Muhammara (Syrian Roasted Red Pepper Walnut Dip)

A bowl of muhammara dip garnished with walnuts, pomegranate molasses and parsley with a side of sliced cucumbers and pita.

5 from 3 votes

Muhammara (Syrian Roasted Red Pepper Walnut Dip)

Muhammara is a classic Levantine roasted red pepper and walnut dip that balances sweet, savory, salty and spicy flavors. It’s also incredibly easy to make in just 2 steps! Best of all, this gorgeous dip comes together in under 10 minutes!

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Appetizer, condiment, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: Levantine, Middle Eastern

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: people

Author: Luay Ghafari

Cost: $5

Equipment

Small food processor - Affiliate Link

Ingredients

3 Large roasted red peppers - Jarred works fine
½ cup Walnuts
⅓ cup Unseasoned breadcrumbs
2 Garlic cloves - Peeled
2 tbsp Tomato Paste
2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp Pomegranate molasses
1 tbsp Lemon juice
1 tsp Sumac
1 tsp Aleppo chili flakes - See note
Kosher salt and black pepper

Garnish

Garnish with crushed walnuts, olive oil, pomegranate molasses an fresh parsley.

Instructions

Add ingredients to a food processor. Add the roasted red peppers, walnuts, breadcrumbs, peeled garlic, tomato paste, olive oil, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, sumac, chili flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Process, adjust and serve. Process until you have a fine consistency. You still want to have some bite to this dip, so don’t turn it into a puree. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with crushed walnuts, a drizzle of olive oil, pomegranate molasses and fresh parsley. Serve with fresh pita bread or pita wedges.

Notes

Refer to the post above for step-by-step recipe photos.

Ingredient Notes:

Roasted Red Peppers: You can certainly roast your own red bell peppers, but why bother when you can just use jarred fire-roasted peppers? They are affordable, easy to find in most grocery stores, and will save you time.
Walnuts: Muhammara is a walnut dip. Don’t skip the walnuts! I use shelled walnuts. Don’t use any that have been salted or seasoned.
Bread crumbs: Plain breadcrumbs work best. Don’t use any seasoned or Italian-style crumbs as they have extra seasonings added to them.
Pomegranate molasses: A staple in every Middle Eastern, North African and Levantine household. It used to be more difficult to find, but these days you can find bottled pomegranate molasses at most grocery stores (check the world foods aisle).
Chili Flakes: Aleppo pepper flakes are ideal and are an ode to this Syrian recipe. But if you don’t have Aleppo chili flakes, you can use any red pepper flakes you have on hand.
Sumac: Another Middle Eastern staple, sumac adds flavor and sourness to the finished dip.

Enjoy it as part of a Mezze platter alongside Mutabal (roasted eggplant dip), Caramelized Eggplant Hummus, Tzatziki or Cacik, Lebanese pita, Palestinian Taboon flatbread and Ramazan Pidesi (Turkish Pide).

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