Lebanese Babaganoush Recipe

4.92 from 24 votes

A middle-eastern favorite that makes everyone happy and makes a great snack. See notes to make baba ganoush without tahini.

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Resting Time5

Total Time30

Course: Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: Comfort Food, Middle Eastern-Inspired

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Low Salt, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: aurbegine, baba ganoush, babaganoush, eggplant, eggplant babaganoush

Season: Spring Recipes, Year Round

Diet: Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Nut-Free, Refined Sugar-Free, Soy-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Method: Grilling or Roasting, No bake, One-Pot

Ingredient Group: Spices, Vegetable Recipes

Servings: Servings

Calories: 256kcal

Cost: $5

Pierce the eggplants with a fork and roast them on an open flame (or in the oven if you don’t have a gas stove).
Allow eggplant to roast over the flame for 20-25 minutes, moving them every 5 minutes. The larger the eggplant, the longer it will take to burn.
When finished, remove them from the flame and put them in a plastic bag, let them rest for 5 mins, save the steamed liquid and proceed to peel it with a sawed knife. Discard the skin.
Let the eggplant return to room temperature and peel the skin with a saw blade knife.
Mash the eggplant pulp with a fork or a masher.
Mix all the ingredients plus some eggplant liquid, about 2-3 tablespoons.
Ensure all the ingredients are well mixed until you have a uniform paste.
Drizzle with olive oil and paprika and garnish with fresh parsley and/or pomegranate seeds.

Preheat & Prep: Fire up your oven to 450°F (232 ºC) and position the rack in the upper third. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper because we're all about that non-stick life.
Oil them Up: Halve the eggplants lengthwise and give the cut sides a quick brush of olive oil. Lay them face-down on your prepped baking sheet.
Roast Away: Pop those eggplants in the oven for 35-40minutes. You're aiming for insides as tender as a love song and skin that's starting to sag.
Cool Off: Once they're done, let them take a breather. Flip them over and get scooping.
Strain & Save: Place a mesh strainer over a bowl and transfer the eggplant flesh into it. Ditch the skins, but not before giving the strainer a shake to release and reserve some liquid for later.
Mash & Mix: Move the strained eggplant to a fresh bowl. Add in garlic and lemon juice, and mash it up until it's starting to look like the dip of your dreams. Stir in the tahini.
Drizzle Time: As you stir, slowly add in olive oil. Keep going until you've got something that's creamy and irresistible.
Final Touches: Remember that reserved eggplant liquid? Time to shine! Add 2-3 tablespoons and mix until you've got a uniform, luscious paste.
Garnish & Serve: Drizzle with a bit more olive oil, a dash of paprika, and either fresh parsley or pomegranate seeds for that Insta-worthy finish.

I don’t recommend using a food processor here. The texture is much better when using a fork.

Variation: to make baba ganoush without tahini, simply replace the same amount of tahini with extra-virgin olive oil.

Alternatively, you can replace the tahini with cashew butter, peanut butter, or almond butter.