Easy Baba Ganoush (Vegan)

Our easy baba ganoush is a great tasting vegan appetiser made with cooked aubergine (eggplant), tahini, lemon juice and seasonings. It has a wonder silky and creamy texture, making it the perfect luxurious dip to serve with some warm toasted pitta bread.

This eggplant dip is a must for anyone who loves aubergine. However, it’s also popular with those who aren’t so keen. My daughter isn’t a fan of aubergine, but loves baba ganoush – go figure!

As well as being vegan this healthy appetiser is both gluten free and great for a low carb diet too.

What is baba ganoush?

Baba ganoush is an appetiser or dip made with grilled or roasted aubergine (eggplant), which is then pureed with olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and other flavourings. I have added tahini, fresh parsley and toasted cumin seeds to this recipe.

It is a popular dish in Turkish and Middle Eastern cuisine.

Is baba ganoush healthy?

Yes, this is a healthy dip as the main ingredient is aubergine, which not only tastes great but is high in fibre and rich in nutrients like potassium, folate and vitamin K.

What is the difference between hummus and baba ganoush?

Both of these dips are popular in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. Hummus is a smooth and creamy dip made with cooked chickpeas, tahini and other flavourings. Whereas, baba ganoush is made with aubergine (eggplant) and has a rougher texture.

What is tahini?

Tahini is commonly used in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking. Tahini is a nutrient dense paste that is made by grinding sesame seeds. You can buy dark and light tahini and which you choose comes down to personal preference.

Light tahini is paler in colour and made by grinding hulled (skinned) seeds. Whereas, dark tahini is made from the unhulled sesame seed making is a more nutritious option. I love using dark tahini as it has a stronger flavour and is slightly bitter. But if you haven’t tried tahini before I would suggest starting with a light tahini.

NOTE: Allergic to tahini, no problem, make this easy baba ganoush recipe without tahini.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

• Make ahead earlier in the day, making this an ideal appetizer for any meze party.
• Feeding a crowd? No problem, double or triple the recipe to suit numbers.
• Ready in around 30 minutes and with very little hands on preparation required.
• This vegan dip also happens to be gluten free and low carb too.

How to make baba ganoush:

• Look out all your ingredients ready to start.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/180CFan.
• Pierce the skin of the aubergine with a sharp knife and place them onto a baking tray.

• Place the tray into the hot oven and cook the aubergine for 45-60 minutes, until soft in the centre.
• The length of cook will depend on the size of the aubergine. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile place the cumin seeds into a dry pan and place on the stove over a medium/high heat.
• Toast the cumin seeds, taking care to colour, but not burn the seeds.
• Once they start to become fragrant, remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
• 1/2 teaspoon of the cumin seeds are used to flavour the baba ganoush, the second 1/2 teaspoon to garnish later.

• Cut each of the aubergine in half and scoop out the flesh into a blender of food processor.

• Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor and blend to a rough consistency, leave some texture to the dip.
• If time permits, set the dip aside in the fridge for at least one hour and allow the dip to thicken and flavours to meld together.
• Garnished with some freshly chopped parsley and the remaining toasted cumin seeds. Delicious served with warm pitta breads.

Traditional baba ganoush ingredients & substitutions:

•  Aubergine (eggplant) form the base of this dip. You can either roast or grill the aubergine, but grilling over hot charcoal adds an extra smoky layer of flavour to the finished dip.
• Fresh garlic is crushed and added raw to the sauce. I recommend starting with 1/2 clove and if you want to add a little more you can do so.
• Lemon juice is a favourite ingredient and adds great sourness to the dressing, balancing out the creamy yogurt and slightly smoky tahini.
• Tahini comes in light and dark varieties and either can be used in this sauce, it’s entirely down to preference. I love dark tahini, but I recommend starting with light tahini if this ingredient is new to you.
• Cumin seeds are not traditional in a baba ganoush, but I love the flavour that they add to this dish. Toast the seeds first, then add half to the dip and spinkle the remaining half over the dip, just before you are ready to serve. If you don’t want to add any spice, then leave the cumin out.
• Fresh parsley is not a traditional addition, but I love adding fresh parsley to this dip, it adds a really fresh herbal twist. You can leave it out if you prefer.
• Salt seasons the sauce, start with a pinch and add more to suit your own palatte.
• Extra virgin olive oil: is drizzled over the dip just before serving. This is entirely optional and you can leave it off if you prefer. You could substitute the olive oil with extra virgin rapeseed oil instead.

Recipe variations:

• Garnishes: I have garnished the baba ganoush with some extra toasted cumin seeds and some freshly chopped parsley. However, you can also sprinkle the top of the dip with smoked paprika; aleppo pepper; zaatar spice or crunchy dukkah mix.
• You can add Greek yogurt to baba ganoush. Greek yogurt thickens the dip and making it super creamy.
• For those with a sesame allergy make this easy baba ganoush recipe without tahini.

Serving suggestions:

• Serve this simple dip with some warm pitta bread for a great tasting appetizer. Fancy making your own flatbread, it couldn’t be easier with our Easy Yogurt Flatbreads.
• A great addition to any mezze platter.
• Try serving alongside some grilled meat mains like our Chicken Shawarma Kebabs or our Lemon & Paprika Chicken Kebabs.

Can baba ganoush be made ahead?

Yes absolutely, this is a great make ahead dip. In fact it benefits from being made earlier in the day, or day before and stored in the fridge until you are ready to serve. This allows the dip to thicken and the flavours to meld together – you will end up with a tastier dip.

You can store baba ganoush in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Useful hints and tips:

1. If you have the barbecue on I recommend grilling the aubergine as this makes a great tasting smoky aubergine dip. Not only does the hot grill make quick work of cooking the aubergine, but it also imparts a wonderful smoky flavour into the finished dish.
2. For speed I have used a food processor but you can make this dip just as easily by hand, just mash up the roasted aubergine and stir through the remaining ingredients to form the dip.
3. Take care not to over process the dip, you want a rough dip with some texture to it, not a smooth puree.
4. Set the dip aside for at least an hour and allow the flavours to meld together this will result in a creamier and tastier dip.
5. Containing no dairy this side dish is suitable for Vegan diners.
6. For those with a sesame allergy make this easy baba ganoush recipe without tahini.
7. Allergy advice: gluten free, dairy free, egg free, soya free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.

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Additional recipe suggestions:

If you like this recipe then try some of our other simple dips, perfect on any meze platter:

• Lemon, Yogurt & Tahini Dressing
• Roasted Garlic White Bean Dip
• How to make Homemade Mayonnaise
• Creamy Hummus
• Roasted Carrot Hummus
• Beetroot Hummus

For more recipes read my Easy Mezze Platter Ideas post.

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