Baba Ganoush

What You’ll Need To Make Baba Ganoush

• Eggplant: When roasted, it turns creamy and takes on a deep, smoky flavor. Look for medium eggplants with smooth, shiny skin and green stems; they’re less bitter and have fewer seeds than larger ones.
• Lemon juice & garlic: This duo brightens and sharpens the dip—lemon juice adds tang and acidity, while garlic brings a punch of savory flavor that deepens as it sits.
• Tahini Paste: Made from ground sesame seeds, tahini paste adds a nutty richness and helps thicken the dip into a silky texture. You can find it in most supermarkets near the nut butters. Be sure to stir it well before using, as it tends to separate. (If it’s difficult to stir in the jar, scrape the contents into a bowl and use a whisk or hand-held electric mixer to blend.)
• Ground cumin & smoked paprika: These warm spices echo and amplify the smokiness of the eggplant.
• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Adds richness, helps emulsify the dip, and doubles as a finishing drizzle.
• Fresh parsley: Adds a pop of color and fresh flavor.
• Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements

Step 1. Roast the eggplant. Prick the eggplants all over with a fork and place them on a baking sheet. Roasting them in a super-hot oven softens the flesh until it’s meltingly tender while concentrating the flavor. Don’t worry if they look collapsed and deflated with wrinkled skin—that’s exactly what you want.

Step 2. Scoop out the flesh. Once the eggplants are cool enough to handle, cut them in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl. Let it drain for a few minutes to remove excess liquid.

Step 3. Drain excess liquid. Press the flesh firmly with the back of a spoon to release as much liquid as possible. Eggplant holds a surprising amount of water, and draining it is the secret to thick, creamy baba ganoush rather than a watery dip.

Step 4. Combine the ingredients. Transfer the drained eggplant to a food processor along with the tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and seasoning. (It’s important to mince the garlic first since the dip gets only a few pulses in the food processor.)

Step 6. Blend. Process until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt, lemon juice, or smoked paprika if needed. Baba ganoush should be very well seasoned; always taste it with a piece of pita or a vegetable before serving, since that gives you the best sense of the final flavor.

Pro Tip: Many traditional baba ganoush recipes are made by hand rather than puréed in a food processor. If you prefer a chunkier, more rustic texture, mash the eggplant with a fork and stir in the remaining ingredients by hand.

Step 7. Chill, garnish, and serve. Transfer the baba ganoush to a serving bowl and use the back of a spoon to create decorative swirls for the olive oil. Drizzle generously with olive oil and sprinkle with parsley, smoked paprika, and parsley.

Jenn’s Pro Tips

• Make it ahead. Baba ganoush tastes even better after a few hours in the fridge—the flavors have time to mingle and mellow. It’ll keep well for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing it, as the eggplant tends to become watery and lose its creamy texture after thawing.
• Avoid metal bowls. If you’re making it ahead or storing leftovers, skip reactive metal containers—vinegar or lemon juice in the dip can react with them and give the baba ganoush a metallic taste. Stick with glass or plastic.
• Serve it at the right temp. The flavor dulls when it’s too cold, so don’t skip the step of letting it sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. This makes the texture creamier too.
• Dress it up. Toasted pine nuts, toasted sesame seeds, chopped mint, or a pinch of Aleppo pepper also make delicious toppings.