Roasted Red Pepper Baba Ganoush (Eggplant Dip)
Roasted Red Pepper Baba Ganoush: A creamy, healthy eggplant dip!
Honestly, who doesn’t love a good dip?
I love how people react to dips in public situations, as well. Everyone wants some, but nobody wants to be the first one to take the plunge. But once that first brave (maybe just hungry?) dipper goes in for the initial scoop, it’s a mad dash to get some of the good stuff. Like seagulls swooping in on a fallen corndog.
That’s what it makes me think of, anyhoo. Maybe I’m spending too much time thinking of the beach.
It’s no secret I’m a fan of creamy, scoopable appetizers as documented here with my favorite hummus, and again with this white bean and avocado dip. But since I’ve had to cut back on my bean intake due to some personal health issues, I had to get creative in an effort to satisfy my dipping needs.
I wanted to involve the grill also, because, well, why not involve the grill if it is a possibility?
I love eggplant, so I can’t believe I’ve waited this long to turn a couple of them into creamy baba ganoush, can you?
Not to worry, I’ve made it three times since its discovery– quickly making up for lost time here. The first time I made it plain (which was amazing) and then I eyed this pretty little red pepper sitting lonely in the corner of the fridge.
It was baba ganoush fate, I think.
Along went in a few of the usual suspects.
- Plenty of garlic, naturally (if you see me cook something without garlic, you may want to take my temperature, just to be sure I’m alright)
- Some lemon juice
- Tahini
- And a sprinkle of smoked paprika
You char up the veg on the grill, then cover them and let them steam the skins right off of themselves. It’s like magic.
(By the way, this is a great recipe if your eggplants and pepper are starting to look a little wilty.)
A couple of quick whirls in the food processor, and there you have it! Serve it up with your favorite dipping accompaniments.
In my case that included some rainbow carrots, cucumbers, baby bok choy, and sweet potato chips–which I hid from K (ok, and me too) until I was ready to shoot.
Perfect combination of flavors and textures.
Whoops! don’t forget to sprinkle some chopped pistachios over top. Those may require hiding from yourself until the last minute, as well.
Don’t be shy. First one in gets the best bite!
Roasted Red Pepper Baba Ganoush (Eggplant Dip)
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplants
- 1 red bell pepper*
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbs tahini
- 1. 5 tbs greek yogurt
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- juice from 1/2 lemon
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat grill to medium high heat. Brush with oil, add eggplants and grill, covered, for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, turn eggplants and add bell pepper. Continue to roast veggies for another 12-15 minutes, turning the pepper and eggplant every few minutes.
- Once the veggies are charred and starting to soften up, remove them from the grill and place in a bowl, covering with plastic wrap and allowing to steam for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, remove the skin from eggplants and pepper. Squeeze a bit of the water out of the eggplant, and add to a food processor along with 1/2 of the roasted red pepper (de-seeded) and the remaining ingredients. Pulse until smooth, and season to taste.
- Refrigerate and serve cold with a drizzle of olive oil, chopped pistachios, veggies, and crackers or sweet potato chips.
Notes
*I used 1/2 of the bell pepper in the baba ganoush. You can reserve the other half for another time, or add the whole pepper into your dip. Start with half and adjust to your taste.
2 responses to “Roasted Red Pepper Baba Ganoush (Eggplant Dip)”
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Love love eggplants and am always looking for easy to make easy to like veggie recipes with ’em. I put it the dip on a sourdough with feta and toasted pepita (dint have no pistachios) and it was amah..zing! But what else can I use this dip for? With pasta? Ideas?
Hi snigdha! That toast sounds amazing! I usually eat it as a dip but you could also pair it with hummus, and other snacks to make a meze platter! Could maybe go with pasta but I’ve never tried..let me know how it goes if you try!