Creamy, bright, and smoky Vegan Baba Ganoush is a delicious Lebanese dip that may just change the way you eat eggplant.
I first discovered baba ganoush while working at a cozy little café in Providence, Rhode Island. During the summer months, after long, hectic weekend shifts that often stretched over 10 hours, the staff would gather at our boss’s house for backyard barbecues. Despite a bit of a language barrier between myself and some of the guests, we found common ground through food. That’s where I first tried baba ganoush, a smoky, creamy dip that immediately stood out among the fresh salads and sizzling kebabs. It was simple, bold, and totally unforgettable.
Baba ganoush is almost always vegan. Traditionally, on its own, it doesn’t contain any animal products. However, some variations may include added ingredients like yogurt or cheese.
Features
Vegan Baba Ganoush’s main component is grilled or roasted eggplant which gives it a smoky flavor. In this version we added to our eggplant olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, smoked paprika, garlic, and a pinch of salt.
Additionally, aside from an additional drizzle of olive oil we also added a pinch of smoked paprika, cilantro, chopped pistachios, and toasted sesame seeds for some additional texture and bright and nutty flavors.
Vegan Baba Ganoush’s Nutrition Highlights
For someone looking to boost their plant-based nutrition intake, Baba Ganoush is a great ingredient or snack for this. It is packed with nutrients from eggplant which is a good source of fiber, tahini (from sesame seeds with the hull) is an excellent plant based source of calcium, and olive oil which has mono and polyunsaturated fats and is a good sources source of vitamin E [1].
Serving and Pairings
This dip serves well with toasted pita cut into wedges or veggies such as slices of bell pepper, cucumber, and baby carrots. It’s also a great plant-based addition to change up the charcuterie board.
Baba ganoush is not only for dipping through. Although not traditional, it serves as a great addition to burritos, a bed for fish, or topping for a salad. Honestly, wherever you want a creamy, smokey, garlicky spread, you can use this vegan baba ganoush.
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Vegan Baba Ganoush
Creamy, tangy, and smoky Baba Ganoush is a delicious Lebanese dip that may just change the way you eat eggplant.
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Ingredients
- 4 italian eggplants
- 1 Tbsp olive oil + a little more for cooking
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ cup tahini
- 4 garlic cloves
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- Pinch of salt
Optional Toppings:
- Smoked paprika
- Chopped Cilantro
- Chopped Pistachios
- Toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
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Preheat a grill to medium high setting and gather ingredients.
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Carefully prick the outside of your eggplants 5-6x with a sharp knife or fork, brush the outsides of your eggplant with oil, and put on the grill once hot.
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Char the skin of your eggplant on all sides making sure to rotate and making sure you do not burn the inside of your eggplant.
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Once your eggplant is charred on all sides and cooked through, remove from the heat and place in a heat safe dish covered with aluminum foil.
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Once cool enough to handle, peel the skin from the eggplant and remove its stem.
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Place the flesh of the eggplant in a blender with your olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, smoked paprika and salt. Blend on high until smooth.
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Pour out into a serving dish . Optionally top with a pinch of smoked paprika, cilantro, and chopped pistachios and sesame seeds.
Notes
If you do not have a grill you can also do this under a broiler on the Highsetting. Make sure to keep an eye on the cooking process and adjust your rack height if the skin is charging too quickly for the eggplant to cook through.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Snack
- Cuisine: Lebanese