Baba Ganoush is a creamy, savory, smoky eggplant dip made with eggplant, tahini, garlic, citrus, and seasonings. The eggplant is first grilled, then baked, which gives baba ganoush its rich consistency.

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients:

• 2 medium large eggplants (about 2 lbs.)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 2 shallots, halved
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper                                                                                                                                                            
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons roasted slivered almonds, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley                                                                                                                       

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F with a rack in the middle of the oven. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Brush a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. 
2. Poke each eggplant a few times with a sharp knife and place them over a grill on high heat.  Grill them for five to ten minutes and turn them once or twice with tongs, until they’re charred on the outside and feel soft and wilted.
3. When cool enough to handle, cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, and place them cut side down on the oiled baking sheet.   Place with garlic and shallots on the baking sheet.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until the flesh is very tender. 
4. Remove eggplant from the oven and loosely cover the eggplant with aluminum foil to steam and rest for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and let the eggplant cool. 
5. Scoop out the flesh from the eggplants with a spoon and transfer the flesh to a food processor or blender. Remove the outer peel of the shallots and squeeze the garlic flesh out of the skins and add the shallots and garlic to the food processor or blender.   Add tahini, remaining tablespoon of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and smoked paprika.
6. Pulse until creamy, scraping down the sides, if needed.  Taste and adjust seasoning.
7. Spoon dip into  a shallow serving bowl, sprinkle with fresh parsley and chopped almonds.  Serve with pita bread, crackers, bagel chips and/or veggies.

Tips:

• How to Roast Slivered Almonds: Preheat oven to 325ºF. Line a rimmed baking pan with parchment paper or foil, if desired.  Spread almonds in a single layer on the prepared pan.  Bake slivered almonds for 4-5 minutes, stirring every few minutes until golden brown. 

Recipe developed, prepared, and photographed by Diane Sokolofski