This homemade baba ganoush is fantastic for special get-togethers, date nights or just a regular evening. Gluten-free, grain-free, vegan, Paleo, Whole30, low-carb, ketogenic.
This homemade baba ganoush recipe is creamy, mild and very fresh tasting. It’s filled with lots of fresh ingredients – eggplant, garlic, lemon and parsley, and it makes a really fun appetizer or accompaniment for dinner. All you really need are some crackers or veggies and you have yourself a good time.
Baba ganoush is like the older cousin to hummus. They both contain all of the same secondary ingredients, but the eggplant steals the show as the main ingredient here instead of the chickpeas.
When I first looked into how to make homemade baba ganoush, I was quickly dissuaded when I saw that it was typically cooked directly on a gas stove or grill. The traditional method is to cook the eggplant directly on the flame, turning it consistently until the skin is fully charred and the eggplant collapses. I don’t have access to a grill or a gas stove at the moment, but I still wanted to give it a shot. So what to do?
The oven broiler works fairly well as an alternative. Start by cutting the eggplants in half so you do not have to constantly turn them, plus it makes them more stable on a baking sheet. Place them skin-side up on a baking sheet and place them on the oven rack about 4-5 inches under the broiler.
The size of your eggplants will dictate how fast they will cook. You want to watch them closely, as they can start to burn and get smokey. I rotated the tray around every 5-10 minutes, to ensure they cooked evenly. Once you can poke a toothpick through the insides without any resistance, you know they are done.
Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for 10-15 minutes. Once cool to the touch, remove the skin and any hard edges, and add to a food processor or bowl. Blend or mash with a fork until smooth, then add in the remaining ingredients and mix some more.
Taste along the way, and throw in some additional salt and seasoning, if desired. Homemade baba ganoush is typically served cold or at room temperature as a dip with veggies or crackers.
I hope you all enjoy this homemade baba ganoush. It was fun to make, and even more fun to eat. Please leave a comment below if you have any feedback, I’m always trying to improve!
Homemade Baba Ganoush (Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Low-Carb)
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant or 2 medium
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp tahini
- lemon juice of 1/2
- 1/2 tsp Salt I love this Himalayan pink salt
- 1 handful fresh parsley
Instructions
- Turn broiler on oven.
- Slice eggplant in half and place on a baking sheet.
- Place in oven roughly 4-5 inches under broiler.
- Broil until the meat inside the eggplant can be poked with no resistance using a toothpick The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the eggplants. I used four small eggplants, which took roughly 15 minutes. A large eggplant may take up to a half an hour.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool to the touch.
- Remove skin of eggplants and discard.
- Add meat of eggplants to a blender or food processor, along with garlic, lemon juice, tahini, salt and parsley and blend until creamy. Add additional seasoning, such as paprika or cumin, or additional salt as desired.
- Serve cold or at room temperature with pita bread and/or vegetables.
