Simple baba ganoush

Spicy peppers combine with creamy roasted eggplant to create a spicy vegan dip, AKA baba ganoush. Make it over the weekend and pair with crackers or veggies for a healthy mid-week snack, or slather onto a sandwich or piece of toast for a light meal.

Baba ganoush is popular in the summer and fall when eggplant is in season for most of the US. Down here in Florida, winter is eggplant season, so I picked up these beautiful veggies a couple weeks ago.

The best part? The longer it sits, the more the flavors combine! I love making a fresh dip like this, hummus or tzatziki over the weekend for a quick healthy snack during the week.

This simple baba ganoush was inspired by this simple summer bean salad and would be perfect on a vegan charcuterie board.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions & Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Frequently asked questions
• Top tip
• Simple baba ganoush
• Food safety

Ingredients

• eggplant
• tahini
• bell peppers
• poblano peppers
• serrano pepper
• lemon
• cumin
• paprika
• garlic
• salt

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

First, preheat the oven to 450 F. Then, cut eggplant in half lengthwise (hotdog style). Place onto a towel flat side up, and add a sprinkle of salt. "Sweat" or allow water to escape for 30 mins.

Pat dry, place cut side down (skin side up) onto a baking sheet lined with silicon mat or parchment paper. Bake for 40 minutes, then let cool for at least 15 mins.

Finally, scoop eggplant out of skin, and strain, discarding the juice. Place strained eggplant into food processor.

Let eggplant cool as long as possible...burnt fingers are no fun (guilty...)

While eggplant is sweating, place all peppers onto baking sheet and roast for 20-30 minutes until blistered. The blistering will help you peel the pepper. It's ok if there are most blisters than you see here.

Place in paper bag to cool and sweat for 10-15 minutes or until cool enough to handle. This will also help you remove the skin. Also remove seed and pulp, then place remaining pepper into food processor.

Finally, slice the top off of a head of garlic and roast for 15-20 minutes. (The top is the side opposite the hairy roots). Let cool for at least 15 minutes, then carefully squeeze cloves out of skin and into food processor.

Add tahini, spices and lemon juice, then pulse until roughly chopped, yet smooth. Salt to taste and enjoy!

Hint: take your time when roasting veggies. Don't rush it - you'll end up burning yourself or not cooking long enough.

For maximum efficiency, this is the order of operations:

1. Preheat oven
2. Sweat eggplant while peppers are blistering
3. Roast eggplant while peppers cool, then peel.
4. Roast garlic while eggplant is cooling/straining.
5. Pulse everything together in blender.

Substitutions & Variations

This recipe is naturally vegan, gluten free, egg free and dairy free.

If you're allergic to sesame seeds or can't find tahini, try sunflower seed butter instead.

To make this recipe extra spicy, add a quarter teaspoon of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.

Pro tip: if your dip is too bitter, add more lemon. Bitterness comes from two ingredients: eggplant and tahini. Lemon will offset most of it. If you are especially sensitive to bitterness, remove as much liquid from eggplant as possible.

Looking for something without eggplant? Check out this beet hummus or butternut squash hummus.

Equipment

There are a few pieces of key equipment to make a great baba ganoush and minimize clean-up.

1. Food processor for blending hummus. A food processor blends less than a blender, so the dip will still be a little chunky. In a pinch, you can use an immersion blender, or blender. Make sure to stir consistently if you choose to use a blender.
2. Silicon mat (silpat) or parchment paper to prevent vegetable sticking and make cleanup easier.
3. Strainer + paper towels or cheesecloth for straining eggplant.

Storage

This dip tastes better the longer it sits! For best results, make 24 hours before serving and refrigerate in a sealed container until serving. Good for up to 5 days refrigerated.

I do not recommend freezing this recipe.

Frequently asked questions

Top tip

Take your time roasting the veggies. Grab a beverage and relax...this is not a good recipe to rush through.

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Food safety

We sometimes take for a granted that we have years (or decades) of cooking experience, that the average visitor may not. Add to, or remove from, the list below with health and safety tips.

• As always, use extra caution when using sharp tools and appliances. Always unplug appliances before reaching hand into appliances or removing blade.
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove