Traveling through Italy and France ignited my love for eggplant. They serve this purple vegetable in a variety of ways, like as a pizza topping, as a fried appetizer, and as an ingredient in a pasta dish.
After my travels, I began to buy this veggie from the store and prepare it at home. Which is how I stumbled upon babaganoush.
This Meditteranean dip is creamy and flavorful—the perfect addition to homemade gyros, on pita chips, or even with vegetables! Plus it’s easy to make, thanks to my handy immersion blender.
First peel your eggplant and slice into rounds. Whenever you use eggplant, it’s best to salt it and allow it to rest in a colander for at least ten minutes. This removes the bitter taste.
Next, I drizzle it with olive oil and bake it for 20-30 minutes until tender. (It’s so tempting to pop a round into your mouth, but trust me—your patience will be rewarded!)
Here’s the fun part! Combine the eggplant slices with lemon juice, garlic, tahini, and dried herbs. Blend using your immersion blender until you are left with a thick, creamy dip.
Feel like it’s too thick? Add a tablespoon of olive oil. Not thick enough? Another scoop of tahini should help.
Grab a carrot, cucumber, or pita chip and take a bite. Mmmm, that’s good.
Babaganoush
A creamy dip made from eggplant. Perfect on gyros, with pita chips, or as a dip for veggies!
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant
- Pinch of salt
- Drizzle of olive oil (for roasting)
- 2-3 Tbsp lemon juice (approximately 1 lemon)
- 1 clove garlic, diced
- 2 Tbsp tahini
- 1 Tbsp dried parsley or basil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Peel eggplant and slice into rounds approximately ¼ inch thick.
- Place in colander and salt, then let rest for 10 minutes. (This makes the eggplant less bitter)
- Lay the eggplant rounds on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and bake for 20-30 minutes, until soft and fork tender.
- Add the roasted eggplant, lemon juice, garlic, tahini, and herbs to a blender. Mix until creamy. Tip: If using your Vitamix, stop and scrape down the sides frequently. An immersion blender works better for this recipe.) Add more tahini to make it thicker, and add olive oil to make it thinner.
- Enjoy on a gyro, with pita chips, or as a dip for veggies. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
Homemade tahini: roast ½ cup sesame seeds in a skillet over medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Blend together with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt until creamy.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 130Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 45mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 3g
