Roasted eggplant dip, otherwise known as baba ganoush, has been a favourite of mine for as long as I can remember. This roasted eggplant requires no tahini, but it's a blend of creamy, smokey, deliciousness. What's not to love?
Traditionally, baba ganoush is a mediterranean and middle-eastern roasted eggplant dip that is made with tahini. You may be surprised to hear that my version has roasted eggplant spread has no tahini, swapped for a creamier alternative. Tahini or not, this dip will not last long in your home!
Like many of the recipes I make at home, I am often inspired by something delicious that I have either tried in a restaurant, or purchased from the grocery store. I became obsessed with a version of baba ganoush from an Israeli restaurant near me, that makes their baba ganoush with mayonnaise. Roasted eggplant dip with no tahini is an Israeli twist on my favourite. It was only natural that I had to try it, and here's how to do it at home.
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Baking Time
- You will need to roast the eggplant for approximately 45 minutes at 375 degrees.
- Your eggplant will be done once it has shrivelled up, and is almost mushy to touch.
- To speed up the baking process, be sure to poke holes in the eggplant, allowing more heat to get in.
- Oiling the eggplant is optional. To keep it lower in fat, feel free to skip this step.
Ingredients for a Creamy Eggplant Dip (With No Tahini!)
One Medium-Sized Eggplant:
I used a regular eggplant for this baba ganoush. I would shy away from other varieties, such as Japanese eggplants, or smaller Indian eggplants, for example, as the flavour and texture are different, and will yield a different result.
½ Cup of Mayonnaise:
As there are few ingredients in this baba ganoush, you will want to use your favourite mayonnaise (I use Hellmanns). If you are looking to lighten this up, you can use reduced-fat mayonnaise as well, which will still yield a creamy dip with a few less calories. I would stay away from substitutions like Miracle Whip, as the flavour (in my opinion) is different from mayonnaise.
¼ Cup of Greek Yogurt:
Greek yogurt is not traditional in Israeli or even traditional mediterranean or middle-eastern baba ganoush. It adds a great tang, and lightens up, otherwise heavy mayonnaise. You can use full fat, or no fat greek yogurt, again, depending on if you are looking for something on the healthier side. I used Oikos Triple Zero - which is a fat free yogurt, and found the results were perfect.
Lemon Juice and Zest:
You will need the zest of a whole lemon, and the juice of half. I hiiighly suggest using fresh lemons, just for the fact that the zest has a really nice subtle citrus flavour that is is not overwhelmingly tangy. Pro-Tip: Zest before you juice the lemon! It is insanely hard to zest a lemon that has been cut in half, and squeezed - 0/10 do not recommend.
1 Clove of Garlic:
One clove of raw garlic, in an uncooked dish, is all you need. After much experimentation, this is the golden amount of garlic that gives a good garlicky flavour without punching you in the face. If you are not a fan of garlic, you can reduce this to half a clove, but I encourage you to try it with one.
Instructions - How do you Make Baba Ganoush From Scratch?
Roast the Eggplant
The only cooking that you need to do, is roasting the eggplant. The way I roast my eggplant is to rub it with olive oil, and pierce holes in the eggplant with a fork, all around.
In an oven preheated to 375 degrees, you will want to roast the eggplant on a sheet pan for approximately 40-45 minutes, or until it is essentially, shrivelled up and mushy (no better way to describe it, truthfully!)
Scoop Out Eggplant
I cannot stress this enough - let the eggplant cool before you venture into scooping out the meat! Now the number one question a lot of people have about eggplant is: can you eat eggplant skin? The answer is yes, you can. I will say, however, that this dip comes out much better if you toss the skin, and use the meat (and seeds) from inside.
Using a spoon, scoop out the meat from the eggplant skin. Put this meat either in food processor, or in a blending container from an immersion blender.
Blend the Ingredients Together
The hard part is over! All that's left is adding the remaining ingredients to your food processor or immersion blender container, and blending everything together. You can make this as smooth or "chunky" as you prefer. I like a good balance between the two - enough to know there is still eggplant in there.
Substitutions to Your Taste
- For an extra creamy eggplant baba ganoush dip, you can substitute sour cream for the greek yogurt.
- If you have an aversion to raw garlic and find it too powerful, use garlic powder for a more mellow taste.
- If you do not have fresh lemon, bottled lemon juice will work. I would use approximately a tablespoon.
- Although this roasted eggplant dip has no tahini, you can add some if you would like a little bit of nuttiness
Hot Tips for a Foolproof Dip
- Season the eggplant dip heavily, with salt. Eggplant is quite bland, and using the right amount of salt will wake up all of the flavours in the dip
- Top with olive oil to give to make this extra mediterranean
- If you have a gas burner or a barbecue, you can also char and cook the eggplant over the flame for an even smokier flavour
What to Serve With Roasted Eggplant Dip
- Grilled naan or pita bread
- Assorted vegetables (I like cucumber, grape tomatoes, and carrots)
- Literally anything, really!
If You Like This, Try...
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PrintRoasted Eggplant Dip (No Tahini!)
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 45
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 Servings 1x
- Category: Side Dishes
- Method: Oven Baked
- Cuisine: Mediteranenan
Description
Roasted eggplant dip, or baba ganoush, has always been a favourite of mine. It's a blend of creamy, smokey, deliciousness. What's not to love?
Ingredients
- 1 medium-sized eggplant
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup greek yogurt
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 lemon, zested
- ½ lemon, juiced
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Roast the Eggplant: Pierce the eggplant skin with a fork all around the eggplant, and drizzle with olive oil. In an oven preheated to 375 degrees, roast the eggplant on a sheet pan for approximately 40-45 minutes, or until it is essentially, shrivelled up and mushy.
- Scoop Out Eggplant: Let the eggplant cool. Using a spoon, scoop out the meat from the eggplant skin. Put this meat either in food processor, or in a blending container from an immersion blender.
- Blend the Ingredients Together: Add the remaining ingredients to your food processor or immersion blender container, and blending everything together. You can make this as smooth or "chunky" as you prefer.
Notes
Keywords: roasted eggplant dip, roasted eggplant dip no tahini, baba ganoush, eggplant spread
Such a fantastic flavorful dip! So good with naan or veggies.
Incredibly delicious!! This dip recipe worked great for me.YUM!
omg - yum! i love anything Mediterranean- I've tried baba ganoush a few times and can't wait to make my own!
Oh I don't like the tahini in baba ganoush, so this is perfect! Thank you for sharing!
This looks amazing! I know this recipe is an appetizer but I could eat this as a meal! Yum!
If you do not like raw garlic then when you roast the eggplant just poke the garlic cloves into the eggplant .....great flavour