Muhammara (Roasted Red Pepper & Walnut Dip)

5 from 4 votes

A smoky sweet mixture of roasted red peppers, walnuts and spices goes into making this luscious muhammara.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Appertizer

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Servings:

Calories: 308kcal

Author: Alissa

1 ¾ pounds fresh red bell peppers, about 3 to 4 peppers (Note 1)
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 cup shelled walnuts
½ cup chopped scallions (both white and green parts)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
1 garlic clove
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon ground Aleppo pepper, or to taste (⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper can be substituted)
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
¾ cup panko breadcrumbs, plus up to an additional ½ cup, if needed

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the peppers in half and remove the stems and seeds. Lightly rub the peppers with about a tablespoon of olive oil and arrange them on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan.
Roast the peppers 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.
When the peppers are cool, gently peel off the skins. Don't worry if you miss some small spots — just try to get most of the skin off.
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 Aleppo pepper. Blend until smooth, then taste test, season with salt, and adjust any other seasonings to your liking.
Add in the panko breadcrumbs and pulse the machine until the breadcrumbs are blended in. Stop the machine, check the mixture for thickness and texture, and add more breadcrumbs if you'd like your dip to be thicker. Blend again until smooth.
Scoop the mixture into a bowl and drizzle it with olive oil. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and serve with pita bread.

Two cups of jarred roasted red peppers can be substituted if you don't feel like roasting them yourself. Drain and blot them to remove excess moisture before using.