Muhammara | Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Spread
This muhammara is a traditional Syrian spread made with roasted red peppers and toasted walnuts. It comes together in about 30 minutes and makes a perfect appetizer or mezze dip.
Ingredients
- 4 red bell peppers
- 1 ½ cup walnuts lightly toasted
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground white pepper use less if you only have black pepper, but white is strongly recommended for its pleasant flavor
- 2 garlic cloves mashed
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Roast the red bell peppers. You can roast them either inside your oven or directly over the flame on top of the stove, until the skins are charred and blistered all over.
- Once roasted, let the peppers cool a bit, then peel off the charred black skins and remove the seeds.
- Add all the ingredients, roasted red bell peppers included, to a food processor. Blend until smooth.
- Serve with pita bread and enjoy!
Notes
Store muhammara in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days; drizzle a little olive oil on top to keep it fresh. Serve at room temperature with warm pita bread or fresh vegetables. Traditional muhammara sometimes includes pomegranate molasses and breadcrumbs; this version omits them and relies on the walnuts for body.