The dip I chased all the way home from Turkey
The first time I ever had baba ganoush, I was on a Turkish Airlines flight headed to visit a friend in Bodrum. I dug in with a big piece of pita fully expecting hummus.
What I got instead was creamier, richer, and just barely sweet. I was HOOKED.
So we got home, and I started testing. A few rounds in, I had it, and that is the version you will find here.
Now I love baba as much as I love classic hummus. (Some weeks, more.)
My garden was giving me lots of eggplant. I’ve always liked this dish but didn’t think I could make it. I followed all your instructions and absolutely loved it.
– Cathy H.
Ingredients & Substitutions
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
- Eggplant. 2 pounds, which works out to 2 or 3 medium ones.
- Olive oil. 4 tablespoons total, split between roasting and blending.
- Tahini paste. ¼ cup. Give the jar a good stir before you measure, it separates as it sits.
- Lemon juice. 2 tablespoons, which is about one lemon. Fresh, not the bottled stuff.
- Garlic. 2 cloves, finely minced. Here is how to mince garlic if you want it done fast.
- Salt. ½ teaspoon to start, then more to taste at the end.
- Cumin. ½ teaspoon. This is the one that keeps it from tasting flat.
- Red pepper flakes. ¼ teaspoon, optional. Leave them out and it is completely mild.
- Fresh parsley. Optional, chopped fine, for the top.
How to Make Baba Ganoush
Please see the recipe card below for the full instructions, ingredient amounts, and a printable recipe.
Prep the eggplant
Slice the eggplants in half lengthwise. Drizzle the cut sides with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and rub it in with your hands.
Lay them cut-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Roast it
Roast at 400°F for 40 to 50 minutes, until the flesh is completely tender and the skins have started to collapse.
You want real color on the cut side. That browning is where all the sweetness comes from.
Drain it, seriously
Scoop the flesh out of the skins and into a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl. Let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes.
Press down with the back of a spoon every few minutes. You should pull out ⅓ to ½ cup of liquid and be left with about 1¼ cups of eggplant.
This is the step everything else depends on. Rush it, and you get a dip that pools on the plate instead of holding a scoop.
Pulse, do not process
Add the drained eggplant to a food processor along with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, cumin, and red pepper flakes.
Pulse 10 to 20 times. Stop while there are still a few small chunks.
Chunky is the whole point. Run it until it is perfectly smooth, and you have made something closer to a puree than a dip.
Serve it
Spread it into a shallow bowl and make a well in the middle with the back of a spoon. Drizzle olive oil into the well.
Top with red pepper flakes and chopped parsley. Serve with warm pita bread, crackers, or sliced veggies.
Oops! Let us fix it
- It is watery and will not hold a scoop. Not enough liquid came out. Put it back in the strainer and press again, or stir in an extra spoonful of tahini to tighten it up.
- It tastes bitter. That is usually an older, seedier eggplant. Go smaller next time, and roast until the flesh is truly soft rather than just cooked through.
- It tastes flat. More salt, then more lemon, in that order. Add a little at a time and taste between each one.
- It came out more like a puree. Over-processed. Nothing to fix this round, but next time stop at 10 pulses and check before you keep going.
- The garlic is too sharp. Raw garlic gets louder as it sits. It will mellow overnight in the fridge, or drop to one clove next time.
FAQs
Baba ganoush (also spelled baba ghanoush or babaganoush) is a classic Levantine dip made with roasted eggplant, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic. Traditionally, the eggplant is charred over an open flame to give the dip its signature smoky flavor.
Choose eggplants that feel heavy for their size and have smooth, glossy skin. Smaller eggplants are usually less bitter and have fewer seeds, making them ideal for a smooth, flavorful baba ganoush.
No, though they get mixed up constantly (I did it myself the first time). Hummus is built on chickpeas and baba ganoush is built on roasted eggplant. They share the tahini, lemon, and garlic, which is why they taste like cousins.
It is eggplant, olive oil, tahini, lemon, and garlic, so it is a dip made entirely of whole ingredients. There is no dairy in it, which makes it naturally vegan. One serving is about 2 tablespoons and comes in around 94 calories with 3 grams of fiber.
You do not peel it before roasting. The skin is what holds everything together in the oven. After it comes out, you scoop the soft flesh straight out of the skins and throw the skins away.
