks great!

    Reply
  3. Natalie|

    Baba ghanoush is my WEAKNESS. Unfortunately so is cooking :/

    But maybe I'll suck it up and try to make this…

    Reply
  4. kayla|

    this looks so amazing! i had baba ghanoush a few years ago and LOVED it, but kind of forgot about it until now. can't wait to try your recipe!

    Reply
  5. jenny weston|

    hi sarah! loving your recipes and pins in yummyeats. your story on your health issues was insightful and such an important share. thank you!
    i made the almond milk recipe you pinned, it is DELICIOUS! & posted it with a link back to you on my blog. thank you thank you, hope all is wonderful. xo -jenny

    Reply
  6. Lisa Marie|

    I love eggplant! I've always wanted to try baba ghanoush too. For some reason I always assumed it was much more difficult to whip up. It seems simple enough and it looks so good! Lovely photos by the way. :)

    Reply
  7. Rand|

    You mention onion as one of the items to combine (in the directions), but they aren't listed in the ingredients. Should there be onions?

    Reply
  8. Sara|

    Hi Sarah, just found your site via Design Sponge and LOVE all your recipes. I married a Moroccan and we make a delicious salad with smoked eggplant, so just had to give you some advice. Just smoke the whole eggplant right on your gas burner, without cutting it. You move it around as it gets black, and yes it's a total mess but if you love that smoked flavor that's the way to go. I very often forgo the smoked flavor and just do the whole eggplants in the oven. Do check out my Cooking:Moroccan Cuisine category @www.creativejewishmom.com for some simple Moroccan recipes that I know you'll love. All the best!

    Reply