This recipe was written by Stephanie Searor, MS RD LDN
Babaghanoush is a classic Mediterranean eggplant dip—creamy, smoky, and versatile. It’s simple to scale for a crowd and adapts easily to different flavors. Sous vide cooking softens the eggplant perfectly without heating your kitchen, making it ideal for warm weather or when you want consistent texture. To retain the dip’s characteristic charred, smoky notes, finish the eggplant under a broiler, on a hot grill pan, or with a kitchen torch. A sprinkle of smoked paprika further enhances the depth of flavor.
Equipment
- Sous vide circulator (popular models include Anova and Joule)
- Container or large pot for the water bath
- Vacuum sealer and bags, or sturdy zip-top freezer bags (use the water displacement method if using zip-top bags)
Unlike roasting, sous vide preserves moisture, so steps to remove excess water—salting, pressing on towels, and a brief microwave step—help concentrate the eggplant’s texture so the finished babaghanoush is thick and creamy rather than watery.
Sous Vide Babaghanoush Recipe
Makes about 12 ¼-cup servings
Prep time: 30 minutes
Total time: about 2 hours
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplants, peeled and sliced into 1-inch rounds
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- Zest and juice of 2 lemons
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
- ¼ cup tahini
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
- Lay the eggplant slices on paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Sprinkle generously with salt and let sit for 20 minutes or longer. Replace towels if they become very wet. This draws out excess moisture for a denser dip.
- Set up your sous vide water bath and preheat the circulator to 185°F (85°C). Preheat a broiler or a heavy grill pan until very hot. A kitchen torch can also be used for charring.
- Rinse the eggplant briefly to remove surface salt, then keep them on the towel and microwave for 1–2 minutes until steaming and slightly shriveled. This helps loosen and remove additional moisture.
- Quickly transfer the eggplant to the hot grill pan, a preheated broiler, or use a torch to char and blister the skin until smoky and browned. Move the eggplant into vacuum-seal bags or zip-top bags and seal. Submerge the bagged eggplant in the preheated water bath and cook for 1–2 hours, until very tender.
- Remove the eggplant from the bag and drain excess liquid. Reserve a small amount of the cooking liquid in case you need to loosen the dip later.
- Place the eggplant flesh in a blender or food processor. Add the minced garlic, lemon juice and zest, half of the olive oil, tahini, smoked paprika, cayenne, chopped parsley, and salt and pepper. Process until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add remaining olive oil, more lemon juice, or a splash of the reserved cooking liquid until you reach the desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of sesame seeds, extra parsley, or lemon zest. Serve with warm pita, flatbread, or fresh vegetables.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information gathered from Nutrium. Actual nutrition values will vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes used.