Chef John's Smoky Baba Ghanouj
Chef John's Smoky Baba Ghanouj blends fire-kissed eggplant with tahini, lemon, and a hint of garlic for a creamy dip with deep, smoky complexity. Greek yogurt adds a gentle tang while olive oil smooths everything out, and fresh herbs brighten each bite. Serve as a crowd-pleasing appetizer with warm pita, crisp veggies, or as part of a mezze spread.
- Prep15 mins
- Cook25 mins
- Serves12
- DifficultyEasy
easyChef Pro health score
Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Chef John's Smoky Baba Ghanouj, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.
- Glycemic ImpactFair
- 60 / 100
- Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
- Nutritional DensityPoor
- 0 / 100
- Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
- Energy DensityGood
- 94 / 100
- Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
- NOVA Unprocessed or minimally processed
- 1 / 4
- Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.
How it scores for each health goal
The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.
- 29
- Heart Health
- 85
- Metabolic
- 40
- Digestive
- 26
- Inflammatory
- 19
- Performance
- 46
- General Wellness
- 1
Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high and lightly oil the grate. Prick the eggplants' skin several times with the tip of a knife.
- 2
Place the eggplants directly on the grill. Turn them often with tongs as the skin chars. Cook until the eggplants collapse and are very soft, 25 to 30 minutes. Move them to a bowl, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and let cool for about 15 minutes.
- 3
When the eggplants are cool enough to handle, split them in half and scrape the flesh into a colander set over a bowl. Let drain for 5 to 10 minutes.
- 4
Transfer the eggplant to a mixing bowl. Add the crushed garlic and salt; mash until creamy but still slightly textured, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, and cayenne pepper. Stir in the yogurt.
- 5
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely chilled. Stir in the mint and parsley, and taste to adjust the seasonings before serving.
- Calories 114.57 kcal Moderate 6%
- Protein 1.01 g Low Source 2%
- Carbohydrate 13.01 g 5%
- Total Fat 5.36 g Moderate 7%
- Saturated Fat 0.79 g Low Source 4%
- Trans Fat 0.0 g Low Source 0%
- Cholesterol 0.51 mg Low Source 0%
- Sodium 664.41 mg High 29%
- Dietary Fiber 5.93 g Good Source 21%
- Total Sugars 5.76 g --
- Added Sugars 0.0 g Low Source 0%
- Calcium 23.99 mg Low Source 2%
- Iron 0.42 mg Low Source 2%
- Potassium 216.93 mg Low Source 5%
- Vitamin A 4.33 mcg Low Source 0%
- Vitamin C 1.17 mg Low Source 1%
- Vitamin D 0.0 mcg Low Source 0%
Values are per serving. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
- Milk 🥛
- Sesame
About This Recipe
Chef John's Smoky Baba Ghanouj is made with 10 ingredients and serves 12. It takes about 40 mins and is rated easy. Key ingredients include Cayenne Pepper, Eggplant, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and Fresh Mint. Each serving provides about 114.57 kcal, and is a good source of fiber.
Recipe Questions
- What is Chef John's Smoky Baba Ghanouj made of?
- The main ingredients are Cayenne Pepper, Eggplant, Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Fresh Mint, Fresh Parsley. The full list of 10 is above.
- How long does it take to make Chef John's Smoky Baba Ghanouj?
- About 40 mins in total: 15 mins to prepare and 25 mins to cook.
- How many calories are in one serving?
- One serving provides about 114.57 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
- Is Chef John's Smoky Baba Ghanouj easy to make?
- This recipe is rated easy, with 10 ingredients and 5 steps.
- Is Chef John's Smoky Baba Ghanouj healthy?
- Chef John's Smoky Baba Ghanouj has an easyChef Pro health score of 49/100. Per serving, it provides 114.57 calories and 1.01 g of protein, or 2% of the Daily Value. It is a good source of dietary fiber. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 664.41 mg (29% of the Daily Value). It contains Milk and Sesame, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.
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