Easy Baba Ghanoush
The fall season is so gorgeous with its beautiful vibrant colors. There’s nothing I enjoy more than walking in a park on a sunny day during the third season of the year. The air is fresh and crisp, a welcome break after the hot summer season. Another plus about autumn is it brings us a new bunch of fresh produce that I can’t resist taking advantage of! One of my favorite ingredients of the season is eggplant… yum! I love making my favorite recipes with it such as Mediterranean Eggplant Casserole, Summer Grilled Eggplant, Pisto Manchego, Mediterranean Eggplant Quiche, Eggplant Rollatini, Eggplant Burgers, Chicken Sorrentino, and many more…
Years ago, I was introduced to an amazingly delicious and very healthy Levantine dish and the main ingredient is eggplant. It was Baba Ghanoush! I have to admit, it was love at first… bite!
What is so nice about this flavorful dip was the subtle taste of spices in the background blended with fresh ingredients. I also enjoy eating it with some pita wedges and crudités. Although great as an appetizer, I found out back then that Baba Ghanoush is also fantastic as a condiment. It’s a nice spread for sandwiches and also goes well with meat.
When I decided to make my own, I used my favorite spices which are smoked paprika and cumin. Although this dish has a smoky flavor to it, I wanted the smokiness to be slightly more intense so the paprika was a good choice.
Another key ingredient that is added to this dish is tahini. As you probably know, it’s sold at the supermarket BUT why buy it? Making your own is incredibly easy and also quite fast. Not only is homemade better but it’s also economical. I have a recipe to make your own tahini so just click on this link… Homemade Tahini
As much as summer is my favorite time of the year, I still really enjoy the fall season. Next time you walk by the produce aisle and see those beautiful aubergines, put a couple in your shopping cart, go home and try this recipe… you’ll be glad you did!
Bon Appétit!
Here’s another great Levantine appetizer that can also be used as a spread… Middle East Muhamarra
Check out these other great appetizer recipes…
– Cran Apricot California Salad
– Chilled Avocado Soup
– Stuffed Dates with Gorgonzola
– Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
– Six Layer Chip Dip
– Prawn Saganaki
and for more vegetarian and vegan recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Vegan & Vegetarian
Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel by clicking on this link… Club Foody YouTube
Easy Baba Ghanoush
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Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplants (aubergines), washed and halved
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, or as needed plus 2 tbsp. tips & tricks
- 1/4 cup tahini see Recipe
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, or to taste tips & tricks
- 3 large whole cloves garlic
- 1/2 tsp. ground Himalayan sea salt, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I always use mixed peppercorns)
- 1 1/2 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley, divided tips & tricks
- 1/8 tsp. mild paprika, for garnish
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425ºF
- Poke the eggplants with a fork and transfer to a lightly oiled baking sheet lined with foil. Brush their flesh with enough oil to cover the entire surface and place flesh side down.
- Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 50 minutes or until very soft.
- Remove from the heat and let them cool off until they are cool enough to handle.
- About 20 minutes later, scoop out the flesh into a colander sitting over a bowl; discard the skins. Stir the flesh, gently pressing down to remove any extra moisture.
- To a food processor, add the drained eggplant flesh, tahini, lemon juice, garlic cloves, ground sea salt, ground cumin, smoked paprika, freshly ground black pepper and 1 ½ tbsp. oil.
- Process until the mixture is smooth, about 3 minutes. Add 1 tbsp. parsley and quickly blend to incorporate the herb.
- Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and drizzle ½ tbsp. oil on top. Sprinkle on paprika and remaining parsley.
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