Muhammara Dip

The transition between summer and fall always brings a bounty of peppers, which are a great main ingredient for many camping recipes. I received a bunch of beautiful heirloom peppers recently in my farm box, and decided to use the roasted peppers and make a dip for a day trip to the beach.

This dip is inspired by a recipe on one of my favorite blogs, 101 Cookbooks. It is actually very similar to our Chunky Roasted Red Pepper Dip, but it’s smoother and a little tangier thanks to tomato paste and the pepper varieties. I tried a version with the heirloom bell peppers shown here, and another one with shishito peppers. Both were fabulous.

I recently got this Hydro Flask Food Flask, which is an awesome container for picnics and day trips. It kept the dip cool in 100 degree weather until we were ready to eat it, and is durable and leak proof, compared to the plastic storage containers I usually try to awkwardly jam into backpacks. Stanley and Klean Kanteen both make these in different sizes as well.

The original recipe calls for Pomegranate Molasses, which I didn’t have on hand, so I used a combination of balsamic vinegar and honey instead. Pita chips are my dippable of choice, but crackers or fresh campfire-warmed pitas drizzled with olive oil would also be lovely.

Muhammara Dip

Yield

4-6 Servings

Prep Time / Cook Time

10 minutes / 10 minutes

Activity Guide

Day Trip, Picnic

Ingredients

• 2-3 bell peppers (more if they're small like mine)
• 3/4 cup walnuts, toasted
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon salt

Tools

• Cutting board
• Food processor
• Knife
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Spoon
• Tongs
• Tupperware or Large bowl with lid
• Baking sheet

Method

1. Place whole peppers on a baking sheet and broil, turning once or twice, until skins are blackened and popped.
2. Immediately transfer whole peppers to a bowl with a lid and leave to steam for 10-15 minutes.
3. Remove peppers from the bowl and, using a spoon or knife, scrape the skin off. It should even be easy enough to peel away with your hands. Slice peppers open and remove seeds and stems.
4. Place roasted peppers and all other ingredients into the food processor, and blend until mostly smooth.
5. Transfer dip to a portable container and garnish the top with a few extra chopped walnuts and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Serve with pita or crackers.