Lebanese Baba Ganoush recipe with pomegranate seeds and pine nuts is an elegant, modern version of an authentic Middle Eastern recipe.
I grew up in Israel, where the Lebanese baba ganoush recipe is basically the ULTIMATE baba ganoush recipe to try. I grew up eating, breathing and making this delicious dip!
In my basic 4-ingredient recipe, I follow the traditional Lebanese moutabal very closely - but with a major improvement. I top it with fresh pomegranate seeds, like in my pomegranate chicken and oven-baked pomegranate glazed salmon, pine nuts and diced parsley, which gives it a beautiful look and a fresh, zesty and vibrant taste.
Ingredient Highlights: Roasted Eggplant
As the main ingredient in this smoked lebanese dip, the eggplant you choose needs to be at the peak of freshness!
Choose a freshly cut medium-large eggplant that is firm, glossy and without blemishes. The top part should still be bright green and not at all dried up. Older eggplants have more seeds and therefore, more bitterness.
I do not use Japanese or baby eggplants when making baba ghanoush.
For more fantastic eggplant recipes, try my creamy roasted eggplant soup or cheesy eggplant bourekas. Alternatively, try. this fantastic eggplant shakshuka or eggplant grilled cheese.
Equipment to make baba ganoush
- Oven
- Baking sheet
- Chef's knife
- Big mixing bowl
Directions to make this Easy Baba Ganoush Recipe
Prepare the Eggplant in the Oven:
Preheat oven to 450F. Prep a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
Wash the eggplants well. Place the eggplants on the baking sheet, and transfer to the oven to bake for 15-20 minutes. Prepare the rest of the ingredients while cooking the eggplant. Let the oven-roasted eggplants cool. When the eggplant is cool enough to handle, remove the charred skin from the eggplant.
Mix eggplant with the rest of the ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients with the flesh from the cooked eggplant. Combine the tahini, salt, lemon juice and, if using, minced garlic and finely diced parsley. Mix very well to combine (you can use an immersion blender for this as well).
Refrigerate
Cover with plastic wrap and let Lebanese baba ganoush sit in fridge for at least 1 hour for flavors to meld. After an hour, mix everything again, taste and correct seasoning.
Serve baba ganoush
For serving, drizzle Lebanese baba ganoush with olive oil, and top with pomegranate seeds, pine nuts and more parsley.
How to Make Grilled Baba Ghanoush Smoky Eggplant Dip
The basis of traditional Lebanese baba ganoush is char-grilled roasted eggplant. It gives the dish a special smoked flavor when you roast the eggplant.
To achieve this special Middle Eastern taste, grill the eggplant on an open gas flame (using thongs!), or on a charcoal BBQ.
Pro Tip:
Every summer, I fire up the charcoal BBQ, roast a bunch of eggplants, remove the skin, and freeze their eggplant flesh. Then I can make this baba ghanoush, baba ganoush recipe without tahini and zaalouk all year round! Enjoy the alternatively smokey eggplant dip!
Storage
Freshly made, this recipe will keep in the fridge for 1 week. It can also be frozen without any garnishes for up to 6 months.
Top Tips for making the best baba ganoush
If, after roasting, you see that your eggplant has a lot of seeds in it, remove the seeds and toss them out. Those parts are bitter and will ruin your authentic baba ganoush.
Giving baba ganoush time to rest in the fridge is crucial for deep, rich flavor that is fully cohesive and smooth.
Taste and correct the seasonings after your baba ghanoush has had time to rest. Only then will you know if you need more salt, lemon juice or garlic.
Serve cold or in room temperature - it’s good both ways!
For a smooth texture, use a food processor or blender - though I don’t think this is necessary!
What to eat with baba ganoush
You can serve baba ganoush with pita bread, pita chips, gluten-free lavosh crackers, or raw vegetables like carrots and cucumbers.
You can also serve it as part of a mezze platter, with lemon juice, garlic, and salt.
For other smoked dishes, If you don't keep kosher, you can try pairing it with a smoked pork butt.
Recipe
Tried and loved this recipe? Please leave a 5-star review below! Your reviews mean a lot to me, so if you've got any questions, please let me know in a comment.
4-ingredient Lebanese Baba Ganoush Recipe with Pomegranate seeds and pine nuts
Equipment
- Fork
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450F. Prep a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- Wash the eggplants well. Arrange eggplants on the baking sheet, and transfer to the oven to bake for 20-40 minutes, until eggplants are fully softened and collapsin on themselves. Let cool. When cool enough to handle, remove flesh from the skin. If there are a lot of seeds, discard seedy parts.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flesh from eggplant, tahini, salt, lemon juice and, if using, minced garlic and 3 tablespoons of finely diced parsley. Mix very well to combine (you can use an immersion blender for this as well).
- Cover with plastic wrap and let Lebanese baba ganoush sit in fridge for at least 1 hour for flavors to meld.
- After an hour, mix everything again, taste and correct seasoning.
- For serving, drizzle Lebanese baba ganoush with olive oil, and top with pomegranate seeds, pine nuts and more parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
Moop Brown says
This baba ganoush looks really tasty and I love the addition of the pomegranate seeds and pine nuts on top as well.
Hayley Dhanecha says
It's bank holiday here in the UK and we are firing a BBQ this evening, making this delicious dip for our guests. SO delicious!
Jaime A. says
We made this baba ganoush and it was so delicious. The smokey flavros came through and it was amazing. Loved the pomegranate crunch too.
kseniaprints says
The pomegranates are my favorite touch 🙂