Muhammara - a sweet, sour, smoky, spicy Syrian-origin Middle Eastern roasted red pepper and walnut dip. Best enjoyed with warm pita and fresh veggies.
Key ingredients: roasted peppers, walnuts, breadcrumbs, chile flakes, and pomegranate molasses, blended into a coarse paste. The flavor breakdown: roasted red pepper brings sweet and smoky, walnuts the nuttiness, pomegranate molasses the tang, and chile the kick.
The first time I saw this deep, sexy red dip, its color popped out on a dinner table in Israel 30+ years ago, surrounded by an abundance salatim, think creamy beige tahini and creamy beige hummus. Unless of course it's my table, where hummus and tahini appear in every color of the rainbow. If you only knew one thing about me, it would be this beet hummus.
Anyhow, my mind went straight to red pepper - straightforward. What I did not expect was the smoky, sweet, sour, punchy complexity of that very first bite. Simple ingredients, transformed.
Muhammara comes from Aleppo, Syria - the city that literally gave Aleppo pepper its name. The word itself means "reddened" in Arabic, referring to the dish's deep red color. Originally a way to preserve the region's abundance of Aleppo peppers, it became a Levantine staple during the Ottoman era and has become a popular member in a mezze spread ever since.
Roast your own peppers or use jarred. If you're going to bother roasting your own, make extra. It adds time but the oven does most of the work, and you get a 2-for-1 deal out of this recipe.
Toast walnuts and breadcrumbs. Pulse everything together in a food processor. That’s it.
It's a choose-your-own-spice-level situation – adjust chile flakes to your personal heat preference.
Roasting your own pepper is a single-ingredient situation - just red pepper - and the flavor transformation is completely worth it and may just blow your mind. Don't be deterred by the char - the blackened, blistered skin peels right off, and that's exactly how they're supposed to look. Got a grill? Use it. Otherwise, your broiler works as an indoor grill. Either way, we’re charring, blistering and blackening peppers for a sweet, smoky, jammy result.
Make Ahead: Muhammara keeps 4–7 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Tip: add a thin layer of olive oil on top to maintain freshness. Roasted red peppers keep 1–2 weeks in the fridge, up to 2 months frozen. Walnuts and breadcrumbs can be toasted in advance too.
Serving: Serve at room temperature - remove from the fridge 15–20 minutes before. Drizzle with olive oil and finish with chopped walnuts or pomegranate seeds. Enjoy with warm pita and fresh veggies. It’s also awesome as a spread in wraps and sandwiches and underneath roasted veggies and meats. Make extra.
When I'm hosting, I want Mediterranean dips and spreads in every color of the rainbow. Here's your red.
Muhammara
Ingredients
- 3 red bell peppers
- 1 cup toasted walnuts
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 1 garlic clove roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes to taste
- ½ tsp sugar
- ½ tsp cumin
Instructions
- To make roast bell peppers in the oven, preheat the broiler. Place peppers on a foil or parchment lined baking sheet and broil until the skin is blackened and blistered all over, rotating as necessary. Transfer immediately to a bowl and cover with a towel or plastic wrap to let them steam for 10 min for easy peeling. Uncover and use your hands to peel off the loose charred skin. Remove seeds and slice into strips.
- To toast walnuts and breadcrumbs, preheat oven to 350 F. Place them on a baking sheet and bake until golden, walnuts 7-10 minutes, breadcrumbs 10-15min.
- In a food processor, place red peppers, walnuts, breadcrumbs, olive oil, pomegranate molasses, garlic, tomato paste, lemon juice, Aleppo pepper, sugar and cumin. Pulse until combined and season to taste.
Colorful Middle Eastern Dips
I love welcoming guests with a rainbow of Mediterranean dips. Think of this as your hummus playground - there are endless colorful ways to riff on classic classic hummus.
- Beet Hummus - a vibrant roasted beet hummus with a beautifully earthy flavor and a striking magenta color.
- Carrot Hummus - a bright carrot hummus that works beautifully with every color of the carrot rainbow.
- Black Hummus - a dramatic hummus made with black tahini for a richer, nuttier flavor.
- Butternut Squash Hummus - roasted squash adds a seasonal sweet-and-savory twist to classic hummus.
- Loaded Hummus - a playful riff on the classic American 7-layer dip, hummus-style.
- Hummus with Spiced Lamb - a popular Middle Eastern dish that turns hummus into a hearty appetizer or full meal.
- Green Tahini - a brighter, zestier, herbaceous twist on the classic Middle Eastern tahini sauce.
- Whipped Feta - for a creamy, tangy, party perfect Mediterranean dip.
If ya try this recipe, I'd love to hear about it - leave a comment below and let me know, and tag me on IG, @danielagerson, so I can see too.
Keep exploring for more seasonal recipes and colorful produce guides designed to inspire ya to play in the kitchen.
Let’s make waves in the kitchen.
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