Zucchini Baba Ganoush
Dip for lunch, dinner, or anytime
Who doesn't like a dip? Honestly, I ended up having this for lunch Tuesday while I was developing the recipe, and I was completely satisfied. It was so good, I had to eat it right then and there. I’m with Martin Short, or at least his character, Oliver Putnam, in Only Murders in the Building: give me dips anytime and I’ll be happy. Sure, there are plenty of good store-bought dips to be had. My current favorite is Esti’s Eggplant Hummus. Not baba ganoush, which they also make — it has to be the eggplant hummus. It tastes as good as homemade with chunks of eggplant in it.
Homemade is almost always better when it comes to dips, and they are easy to make. Not only that, they are a good repository for some of the summer veg that is plentiful and cheap now that we are into deep summer. If you have a vegetable garden and grow zucchini, you’ll be looking for ideas to use it up. This one’s for you!
I think we all know that some people don’t like eggplant, or think they don’t like eggplant, so this zucchini variation is perfect for them. I first saw the idea to treat zucchini like eggplant in Yotam Ottolenghi’s Plenty More almost ten years ago, and have been meaning to try it ever since. Well, now that I did, I am not looking back. I charred the zucchini on all sides on my gas grill, which took about 25 minutes. You could also do this under the broiler in your oven, but times may vary depending on the heat of your broiler and how close the tray is to the element. Just turn every 5 minutes or so until it’s completely blackened. And of course you can use a charcoal grill, especially if you already have it fired up for something else.
One word of caution here is to look for smaller zucchini, about 8 ounces each, and to choose straight ones, rather than ones with a more bulbous bottom. These will have fewer seeds, or, I should say, the seeds will be small and undeveloped. When I first scraped the flesh out of the charred skins, I saw lots of little soft, transparent seeds, but they magically disappeared as I mixed in the yogurt and tahini. The seeds might be a little distracting if they were larger. If you can only find larger zucchini, consider scraping out the seedy part and discarding it.
I hope you’ll add this to your dip repertoire, and make my Whole Grain Cumin Crackerbread to go with them for a truly stellar aperitivo hour. One note on that recipe: bake the sheets one at a time for maximum crispness. If you bake both at once, you’ll need to add time to get them fully crisp and brown. Happy dipping!
If you do like eggplant…
Might I remind you about my Grilled Miso Eggplant, which I shared here last summer? It would be the perfect addition to your next celebration. Or you could make it on any weeknight! Remember to use the Susanality archives as a way to find recipes to make use of your favorite veg. You can search by word — like “zucchini” — or just browse chronologically. If you’re a free subscriber and would like access to all past posts (including the miso eggplant), consider upgrading to a paid, full-access subscription for $50 per year or $5 per month. As a reader-supported publication, your support truly matters!
Zucchini Baba Ganoush
Serves 4 as a starter
3 medium zucchini (about 8 ounces each)
1 clove garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup plain yogurt (any fat content)
Sumac or Za’atar, to sprinkle
Extra-virgin olive oil
Handful fresh mint leaves, optional
Heat a gas grill to medium (perhaps a hair hotter). Place the whole zucchini on the grill, and cook, turning every 5 to 6 minutes as each side gets charred, about 25 minutes total. They should be deeply charred on all sides. Transfer to a plate and let cool.
Set up a deep bowl with a sieve on top.
When cool enough to handle, slit the top of a zucchini lengthwise and scoop out the flesh with a spoon, leaving the charred skin behind. Alternatively, you can peel the skin from the flesh, whatever is easier. Scoop the flesh into the sieve, grate the garlic into it, and let drain, stirring occasionally. It will be completely soft, so no need to mash or puree in a food processor.
Discard the liquid and transfer the flesh to the bowl. Add the salt (start with 1/4 teaspoon, and add more to taste), pepper (to taste), tahini, lemon juice, and yogurt.
Sprinkle the top with sumac or za’atar and drizzle with oil.
If the mint leaves are small, you can sprinkle them on whole, but otherwise chop them and sprinkle them over top. Serve with flatbreads or crackers.
A few reminders about my book tour:
July 8 // Sagaponack, NY
If you’re in the Hamptons, I have another book signing event tomorrow, Saturday, July 8th, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the beautiful Sagaponack Farm Distillery, which is owned by Marilee Foster, a farmer whose gorgeous produce has inspired me for decades. There will be some bites from the book, a special cocktail paired with some very local spirits, and books for sale. Please stop by and say hi!
July 12 // Zoom!
The ticket link is live for my virtual class with Milk Street Cooking School on Wednesday, July 12th, at 6 p.m. EDT. Join me for a live cooking class called “Life’s a Picnic: French-Inspired Summer with Susan Spungen.” During the class, I’ll be teaching you how to make French classics like ratatouille in a new way, and you’ll have dinner ready to eat at the end of it. Since it’s on Zoom, you can join from anywhere, and you don’t have to cook along if you don’t want to. I’d love to meet you!
Enter promo code VEGFORWARD to receive 15% off your reservation for the class! (but it’s only $29.95 to begin with!)
July 15 // NYC
We have a new date for the Union Square Greenmarket book signing — I’ll be at the market on July 15th. Please mark your calendar and come see me if you’ll be in the area!
July 16 // Milford, NJ
There are still a few spots left for my event at Canal House Station in Milford, New Jersey, on Sunday, July 16th from 12 to 4 p.m. The proprietors, Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton, are both old friends of mine, and I’m so honored that they are devoting their entire Sunday service to me and my book. This dinner is part of their usual Sunday Dinner series, but will feature dishes from Veg Forward along with their famous Canal House Roast Chicken. If you’re interested in attending this very special event, email eat@canalhousestation.com or call (908) 995-7200 to request a reservation. The price per person is $125, which includes a book and the meal. Canal House is a BYOB restaurant, so feel free to bring your own wine. Don’t delay, because these dinners tend to sell out fast.
August 3 // Wassaic, NY
The ticket link for my dinner with Westerly Canteen on August 3rd at Tenmile Distillery in Wassaic, New York, is live as well! This dinner promises to be special, with Molly Levine — a talented chef and Chez Panisse alum — cooking in a beautiful setting. This is a sit-down event that includes a welcome cocktail, wine, and a multi-course dinner of dishes from Veg Forward, as well as a signed book. Read more about Molly’s airstream trailer kitchen here; I’ll be hanging around the trailer over that weekend signing books if you can’t make it to the dinner!
September 14 // Philadelphia, PA
My lunch and book signing event at Maximalist Studios in Philadelphia will be on September 14th — tickets ($125) are available here!
Your ticket includes my book, wine, a beautiful lunch of dishes from Veg Forward prepared by Balboa Catering, and a demo with me. The event will be prop styled by Maximalist Studios’ chief creative — and my friend and former colleague at Martha Stewart Living — Eddie Ross.
I’m offering a 20% discount to Susanality readers, so if you’re interested, follow this link and use the code MAXSPUNGEN. I hope to see you there!
Please review Veg Forward on Amazon!
I hope that those of you who ordered Veg Forward are enjoying it! As you may already know, leaving a review on Amazon (whether or not you purchased the book there) is really helpful to authors (like me) as it helps the book be more visible to more people. Thank you in advance!
Editor: Molly Ramsey
Zucchini baba ganoush--what a great recipe for the abundance of zucchini that will be coming very soon. We will have had our fill of grilled zucchini and the other zucchini go-to's, so this new recipe will be much welcomed.
I CANNOT wait to make this! Gorgeous and alluring 😍