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Muhammara Recipe - 10 Minute Spicy Red Pepper Dip


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  • Author: Gönül
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: (330 grams total)
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

You will fall in love with this muhammara recipe that takes less than 10 minutes with minimal cleanup! Made in one bowl with a store-bought jar of roasted red bell peppers, healthy toasted walnuts, tangy pomegranate molasses, and delicious spices. This versatile muhammara dip is accidentally vegan and full of flavor!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (220g drained weight from 1 jar) roasted bell pepper
  • 3 tablespoons (45ml) extra-virgin olive oil (+more to top)
  • 1/2 cup (50g) walnuts
  • 1 tablespoon (20g) tomato paste (See Notes)
  • 1/4 cup (30g) breadcrumbs
  • 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
  • 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes (or sub regular chili flakes)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Urfa pepper flakes (or sub regular chili flakes)
  • 1 teaspoon sumac (or sub 1/2 tsp lemon juice)
  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Place the walnuts into a small pan on medium-high heat, and toast for 5-7 minutes until fragrant. Make sure to move the pan around frequently so that the walnuts don't burn!
  2. Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender, and blend until mostly smooth, for about one minute. If you have an immersion blender, you can mix everything in a bowl and blend there—or simply use the roasted pepper jar after draining it. The Trader Joe's 340-gram roasted pepper jar works perfectly. I prefer the immersion blender method. There is almost no waste that sticks to a food processor or blender I won't be able to scrape.
  3. Finish off with a drizzle of olive oil and use muhammara as a dip for raw vegetables or with a flatbread. You can use muhammara just as you would hummus! I also like to lather it onto toast and sandwiches, as well as mix it with a bit of pasta water to make a quick weeknight spaghetti dish.
  4. You may save muhammara in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil right before serving each time for best results!

Notes

If you'd like to roast peppers at home instead of using a store-bought jar, turn the burner up as high as it will go and place the pepper directly on the flame. Turn the pepper with a pair of tongs until it's almost completely blackened. Once roasted, place the pepper into a bowl and cover with cling wrap to loosen the skin. After 5 minutes or so, the pepper will be cool enough to touch and you can then remove the skin with your fingers or a fork. I don't like to get rid of the entire skin as some of the blackened bits help deepen the flavor with their smokiness. You could also broil the peppers in an oven for 15-20 minutes for similar results. For reference, one medium-sized bell pepper weighs approximately 100 grams, so use two bell peppers for the original recipe.

Check the tomato paste you're using before adding the entire amount of salt listed on the recipe card. Some tomato pastes, like most Turkish ones, include a lot of salt so this may throw off the seasoning. If that's the case, start low and add more salt if needed.

I highly recommend using the BEST extra-virgin olive oil you have access to for making muhammara. Our family has a membership for the freshly-pressed olive oil club (not sponsored) and I always open a new bottle for dips like this. Think of olive oil like juice, the longer it sits on store shelves, the less flavor (and polyphenols) it will have! Having said all that, regular EVOO will work too, of course. I just like to make suggestions to make things even more flavorful. 🙂

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Method: Blend
  • Cuisine: Syrian, Turkish, Levantine