A smoky, rustic, super creamy eggplant dip, loaded with flavor from tahini, Middle Eastern spices, garlic and a splash of lemon juice. This one is even better the next day, when all the flavors had a chance t o marry. I love finishing it with a generous drizzle of EVOO, toasted pine nuts, and a heaping scoop of my lazy 3-ingredient Mediterranean salad. Low Carb. Vegetarian (can be vegan). Gluten Free. Be sure to see the tutorial and check out all the tips!
Before we jump to today’s recipe, I want you to know that I’m incredibly humbled to partner with WorldVision.Org to bring you this recipe in support of their work to help children and families in need in different corners of the world. This eggplant dip recipe has its roots in the Levant, and I share it today in honor of Syrian refugees and World Vision’s work among them (more about this below.)
Smoky Eggplant Dip: Baba Ganoush
Mezze is the unofficial meal of the Middle East. If you’re invited for dinner, you better expect a spread of mezze to start the evening…From the familiar hummus and tabouli to even a few falafels, kibbeh bites, or savory pies. Among the different mezze options and dips, you’ll find some version of this smoky eggplant dip, also known as Baba Ganoush. No, you’re not imagining, we’ve had the baba ganoush conversation before when I shared this easy recipe. This eggplant dip is another version you absolutely need to know!
Why this Recipe Works
The key to this baba ganoush recipe is in concentrating the rich flavor of eggplant over an open flame. You can cook the eggplant indoors over a gas burner (as I did here), or outdoors on a gas or charcoal grill. The idea is to smoke the eggplant until well-charred and crispy on the outside, and super tender on the inside. The extra smoky and velvety tender eggplant makes the base of this dip. And it’s glorious!
The loaded part of this eggplant dip? A few scoops of my lazy 3-ingredient Mediterranean salad. It’s a simple salad of tomatoes, cucumbers and parsley. Such a fresh and festive addition that compliments the earthy, smoky flavors in the dip.
How to Make this Smoky Loaded Eggplant Dip: Baba Ganoush
In my earlier baba ganoush recipe, I roasted the eggplant in the oven. That’s a very fine option if you can not smoke the eggplant.
- Here, we begin with cooking one large eggplant over a high-heat gas burner until it’s well charred and super tender on the inside. You’ll want to use a pair of tongs to rotate the eggplant every 5 minutes or so for a total of roughly 20 minutes. (If you want, you can use an outdoor grill set on medium-high. It will take a bit longer on the grill.) Remove the eggplant with a pair of tongs and be sure to let it cool before handling.
2- When cool enough to handle, peel the skin off the eggplant, and discard the stem. Place the eggplant flesh in colander to drain (remember, eggplant can be very juicy.) 3- Now we combine the smoked, peeled and drained eggplant with tahini, Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon juice and spices. You can do this in the food processor, but be careful not to over-blend. I usually just give it a couple quick pulses to combine. You don’t want runny baba ganoush; you’re look for a thick and rustic consistency (more tips on this below.)
Different Middle Eastern spices work really well to add. But because this recipe has a bit of Syrian twist, I used Aleppo pepper along with tangy sumac and a pinch of hot pepper flakes. Aleppo pepper is a wonderful, mild and fruity pepper that gives off a little earthy sweetness akin to the best kind of sundried tomatoes! (And because of the current refugee crisis, sadly our Aleppo-style pepper comes from Turkey.) Once the baba ganoush is blended, I like to cover and refrigerate the dip (before adding anything else to it) for 30 minutes or so. This is to give flavors a chance to meld, but also to help the consistency of the dip. 4- Here is the fun part. Just before you’re ready to serve, drizzle a generous amount of quality EVOO, add some toasted pine nuts (optional, but awesome.) Then scoop some of that fresh Mediterranean salad on top. Serve with warm pita bread or pita chips. Maybe a few olives on the side.
Important Tips and Make-Ahead Instructions
More about World Vision and Syria
As the smoky baba ganoush recipe gives a little taste of the Levant and places like beautiful Syria, I’m so honored to partner with World Vision in support of their work particularly among Syrian refugees. Did you know that the Syrian refugee crisis is the biggest refugee-related crisis in modern history? It has gone on for seven years now! In that one small corner of the world, already some 400,000 people were killed, and 11 million displaced. I think of all the homes destroyed, and the thousands of children born and raised into fear, hunger, and scarcity. It may not be possible to restore normalcy to refugee children. But, every effort to bring them a warm meal, or to help them manage in any way, makes a difference. This is why my family decided to support refugee children through World Vision. I’m so grateful for their work in providing necessities like food and medicine, and their big efforts in bridging the education gap to help Syrian children learn while displaced.
More Recipes to Try:
11 Epic Mediterranean Salads Mediterranean Baked Lamb Chops with Root Vegetables The Ultimate Mediterranean Breakfast Board Moussaka: Greek Eggplant Casserole 5 from 26 reviews
1 large eggplant 2 tbsp tahini paste 1 1/2 tbsp Greek yogurt 1 garlic clove, chopped 1 tbsp lemon juice Salt and pepper 1 tsp sumac, more for garnish 3/4 tsp Aleppo pepper 1/ tsp crushed red pepper (optional) Toasted pine nuts for garnish
For Salad Topping
1 Tomato, diced 1/2 English Cucumber, diced Large handful fresh parsley Salt and Pepper 1/2 tsp sumac Splash fresh lemon juice Drizzle Early Harvest extra virgin olive oil
