Middle Eastern dishes like hummus, falafel, tabbouleh, and baba ghanoush have found a special place in global cuisine. They offer amazing ideas not just for cooking meats or handling rice but also for making incredible vegetable- and legume-based dishes. This fall, baba ghanoush has been my top favorite. The recipe is truly easy — roast, add two key ingredients, and blend. It replaces salads or dips, serves as a lighter alternative to hummus, and works wonderfully as a sauce or spread for picnics or as a refreshing addition to lunch or dinner.
Baba Ghanoush (roasted eggplant with tahini and herbs)
- 5–6 large eggplants
- 10–15 sprigs of parsley
- 1–2 garlic cloves
- salt
- wine vinegar
- dried chili
- olive oil
- 5–15 tbsp. tahini (use thick, rich sesame paste, not a light salad dressing)
Wash the eggplants and pierce them with a fork in several places. Roast them whole, with their stems and skins, at 200°C for 50–70 minutes, depending on size and density. The roasted eggplants should be soft and a deep brown color.
Chili in this recipe can be substituted with cumin, and wine vinegar can be replaced with lemon juice.
Let the eggplants cool slightly, then remove the stems and place them in a blender. Add vinegar, a drizzle of olive oil, and dried chili (if you prefer spicier flavors). Blend everything together, adding water as needed to achieve your desired consistency. Baba ghanoush will thicken over time, so it’s fine to make it a bit thinner initially. Transfer the mixture to glass jars or plastic containers and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4–5 days.
To serve, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds or paprika. Enjoy it with vegetable sticks like carrot, cucumber, or bell pepper.
Tabbouleh (parsley, mint, tomato, and couscous salad)
My favorite version of tabbouleh is the Lebanese one, which has more greens and less wheat. In this recipe, couscous can easily be replaced with other grains like bulgur, spelt, kamut, or farro. For a gluten-free option, quinoa or coarse cornmeal works wonderfully.
- 2 large bunches of parsley
- 1 bunch of mint
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 2 stalks of green onion
- 1/3 cup couscous, fine bulgur, or coarse cornmeal (or quinoa, or green buckwheat for a gluten-free version)
- 1/2 small red onion
- juice of 2 lemons
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Soak the couscous, fine bulgur, or cornmeal overnight. Wash and dry the parsley in advance. Finely chop the parsley, mint, and both types of onions. Dice the tomatoes into small pieces. Drain the soaked grains and place them in a separate bowl. Mix the grains with the chopped greens and vegetables.
Dress the mixture with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
This winter-perfect salad brings freshness to the table, even when seasonal vegetables are scarce but basic greens are still available.
