Homemade Baba Ganoush Recipe - Dr. Axe

Homemade Baba Ganoush Recipe

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Baba ganoush - Dr. Axe

There’s nothing like a good dip to dunk your veggies in or spread on your sandwiches. I’ve always been a big fan of hummus, but baba ganoush is quickly nipping at its heels.

What is baba ganoush? It’s a classic Middle Eastern dip originally from Lebanon, though it’s popular and made throughout the region, including in Iraq, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Israel and Palestine.

Key Ingredients

You may wonder: Does baba ganoush contain tahini? Is baba ganoush healthier than hummus?

It is quite similar to hummus. Both dips use a hefty amount of garlic and ground sesame seeds, or tahini, for a lot of the flavor.

When looking at baba ganoush vs. hummus, however, it uses eggplant instead of chickpeas as the main ingredient.

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Because nutrition-rich eggplant is low in calories and high in fiber, it’s a great choice in a dip.

Additionally, eggplant is rich in nasunin, which is found only in deeply colored fruits and veggies. This powerful antioxidant, which is found in eggplant’s skin, is known to fight free radical damage and inflammation while protecting DNA from oxidative stress.

What does baba ganoush taste like? Thanks to the mix of baba ganoush ingredients, it has an earthy flavor and is eggplant-centric.

This baba ganoush recipe calls for just a few ingredients, and taste can vary across baba ganoush recipes depending on what else is added.

Baba ganoush ingredients

What to Eat with Baba Ganoush

If you’re wondering what to eat baba ganoush with, the answer is: Get creative!

Like most dips, baba ganoush is excellent with crunchy veggies, like carrots, celery or bell peppers. It’s also excellent as meze, or an appetizer, when served with warmed pita bread.

I also enjoy spreading it on sandwiches as a spread instead of mayonnaise and adding a dollop to salad is tasty, too. Of course, sometimes you just want to eat baba ganoush with a spoon and nothing else — totally fine!

Baba ganoush with carrots

How to Make Baba Ganoush

Making baba ganoush is pretty simple. All you need is a food processor and 10 minutes!

Start by lining a baking sheet with parchment paper and lying the eggplant slices on it. Salt the eggplant, and allow it to sit for 15–20 minutes.

Because eggplant is naturally high in water, this step draws out the vegetable’s moisture so you don’t wind up with a runny finished product.

Preparing baba ganoush

Use a paper towel to dab the excess water off the eggplant, and then slide the eggplant under the broiler for 5–8 minutes. This extra step adds a smoky flavor to the eggplant, which really comes through in the recipe.

At this point, you can remove the eggplant’s skin, but I prefer leaving it on for all the healthy benefits that come along with it.

Mixing Baba ganoushNext, add the eggplant to the food processor, and pulse until you’ve broken the vegetable down. Add in the other ingredients, and blend until they’re well-combined.

If you haven’t used avocado oil yet, this is a great recipe to try it in. Avocado oil adds just the right amount of smooth texture and flavor without overpowering the other ingredients, the way olive oil can sometimes.

It’s also versatile and especially great for cooking at high temperatures because of its high smoke point.

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Serving Baba ganoushThat’s all there is to homemade baba ganoush recipe! Serve it with chopped veggies or my earlier suggestions.

As you get more comfortable making this recipe, you can mix up the ingredients a bit. Add more garlic, a little hot chili pepper for spice, different herbs — this is a very forgiving recipe that makes it easy to love and customize the dip.

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Baba ganoush - Dr. Axe

Homemade Baba Ganoush Recipe


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  • Author: Dr. Josh Axe
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

Baba ganoush is a Middle Eastern eggplant-based dip originally from Lebanon. It uses garlic and ground sesame seeds, or tahini, for flavor.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 medium eggplant, sliced
  • ¼ cup tahini
  • 34 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 12 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 1 cup parsley, chopped
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, lay out the eggplant slices.
  2. Salt the eggplant, and allow eggplant to sit for 15–20 minutes to remove moisture.
  3. Use a paper towel to dab eggplant, removing excess water.
  4. Broil eggplant on top oven rack for 5–8 minutes.
  5. Remove skin (optional*).
  6. Place eggplant in a food processor, and pulse until broken down.
  7. Place all other ingredients in the food processor and blend on high until well-combined.
  8. Serve with chopped vegetables.

Notes

  • As you get more comfortable making this recipe, you can mix up the ingredients a bit. Add more garlic, a little hot chili pepper for spice, different herbs, etc.
  • This is a Lebanese baba ganoush recipe, but you can also opt for a Turkish baba ganoush recipe for a slightly different taste.
  • Baba ganoush without tahini is also a possibility if you don’t enjoy the flavor or want to mix it up.
  • Prep Time: 15 min
  • Cook Time: 5 min
  • Category: Dips
  • Method: Food Processor
  • Cuisine: Lebanese

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 118g
  • Calories: 130
  • Sugar: 3.4g
  • Sodium: 19mg
  • Fat: 10.3g
  • Saturated Fat: 1.3g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 9g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 8.8g
  • Fiber: 4g
  • Protein: 3g
  • Cholesterol: 0mg

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9 Comments

  1. Roland Polintan on

    I had a tast of Baba Ganoush or Mutabal in some of our local Persian restaurants, your recipe will surely help me produce my home made Baba Ganoush, thank you.

    Reply
  2. Tammie on

    I am growing eggplant in my garden trough and can’t wait to use them in this recipe! Is there an alternative to Tahini?

    Reply

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