A smoky sweet mixture of roasted red peppers, walnuts and spices goes into making this luscious muhammara.
A couple times recently people have asked me what I do for a living. I didn't really think about being asked this question when I decided to ditch being a lawyer in favor of this, but I guess it's one of those questions people ask, so duh.
"I'm a professional blogger." That's what I told them, because I couldn't think of much else to say. And don't even get me started on explaining to people that chose professional blogger over lawyer.
So I went to law school to publish recipes on the internet. Sometimes I like to do things the hard way.
And sometimes I have more fresh red bell peppers than I can come up with a practical use for.
Just about every recipe I've ever come across for muhammara calls for jarred roasted red peppers. I'm not sure how authentic that method of making it is, but it's easy, so it's got that going for it.
My method involves roasting your own peppers, so it takes a little more time. But I'm guessing anyone that's got some red peppers planted in their backyard garden will have good use for a muhammara recipe that calls for fresh roasted red peppers. Also, it's just better this way: see how thick and luscious it came out?! You know you want to make it!
How to Make Muhammara
As you may have guessed, the first thing you'll want to do is roast your peppers. Place them in a skillet or roasting pan and bake them until they're tender and their skins begin to blister.
Once they're out of the oven, give them a few minutes to cool, and then peel off the skins. They should come off pretty easily, but don't fret if you've got a few sticky spots. I always end up with a little bit of skin still on there, and it's never noticeable in the final product.
The next step is easy: stick everything in a food processor and blend!
Taste-test and adjust any seasonings to your liking. Then grab some pita bread and dig in!
FAQ & Tips for Making Perfect Muhammara
- Don't feel like roasting your own peppers? I hear ya! Feel free to substitute jarred roasted red peppers. You'll need about 1 ½ cups. Be sure to press out as much moisture as you can before adding them to the food processor!
- What is pomegranate molasses and where can I get it? Pomegranate molasses is basically concentrated pomegranate juice. (It's not really molasses at all!) Look for it in your supermarket's international foods section, and if you can't find it, or don't want to buy it for one recipe, try making your own using this recipe. It's super easy.
- And if you buy or make some pomegranate molasses for this recipe and are looking for another use for it, try these stuffed squash or this soup.
- Need a gluten-free version of this recipe? Substitute gluten-free panko breadcrumbs.
- Muhammara will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
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Muhammara (Roasted Red Pepper & Walnut Dip)
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ pounds fresh red peppers, about 3 to 4 peppers
- ¼ cup plus 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
- 1 cup shelled walnuts
- ½ cup chopped scallions
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- Salt to taste
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
For Serving
- Additional olive oil
- Chopped parsley
- Pita bread
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400°. Cut the peppers in half and remove the stems and seeds. Lightly rub the peppers with about 2 teaspoons of oil and arrange them on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan. Bake until the skins begin to blister and brown, about 45 minutes. Remove the peppers from the oven and allow them to sit until they're cool enough to handle.
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When the peppers are cool, gently peel off the skins (it's okay if you miss some spots. I did!).
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Place the peppers into the bowl of a food processor, along with ¼ cup of olive oil, the walnuts, scallions, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, garlic, cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Blend until smooth, then taste test, season with salt, and adjust any other seasonings to your liking.
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Add in the panko breadcrumbs and pulse just until incorporated. The mixture should be nice and thick.
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Scoop the mixture into a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with pita bread.
Recipe Notes
If you want to try using jarred roasted red peppers, you'll need about 1 ½ cups. I recommend pressing out as much moisture as you can before blending them up.
This was a timely inspiration. I'd just been thinking I hadn't made any muhammara in months (mostly because I can't find my preferred peppers - the European/Italian long red sweet ones. Try them as they are waaaay tastier!). I generally roast my peppers under the broiler (or you could grill I suppose) and then let them "steam" in a covered pot or bowl until they've cooled off enough to peel. There's so much oil in the peppers anyway I don't need to add any to roast them. I've seen recipes with couscous in place of bread, but I do prefer the bread texture. And, the first time I had this it was made by a Syrian family. Not sure if their recipe was the true authentic one but it imprinted the bread flavor and texture as being the only "right" way for me. ;)
Wow...you've given me some inspiration for some variations next time I try this. Couscous sounds really interesting and I definitely have to try grilling the peppers when I finally break out the barbecue grill this summer. Thank you!
Wow! This looks seriously good. Seems like a good alternative to hummus =)
Thank you!!
What a wonderful recipe. My peppers are no where near ripe yet, actually they haven't even bloomed so I've been using jarred peppers lately. Your recipe looks so much more delicious. I can't wait to try it. Please tell more about your evolution into blogging it is really interesting and frankly hopeful for some one who is just starting out and sometimes full of doubts at 3 am.
Thank you so much! And going to full time blogging was quite the journey! The best advice I can give is to stick with it. There have been so many ups and downs but keeping at it and continuously improving is what I think got me here. :)
This was our Sunday dinner appetizer, served with pita chips, baby carrots, cauliflower and cucumber. Everyone liked it and also ate more vegetables than they might have otherwise. It wasn't difficult to make, although the pomegranate molasses took some finding. Thanks for a good recipe!
Yay! I'm so glad to hear that! Thanks Vivian!
I've had this appetizer at a Moroccan friend's home- I've had to switch out the breadcrumbs for a gluten free choice but non the less it is delicious. I haven't roasted my own peppers, but I'll bet that really enhances the taste. Great post thanks
Thank you! I'm glad to hear that it works with gluten-free breadcrumbs!
This looks delicious! Do you have any suggestions to substitute the pomegranate molasses, which I can’t find (and I also don’t want to buy to use just once)? Maybe balsamic? Thanks!
Have you ever tried making it yourself? It's really easy! Here's a recipe I've used and had luck with: https://healthynibblesandbits.com/pomegranate-molasses/ Othewise I think a balsamic reduction would be a nice substitute! You could buy one or make it yourself - this recipe tells you how to do that: https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/beet-burgers/
Just interested on the serving size the nutritional info is based on. Great recipe excited to give it a try
Delicious! This was my first time making muhammara. I served it at a baby shower and it was a hit!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Oh my gosh this was AMAZING!!! Mind blown. I was a little skeptical of how all the flavors would come together, particularly the uncooked walnuts and cumin powder, and relatively large amount of lemon juice - but oh my gosh, it was perfectly balanced and I’m in love. Your recipes never disappoint!
It did make a couple tweaks to keep it low fodmap and base on what I had:
-leek greens instead of scallion greens (they’re a bit more pungent/flavorful)
-sub 1 tbs garlic oil for evoo instead of the fresh garlic
-sub 1 tbs very good quality aged Italian balsamic instead of the Pom molasses—having tried both, it tastes quite similar and meant I didn’t need to take a trip to the store (for Pom juice or molasses)
-sub 1/2 the paprika for smoked paprika
-I was planning on making my own gf breadcrumbs to add, but after the first blend, it was so perfect that I decided not to add anything! I kept it a little course and really like the crunch of the walnuts!
-finally, the 3 fresh bell peppers I had weighed only 1 LB 2 oz (before deseeding) and I was worried it would be too little, but worked out perfectly with the same measurements for the rest of the ingredients
Thanks again for the inspiration for a recipe I’ll be making over and over again!!!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! And thanks for sharing your modifications - they sound great!
Why use panko in a dressing? For me it doesn’t make any sense…the rest of your recipe seam amazing! I will try it for sure ,minus the panko sand will used roasted pepper! Thanks for sharing!
Trish