Because it is transliterated from Arabic, so there is no single correct English spelling. Baba ganoush, baba ghanoush, and babaganoush all point to the same eggplant dip.
Yes, and it is the step people skip. Roasted eggplant holds a surprising amount of water, and ⅓ to ½ cup of it needs to come out or the dip will be runny.
Store baba ganoush in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 to 5 days. The flavors continue to develop as it chills, and many people find it tastes even better the next day. Freezing isn’t recommended, though. Eggplant releases excess water as it thaws, which can leave the dip watery and change its creamy texture.
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Baba Ganoush Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds eggplants about 2-3 medium
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- ¼ cup tahini paste
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice from 1 lemon
- 2 garlic cloves finely minced
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional, plus more to taste
- Fresh parsley finely chopped, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut eggplants in half lengthwise and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and place the eggplants flat-side down onto the pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until cook through, tender and browned.2 pounds eggplants
- Scoop out the flesh and discard the skin. Place the flesh into a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes. Mash the eggplant to drain any excess liquid. (You should end up with roughly 1 ¼ cups of eggplant and ~⅓-½ cup of liquid.)
- Add the eggplant, 2 tablespoons olive oil, tahini paste, lemon juice, garlic cloves, salt, cumin, and red pepper flakes to a large food processor. Pulse 10-20 times, or until just combined and to your desired texture.¼ cup tahini paste, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 garlic cloves, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Serve the baba ganoush with a drizzle or olive oil, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes and parsley, and with pita bread or vegetables for dipping.Fresh parsley
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Video
Notes
- Serving size. One serving is roughly 2 tablespoons. The recipe makes about 1 ½ cups.
- Straining. Do not skip this. You should pull ⅓ to ½ cup of liquid out of the roasted eggplant, leaving about 1 ¼ cups. Skip it and the baba ganoush will be runny.
- Texture. Pulse 10 to 20 times and stop while a few small chunks remain. Running the processor straight through turns it into a puree.
- Storage. Keeps in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days, and the flavor improves on day two. It does not freeze well.
- Make ahead. Make it up to 2 days before a party, then add the olive oil drizzle and parsley right before serving.
- Smoky version. Grill the eggplant halves cut-side down over medium-high heat until the skins blister and collapse, then continue with the draining step.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What to serve with baba ganoush
This is a mezze board anchor more than anything else. Set it out with warm pita bread, a bowl of Mediterranean couscous salad, and a few skewers, and you have dinner.
For something more substantial, it goes with Greek chicken kabobs, lamb kofta kebabs, or Mediterranean turkey meatballs. Spoon it right onto the plate next to the meat and let it pull double duty as a sauce.
And if you still have eggplant to use up, try roasted eggplant, air fryer eggplant, or eggplant Parmesan.
More Mediterranean favorites
If baba ganoush is your gateway, these are the ones I would send you to next.
Roasted Eggplant
25 mins
Easy Homemade Hummus
10 mins
Grilled Greek Chicken Kabobs
45 mins
Mediterranean Yellow Rice
25 mins
So easy, really tasty.
Thank you so much, Frankie! I’m so glad you enjoyed the baba ganoush. Easy and delicious is exactly what I was hoping for! Thanks for taking the time to leave a kind review—I really appreciate it.
I just made it and i follow the recipe from a to z and became perfect, thank you
Thank you so much, Lilia! I’m so happy to hear the baba ganoush turned out perfectly for you. It’s wonderful to know the recipe was easy to follow and gave you great results. Thanks for taking the time to leave such a kind comment, and enjoy!
My garden was giving me lots of eggplant. I’ve always liked this dish but didn’t think I could make it. I followed all your instructions and absolutely loved it. Had everything I needed in my pantry. ❤️
Yay!! It’s surprisingly not that hard to make, right?! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating, Cathy 🙂
It was delicious!!!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Mary! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!
This was absolutely delicious! I did not add the red pepper flakes but otherwise followed recipe as written. I am so enjoying it!! Thank you!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Mary! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
Hi do you put the red pepper flakes in the food processor or just sprinkle on top?
Hi Suzanne! You can include them in the food processor, or simply sprinkle on top. It’s your prefence.