Description
Muhammara is a vibrant Middle Eastern roasted red pepper and walnut dip bursting with sweet, smoky, and tangy flavors. Perfectly textured with toasted walnuts and breadcrumbs, this easy 15-minute recipe makes a delicious appetizer or snack that pairs wonderfully with warm pita, mezze platters, sandwiches, or grain bowls.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 (16-ounce/450g) jar roasted red bell peppers (OR 3 medium/large red bell peppers)
- 1 cup (112g) walnuts
- ½ cup (40g) panko breadcrumbs, fresh breadcrumbs, or fine breadcrumbs
- 1 fat clove garlic, chopped (or 2 regular sized cloves)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 2 tablespoons pure pomegranate molasses
- ½ tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 to 2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper (1 tsp for mild heat)
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or heaping ½ tsp sea salt)
- 1 small handful fresh mint leaves, chopped or torn (or flat-leaf parsley)
- 1 small handful pomegranate seeds
Instructions
- Prepare Peppers: Drain the jarred roasted red peppers without rinsing to avoid diluting the dip. Pat them dry with a clean towel to remove excess moisture and tear into pieces by hand. If using fresh peppers, roast, peel, and prepare accordingly.
- Toast Walnuts and Breadcrumbs: Reserve 1 or 2 walnuts for garnish and chop finely. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat, then toast walnuts for about 3 minutes until fragrant. Add breadcrumbs and toast for another 3 minutes until golden, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Remove from heat.
- Process Walnut Mixture: In a food processor, combine the toasted walnut-breadcrumb mixture with chopped garlic. Pulse until finely ground into crumb-like texture.
- Add Remaining Ingredients: Add the drained peppers, olive oil, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, Aleppo pepper, cumin, and salt to the food processor.
- Blend to Desired Texture: Pulse repeatedly using the pulse function until the dip is mostly smooth but still a bit chunky. Adjust seasoning by adding more molasses, lemon juice, or salt as needed. For a completely smooth dip, blend continuously until smooth.
- Garnish and Serve: Transfer the dip to a serving plate, create gentle waves on the surface with the back of a spoon, drizzle with extra olive oil, and garnish with the reserved chopped walnuts, fresh mint leaves, and pomegranate seeds.
Notes
- Muhammara is a quick and flavorful dip, ready in just 15 minutes, featuring a beautiful balance of sweet, smoky, and tangy profiles.
- Use it as a dip with pita bread, a spread for sandwiches and wraps, or part of a mezze platter.
- Choosing quality pomegranate molasses and fresh olive oil will greatly enhance the flavor.
- Adjust the Aleppo pepper quantity to control the heat level.
- For fresh red peppers, roast them until charred, peel, and prepare similarly for best flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 50g)
- Calories: 189 kcal
- Sugar: 4.2 g
- Sodium: 354.2 mg
- Fat: 14.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12.56 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 1.1 g
- Protein: 2.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
