I love good chips and French onion dip at a party. Perhaps too much! But rather than develop a new sour creamy-style dip, I opted for inspiration from my Lebanese roots (thanks to my mom!). The result is an updated classic baba ghanoush. When aiming for healthfulness, I figure you simply can’t go wrong by making a dip full of vegetable goodness!

So I pan-grilled eggplant while keeping it covered with a lid to trap in all of the delicious smokiness. Then I added an extra kick of smoked delight, “heat” and earthiness by way of smoked paprika, harissa, and cumin, respectively. If you can’t find harissa, no worries; simply use your favorite hot sauce.

To make the smoky pan-grilled baba ghanoush dip, you’ll simply whirl together the pan-grilled eggplant, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, harissa, smoked paprika, cumin, and extra-virgin olive oil in a food processor. To serve, sprinkle with parsley and, if you want, some lemon zest. Then l dunk yet more vegetables, like fresh red bell pepper strips or cherry tomatoes, into this veggie-based dip. You can also pair it with fresh whole grain pita wedges. Or try it with crunchy pita, quinoa, or lentil chips. Think of it as Middle Eastern-inspired chips and dip. Be sure to include it as part of your regular _­party recipe rotation!

smoky pan-grilled baba ghanoush dip

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• Author: Jackie Newgent
• Yield: 8 servings 1x

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Ingredients

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• 1 (1 1/4-pound) eggplant, cut crosswise into 10 to 12 rounds
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• Juice of 1 small lemon (2 tablespoons) + optional lemon zest for garnish
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon harissa or a few drops hot pepper sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

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Instructions

1. Brush the eggplant rounds with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. In batches, place eggplant rounds into the grill pan, cover with a lid or heavy-duty aluminum foil, and grill until well charred and fully cooked through, about 7 minutes per side.
2. In a food processor, add the eggplant, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, harissa, smoked paprika, cumin, and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Pulse several times until combined, but not pureed.
3. Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle with the parsley and, if using, lemon zest, and serve.

Notes

Per serving (1/4 cup): 90 calories, 7g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 150mg sodium, 6g total carbohydrate, 2g dietary fiber, 2g sugars includes 0g added sugars, 1g protein

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/4 cup

Jackie’s Culinary Tips!

• When making a recipe healthier, it’s okay to think outside of the box and be inspired simply by the type of recipe rather than the specific ingredients in the original version of it
• Pump up flavors and fragrance of healthful recipes by using a combination of a few, not just one, techniques or ingredients, like smoked paprika for smokiness, harissa for “heat” and cumin or earthiness.
• Consider using vegetables as the starring ingredient of a recipe “tasteover”–and prepare the vegetables in a manner that enhances their flavor, such as grilling or smoking … or both!