Smoky Aubergine Baba Ganoush

Welcome to aubergine heaven. This recipe is creamy, rich in flavour and highly addictive – but it’s also healthy, completely made from whole foods and vegan-friendly.

When it comes to dips, hummus still reigns king (or queen) among most people and I think that’s down to a lot of mediocre aubergine recipes that lack flavour and texture. But when you find a good recipe, it can be magical – and I truly think this is one of them. I could not stop scooping this straight out of the blender. When done right, baba ganoush is smooth and creamy with a savoury smoky flavour.

The components for a typical baba ganoush are fairly similar to that for hummus: tahini, lemon olive oil and garlic just swap the chickpeas for roasted aubergine flesh. To make this Smoky Aubergine Baba Ganoush a little special, I’ve added smoked paprika and lots of black pepper that really intensifies the roasted and charred flavour of the vegetables.

I’d advise to stick to a few key tips I’ve picked up along the baba ganoush-way:

1. The roasting of the aubergine is really important in ensuring the dip is silky smooth. I cut mine in half and roast cut-side down in the oven for about half an hour until they collapse on themselves, making the flesh easy to scoop out.
2. Blend and blend again. You want this dip to be really creamy so I like to use a blender or food processor but you can mash the ingredients with a fork.
3. Be generous with your seasoning! That extra pinch of salt and turns of black pepper really make this dip extra-ordinary.

You can use this dip as you’d enjoy hummus: with other dips as part of a mezze platter, with crudités, pitta breads and straight from the pot. For example, I like to serve mine with my Fluffy Flatbreads, Hazelnut and Paprika Falafels, Black Rice and Lentil Mediterranean Salad, Golden Rice Nourish Bowl and even with some Cornbread.

Smoky Aubergine Baba Ganoush

• Servings: 2-3
• Time: 40 minutes plus optional chilling
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Creamy and smoky dip made with roasted aubergines, tahini, lemon and smoked paprika - perfect with flatbreads and other dips as part of a platter.

Ingredients

• 1 large aubergine
• 3 tbsp tahini
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil plus extra for drizzling
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• Salt and black pepper
• Fresh coriander and crackers

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 180Fan/200*C and cut the aubergine in half lengthways. Place cut side down on a baking tray and roast for about 30 minutes until tender. Allow to rest until cool enough to handle.
2. Remove the skin from the aubergine and add the flesh to the food processor* and add the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, smoked paprika and season with salt and pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as necessary and adjust the taste with extra paprika for heat, lemon juice for tang and salt and pepper for seasoning.
3. Chill for 1 hour or so and then pour into a small bowl, drizzle with extra olive oil, sprinkle with chopped coriander and serve with crackers. Chilling before serving is recommended but not essential.

I hope this will become your new favourite dip, please do let me know what you think below and tag me in your creations. I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest  – please say hello!

With aurbergines of love x

*I used the Mini Food Prep Processor from Cuisinart who kindly sponsored this recipe although all opinions and recipes are my own.