Capsicum and Walnut Dip

Simply made in a food processor, I love how this Syrian dip tastes on flat bread, as a crudité dip or even as a sandwich spread in the place of something like mayo or hummus. Muhammara is also great for summer picnics: pack some roasted eggplant, hummus, olives, marinated peppers and pita and you have a memorable Middle Eastern spread. Muhammara is full of flavour, rich and beautifully balanced between sweet, tangy and earthy notes. I love it chilled, too. If you have a chance to make it and let the flavours develop for an hour or two, it is especially tasty. To me, the star of the show is the pomegranate molasses or syrup, also known as nar eksisi, which is the sweet-tart reduction of pomegranate juice. You can find pomegranate molasses at Middle Eastern markets or well-stocked grocery stores.

Thanks to Vegan Street for this delicious recipe!

Muhammara (Red Pepper & Walnut Dip)

YOU WILL NEED:

4 roasted red bell peppers (approximately two cups), seeds removed
1 cup toasted walnuts, whole or pieces
½ cup almond meal (not almond flour), or breadcrumbs (see note below)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons water or olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in your food processor and process until the desired degree of smoothness is reached, scraping down the sides as needed.

Note:

This is a great recipe to use up capsicum (bell pepper) when it's in season during the warmer months.

Typically made with breadcrumbs, this recipe uses almond meal here to create a gluten-free version and I also made it oil-free. If you don't have issues with gluten, feel free to use breadcrumbs in the same amount and if you'd like a richer dip, use olive oil instead of water.

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