Naturally vegan and gluten free, this delicious snack contains vitamins & nutrients not only from the eggplant, but the lemon juice, parsley, garlic, and those healthy fats from the tahini and olive oil.
Author: Jillian
Recipe type: Quick & Easy
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
1 medium eggplant or ¾ large eggplant
1 large clove of garlic, minced
juice from 1 lemon
extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp tahini
Himalayan pink salt or sea salt
optional: fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
Preheat the oven to high broil, or medium if you have the option. Place the rack at the top of the stove.
Slice your eggplant into ¼ inch rounds.
Sprinkle the rounds with salt and place in a colander in the sink for 10 minutes to remove excess liquid. Then rinse slightly and pat dry with a towel. This is what the Minimalist Baker calls for and I did it myself, but honestly, you could probably skip this bit. I didn't find that it made a difference at all. But you may have different results.
Arrange the rounds on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Broil for 5-10 minutes, turning at least once. You want the eggplant to be soft and golden brown. Remove from pan, stack and wrap in foil for 5 minutes to lock in moisture.
Now comes the most time consuming part of the recipe, peeling off the skin of the eggplant. It should come off easily and it's okay if there's a little bit left on (in fact, I think it's better). Add the peeled eggplant to a food processor (I used a blender and it worked just fine).
Here's the fun part! Add in the lemon juice, garlic, tahini, and another pinch of salt. Feel free to add more seasonings as you blend everything together and taste it. I ended up adding more salt and lemon juice. Once you're happy with the mixture, toss in parsley and pulse until incorporated.
Serve with veggies. I added kalamata olives and it was amazing! Keeps covered in the fridge for several days.
Recipe by Compassionate Women at https://compassionatewomen.org/simple-baba-ganoush/