Baba Ghanoush Is Ree's Favorite Creamy, Smoky Eggplant Dip (2024)

Baba Ghanoush. Don't tell the cowboys, but this is one of those things in my recipe repertoire that falls under the category It Doesn't Get Much Better Than This. It's true. I absolutely love this stuff. Even though the cowboys wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole.

I'm happy with the life I've been given. I love my family. I'm okay with the cow that thinks it's a dog and sleeps on my porch. I can even make my peace with the flies. Maybe. And I embrace all of the country food I've had to learn to make in the last decade-plus of my life: fried chicken, chocolate sheet cake, chicken fried steak. So if I want to wig out one day and make a traditional eggplant spread with a totally funky name, I give myself permission.

Baba Ghanoush is delicious. Made with eggplant that's been fire roasted (either on a hot grill or under a broiler) to the point of shriveling, it can be served as a side dish. Typically, though, it's a cold or room temperature spread, served with pita bread or crostini or crusty French bread… or a spoon.

Eggplant haters: Please expand your mind.

All I am saying: Give Eggplant a chance.

Grab three medium-large eggplants.

Before you do anything—this is a vital step—use a fork to prick the surface of the eggplant. Really go for it; later, I'll show you an example of what happens if you omit this step.

I’ll just say this: it ain’t pretty.

Now, we're going to roast the eggplants on high for about 25 minutes, or until the skins get black and they completely shrivel into pitiful versions of their former selves. I’m using a grill this time, but have done this right under the broiler of the oven with much success.

The point is to blacken the heck out of these eggplants, baby.

This is about 8 or so minutes in, and this doesn't even begin to scratch the surface.

When I say "shrivel," I mean shrivel.

Getting there, but still not even close. As the different sides blacken, use tongs to turn them as needed. You want to get the whole thing black.

Have I mentioned you need to blacken the eggplant?

The shriveling eggplant seeks comfort from his fallen comrade. Sorry. Sometimes I’ll lean one eggplant against another to get the fat bottom right up against the fire.

Fat bottom. Why did I have to bring that up?

For fun, and it's actually no fun at all, I decided not to prick the surface of Eggplant #3, just to show you how perilous it is. See how the skin burst under pressure? Not good. When this happens, it’s really difficult to finish roasting the eggplant to its full potential, because the whole thing pretty much falls apart.

This took thirty minutes. Thirty minutes of turning with tongs, checking the softness, turning with tongs, and getting impatient for baba ghanoush.

Here's Eggplant #3. Poor, sad soul.

I hope I've driven home the point: Prick your eggplants, my darlings!

Now, just let these rest while you prepare the other ingredients. That way, they'll be cool enough to handle when you're ready to mix.

For baba ghanoush, you must have tahini. Tahini is a sesame paste sold in jars, and it’s a miracle.

I love tahini so much.

You also need a good amount of lemon juice: one lemon if they're large, two if they're smallish.

There is a time for everything. And this is the time to break out your good olive oil.

You also need about four cloves of garlic.

Smash ’em with the bottom of a jar, then peel ’em, then mince them really, really finely.

And just when you think you've mince it finely enough… mince some more. And if you’re sensitive to garlic flavor, you could always roast the garlic first to take away the pungency. If you roast the garlic, just use double the amount.

Mmmm. Roasted garlic. Why does that sound so good at 5:33 am?

(By the way, here are instructions on how to roast garlic, just in case you need to know.)

You also need a good amount of fresh parsley. I realize flat leaf parsley is preferred, but:

a) my little grocery store doesn't sell flat leaf parsley
b) my garden is dead
c) curly parsley tastes exactly the same!

So if you only have curly parsley at your disposal—go for it!

I realize this is going to gross out some of you who may not have much experience with scraping out eggplant innards. But please bear with me.

IT’S ALIVE! IT’S ALIVE!

Sorry.

So basically, you want to scrape all the flesh you can out of the charred/shriveled/smoked eggplants. Upon further examination, I realized since they were so big, I could have let these grill for another ten minutes. But they're fine they way they are. Mash the eggplant with a fork—you want to have some chunks, but get it as smooth as possible.

I’m not a big fan of baba ghanoush in the food processor, but that’s certainly an option if you like things smoother!

I know what you're thinking. I just know it. But surge on, in spite of your reservations.

Tahini! Give the jar a shake and a stir (it separates a little when it sits), then add a good 4 tablespoons. It has such a nutty, unique flavor, so don’t skimp!

Next comes lemon juice (juice of one large or two small lemons) and 3 tablespoons olive oil.

The garlic…

And plenty of chopped parsley.

Stir it gently until it's all combined.

Vital Step #2: plenty of kosher salt! Baba ghanoush is lost without it.

And by the way, why do we never discuss the fact that salt is a miracle? Honestly, taste the mixture before the salt, then after. What salt does for food is pure magic.

I like to stop and smell the roses sometimes. I can't help it.

Dump it in…

Then stir it up, tasting and adjusting things as needed. You might need a little more lemon juice, or a little more parsley, or a little more tahini. Feel free to add!

I’m serving this with thinly-sliced baguette bread.

Baba ghanoush in a bowl.

Baguette slices on a plate.

To this isolated ranch wife, it doesn’t get much better than this.

Oh, yum.

I prefer baba ghanoush at room temperature (as opposed to cold). But it'll keep in the fridge for a few days, and I’m not above sticking a chunk of bread right into the fridge and sneaking bites.

Helpful Hint: You can use baba ghanoush as a sandwich spread. Divine!