Smoky and savory, baba ganoush without tahini is a zesty and flavorful vegan mezze. The Turkish inspired eggplant dip combines charred eggplant and peppers with a mix of bold Mediterranean spices, creating layers of exciting flavors!
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🍆 About The Recipe
If you love the tangy and smoky flavors of classic baba ganoush, you will love this vegetable forward baba ganoush without tahini!
This Turkish inspired eggplant dip is layered with smoky, savory and slightly sweet flavors that lets the charred vegetables shine!. The charred peppers give the eggplant dip a touch of sweetness and the bold spices of paprika, cumin and sumac, give the eggplant dip a fantastic depth of flavor.
Garnish the roasted eggplant spread with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and an extra sprinkle of sumac for a pop of tangy flavor. And most importantly, don't forget the warm pita bread to dip into!
🫑 Recipe Highlights
- This roasted eggplant dip is vegan, gluten free and dairy free.
- Full of bold and savory flavors thanks to a mix of Mediterranean spices.
- Turkish eggplant dip is a great addition to a Mediterranean mezze spread.
- Can be enjoyed warm or at room temperature.
📋 Ingredients
- Eggplant: Look for smooth eggplant that feel heavy for their size with no bruises or blemishes on the peel.
- Peppers: Both red bell pepper and Anaheim peppers are used for a sweet and savory balance of flavors. You can also use all red bell peppers or green bell pepper if you prefer less sweet.
- Garlic: Look for garlic cloves that are tight on the bulb, which means that the garlic is fresh. You can also substitute roasted garlic cloves for a mild and sweeter flavor.
- Spices: Both cumin and paprika give the eggplant dip a slightly earthy layer of flavor and sumac offers a bright citrus flavor. Hot tip, save some sumac for pickled sumac onions and garnish the eggplant dip with it!
- Lemon: Use a microplane to zest half a lemon then juice about 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
- Olive Oil: Use a good extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor!
- Fresh Herbs: Chopped parsley is used in this recipe, but use fresh mint or cilantro.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🍋 Substitutions and Variations
- To make this recipe even easier, use roasted jarred bell peppers.
- Add a drizzle of tangy pomegranate molasses for a contrast in flavors.
- For a smokier flavor, use smoked paprika instead of sweet paprika.
- Add a pinch of cayenne or Aleppo pepper for a touch of spice or a swirl of spicy zhoug top as a garnish.
⏲️ Instructions
Grill the eggplant. Pace the eggplant over a hot charcoal grill and roast until the eggplant is incredibly soft and charred on the outside, on all sides. You can also roast in the oven at 450 degrees Fahrenheit, for about 30-40 minutes.
Grill or roast the peppers until soft and charred on the outside, for about 10-15 minutes. Then remove the thick peel and seeds.
Blend the baba ganoush without tahini and add the roasted peppers, garlic, lemon zest and juice, spices and olive oil. Pulse the mixture in a food processor until the mixture just comes together. Transfer to a wide plate and garnish with chopped parsley, extra sprinkle of sumac and drizzle of olive oil.
📍 Recipe Tips
- Use good quality eggplant. Look for firm eggplant that have a glossy and smooth peel.
- Drain the eggplant. If the eggplant is too watery, place it in a strainer and drain the excess liquid.
- Roast instead of grilling. If a grill is not available, roast the vegetables at 450 degrees Fahrenheit until charred on all sides.
- Remove the thick peel from the peppers. Once the peppers are charred, place them in a plastic bag to steam for a few minutes. This will help the thick peel come off easily.
- Taste and adjust: Like more lemon or less cumin? Taste the eggplant dip and adjust.
Serving Suggestions
Baba ganoush without tahini makes a fantastic mezze to serve with other Mediterranean appetizers. Make a batch and add to a falafel platter or Mediterranean mezze platter. Serve with fresh tabbouleh salad and lamb shawarma for a main course. And serve with baked feta and tomatoes for an easy appetizer.
Recipe FAQs
This Turkish inspired baba ganoush is made without tahini and combines roasted peppers. On the other hand, hummus is also a creamy Middle eastern dip made with cooked chickpeas and tahini.
Both traditional baba ganoush and baba ganoush made without tahini are all healthy options. Both of the eggplant dips are made with heart healthy olive oil, fresh vegetables and fresh herbs.
Baba ganoush can last in the fridge, covered for up to 5 days.
More Eggplant Recipes to Try
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
Baba Ganoush without Tahini
LittleFerraroKitchen.com
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplant
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 Anaheim pepper
- 2 garlic clove roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil + more for garnish
- ½ lemon zested and juiced, about 1-2 tablespoons of juice
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon sumac + more for garnish
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Chopped parsley for garnish
- Pita bread for serving
Instructions
- Heat a charcoal grill to medium-high and place the eggplant on the grill. Use tongs to turn the eggplant a quarter turn every 5-10 minutes until eggplant is evenly charred on all sides and the flesh has softened and "collapsed". This can take up to 40-50 minutes.
- Grill the peppers on the same grill and char on all sides, for about 10 minutes.
- Once the peppers are done, place them in a plastic bag to steam. Once cool enough to handle, remove the thicker outer peel and discard the seeds.
- Remove the eggplant from the grill and let cool enough to touch, about 10 minutes. Peel away the charred eggplant peel, which should come off easily and cut the eggplant in half. Scoop out the soft eggplant flesh and give it a rough chop.
- To a food processor or blender, add the roasted eggplant flesh and roasted peppers along with the fresh garlic, lemon zest and juice, spices and olive oil. Blend the eggplant dip until the dip just comes together and there are no large pieces left.
- Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed, then transfer the baba ganoush to a wide plate and garnish with an extra drizzle of olive oil, chopped parsley and sprinkle of sumac.
Notes
- Use good quality eggplant. Look for firm eggplant that have a glossy and smooth peel.
- Drain the eggplant. If the eggplant is too watery, place it in a strainer and drain the excess liquid.
- Roast instead of grilling. If a grill is not available, roast the vegetables at 450 degrees Fahrenheit until charred on all sides.
- Remove the thick peel from the peppers. Once the peppers are charred, place them in a plastic bag to steam for a few minutes. This will help the thick peel come off easily.
- Taste and adjust: Like more lemon or less cumin? Taste the Turkish eggplant dip and adjust.
In the Kitchen with Dinah says
What a great recipe. It worked out Wonderful because I saw this recipe then found great eggplant at the farmers market. Thanks for the Baba Ganoush without Tahini recipe.
MrnMrsindkitchen says
This recipe is my favorite Baba Ganoush. Making it without Tahini is a little better. We should do a blind taste test here and which one the family likes better. The Lebanese Baba Ganoush on this site is wonderful also.
BrightLemonyKitchen says
Fantastic recipe. I had 2 eggplant the neighbor grew. We cooked outside just like this recipe called for. I made this once before with Tahini and I think this one is just as wonderful. Turns out I didn't have tahini anyway so it worked out perfectly.