Muhammara (Roasted Red Pepper Dip)
This recipe was adapted from the talented private chef Emily Baird’s version. Her recipes are perfection, both simple and excellent, clearly born from decades of work in kitchens. I highly recommend her Substack.
I bring the kinds of food to parties that I want to eat, foods that are often in short supply, especially at pot lucks. Things like loads of fresh vegetables and meat, or sweets made without refined sugar.
This recipe is great for so many reasons. You can do a very quick version with jarred peppers, or if you have time, make it extra special with roasted peppers. It comes together fast in a food processor or blender.
3 roasted red peppers (or one 12 oz. jar of roasted red peppers) A good tutorial here on how to roaste them.
1 cup toasted almonds, unsalted (or roasted walnuts)
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Juice & zest of half a lemon
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Marash Chili from Whole Spice is my fave.
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses (my fave is Barrel & Burlap)
1 teaspoon sea salt
2/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (or parsley)
How to Make It:
Blend everything in a food processor until smooth. Put the garlic in first and pulse until it’s finely minced. Then add the herbs and do the same. Then add all the remaining ingredients.
Taste, as always, and adjust. Does it need more sweetness? More salt? More oil? More acid?
Drizzle with olive oil or a little extra pomegranate molasses to get fancy.
Serve with a big, varied plate of raw & cooked vegetables. Some of my favorites to use are: Quartered persian cucumbers, blanced broccolini, endive spears, Yellow & orange bell pepper slices, colorful carrots, snap peas, jicama).
