Servings: 6 cups
Muhammara (Red Pepper Dip)
This muhammara is great as a dip or served with rice or your favorite grains. I also like smearing it inside my sandwiches or wraps.
Ingredients
- 3 medium red bell peppers
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (see note 1)
- 1/2 cup walnut halves, finely chopped
- 1 clove of garlic
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses (see note 2)
- 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes (see note 3)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Optional Garnish
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
- ground black pepper
- carrot tops or parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC) and position an oven rack to the center position. Line a baking sheet pan with foil.
- Put the bell peppers on the baking sheet and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, turning them occasionally, until the outer skin is blackened. Once the peppers are roasted, transfer them to a heat-safe bowl and cover the bowl with a lid or a silicone cover. Let the peppers sit for about 30 minutes. The outer skins of the peppers slide right off if you let them steam inside a bowl for a little while (see note 4). Once the peppers are cool enough to handle, remove the skin, stem, seeds and ribs.
- Add the peppers, breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, salt, red pepper flakes, cumin and olive oil into a high-speed blender or the bowl of a food processor. Blend everything until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking.
- Empty the muhammara into a serving bowl. Add another 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts onto the muhammara.
- Drizzle some olive oil on top. Garnish with additional chopped walnuts, black pepper, and carrot tops or parsley, if you like. Serve immediately and refrigerate any leftovers. The dip is best consumed within 3 to 4 days.
Notes
- You can make this gluten free by using gluten-free breadcrumbs. Another alternative is crackers.
- Make fresh pomegranate molasses from my recipe. You can also swap it with 2 teaspoons of honey and 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar.
- Traditionally, muhammara is made with Aleppo pepper. I decided to use plain red pepper flakes, as it is easier to find.
- You can also skip the step of steaming the peppers and just let them sit on your counter until they’re cool enough to handle. The skins will be a little more difficult to remove.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.25cup | Calories: 244kcal | Carbohydrates: 20.4g | Protein: 2.3g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 435mg | Fiber: 3.4g | Sugar: 9.6g
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