Baba Ganoush (Roasted Eggplant Dip)

This is a classic dip from Arabic origin, made mostly of roasted eggplant. Sometimes it is made with mayo for extra creaminess but I wanted to keep this plant based so I used a vegan mayo instead. 

Baba Ganoush

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Yield: 6 servings as an appetizer 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large eggplant

• 1 teaspoon olive oil

• 5 cloves garlic

• Juice of 1 ½ lemons

• 2 tablespoons vegan mayo (optional)

• ¼ teaspoon coriander

• ¼ teaspoon cumin

• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat grill or BBQ to medium heat and oven to 375F. Pierce eggplant all over with a fork to prevent it from exploding when heated (Yes, this actually happens and it terrifyingly loud and hard to clean up). Grill it for 15 minutes, flipping it frequently. You want the skin to char and the eggplant to start to soften.

Remove the eggplant from the heat and let cool for a few minutes until cool enough to handle. Remove the skin (this should come off quite easily). Cut into slices, drizzle with olive oil and place on a baking sheet along with the garlic cloves. Season with salt and pepper and roast in the oven for an additional 15 minutes. 

Place the contents of the baking sheet in a food processor along with all remaining ingredients. This dip can be served at room temperature but I prefer mine after it has cooled in the fridge. Use this dip wherever you would use hummus!