Roasted Red Pepper Dip is a delicious, gluten-free dipping sauce. It is inspired by the famous Mediterranean dip called muhammara.
Muhammara
What is Muhammara (or Mouhammara)?
Muhammara is a spicy Mediterranean-style dip. It is prepared with roasted red peppers, bread crumbs, garlic, olive oil, and walnuts. It has a rustic texture.
On a traditional mezze platter, Muhammara is served with pita bread, grilled meat, lavash, hummus , fattoush , falafel , and kebabs.
About Roasted Pepper Dip
As I mentioned earlier, this roasted red pepper dip recipe is inspired by the Muhammara. But don’t confuse it with red pepper hummus. This dip is very similar to Muhammara and not hummus.
This roasted red pepper dip will perfectly complement your chips and crisps. It has a creamy mouthfeel with a basil pesto -like coarse texture. The smokey flavour of the red peppers, the nuttiness of walnuts, the sweetness of honey, and the creaminess of the cheese together make this dip so delectable.
More Reasons To LOVE It
- gluten-free
- pure vegetarian
- easy to customize
- meal-prep friendly
- minimal cooking required
Ingredients Required
Red Bell Pepper: You can roast bell peppers at home or use canned bell peppers for this dip. I prefer roasting them over the fire at home.
Nuts: Use slightly toasted walnuts, pine nuts, almonds, or pecan nuts.
Honey: The authentic Muhammara recipe requires pomegranate molasses. You can add honey or maple syrup (for a vegan dip).
Cheese: I add a dollop of cream cheese for the creamy mouthfeel and balance the pepper’s heat. Feta Cheese or Greek Yogurt also works well in this dip recipe.
Cilantro: Adds a refreshing touch to the dip. You can use sweet basil, parsley, or fresh coriander leaves.
Other Ingredients: Salt, Red Paprika, Cumin Powder, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Garlic, and Lemon Juice.
How To Make
Roasting Pepper: Roasting provides a very distinct flavor to the dip. You can roast them in the oven, BBQ grill, over the stovetop, or an air fryer.
Step 1) Wash the pepper with water. Pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. Place them in a cast-iron skillet or directly over the stovetop flame. Roast till the outer skin is charred. Keep rotating at regular intervals using a pair of tongs while roasting.
Step 2) Transfer the roasted bell pepper to a bowl filled with water. Allow to cool down a bit. Then, peel off the charred skin of the pepper.
Step 3) Roughly chop the pepper and drizzle olive oil. Store in the refrigerator or use immediately.
Toasting Walnuts: Dry roast the walnuts in a cast-iron skillet for 1 – 2 minutes over low heat to release their nutty flavor.
Blending: Add all the ingredients to a food processor with the blade attachment. And blend!
Serving & Storage
You can serve roasted red pepper dip with falafel, veggie sticks, fried snacks, fattoush, or other flatbread.
You can make it a part of the mezze platter with other Meditteranean dips like hummus, baba ganoush, and labneh. I also like to add a salad like tabouli, fattoush , or chickpea salad .
Roasted Red Pepper Dip if adequately stored, will keep in the fridge anywhere from 4 days to one week. Some say you can freeze it, but I haven’t personally tried that. Instead, I like to make a fresh batch each time we crave it.
More Dip Recipes
- Hummus With Homemade Tahini
- Creamy Corn Dip
- Beetroot Hummus
- Avocado Hummus
- Mango Chilli Dip
- Baba Ganoush
- Chilli Oil
If you try this recipe and love it, please leave a comment and a rating. This helps us grow and reach other food lovers like you.
Ingredients
- ▢ 1 red bell pepper
- ▢ ¼ cup walnuts
- ▢ 2 garlic cloves
- ▢ 2 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
- ▢ 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- ▢ 1 tablespoon cream cheese
- ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ▢ 4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ▢ 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- ▢ 1 teaspoon red paprika
Instructions
- Heat a cast iron skillet over the gas stove. Brush it with a teaspoon of olive oil. Place the whole peppers on the pan and roast till the skin is nicely charred from all the sides.
- Transfer them to a bowl filled with water. Peel off the charred skin. Roughly chop the pepper. Drizzle olive oil.
- Dry roast the walnuts in the same cast iron skillet over low heat for 1 – 2 minutes. Keep stirring the walnut while roasting. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- In a food processor with a knife blade attached, blend all the ingredients to a coarse paste.
- Transfer roasted red pepper dip to a bowl. Garnish with walnuts, cilantro, and olive oil.
- Serve roasted red pepper dip with crackers or bread.
Recipe Notes:
- Heat an oven at 220 degrees Celcius and grill the peppers on a baking sheet for 30 minutes or till nicely roasted. You can roast them on a BBQ as well.
- Use a food processor and not a mixer/blender to get a coarse texture of the red pepper dip.
- Honey and lemon juice together balance the flavor of the dip. Hence, are an essential ingredient.
Nutrition
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Roasted Red Pepper Dip Recipe
Equipment
- cast iron skillet
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 1 red bell pepper
- ¼ cup walnuts
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon red paprika
Instructions
- Heat a cast iron skillet over the gas stove. Brush it with a teaspoon of olive oil. Place the whole peppers on the pan and roast till the skin is nicely charred from all the sides.
- Transfer them to a bowl filled with water. Peel off the charred skin. Roughly chop the pepper. Drizzle olive oil.
- Dry roast the walnuts in the same cast iron skillet over low heat for 1 - 2 minutes. Keep stirring the walnut while roasting. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- In a food processor with a knife blade attached, blend all the ingredients to a coarse paste.
- Transfer roasted red pepper dip to a bowl. Garnish with walnuts, cilantro, and olive oil.
- Serve roasted red pepper dip with crackers or bread.
Notes
- Heat an oven at 220 degrees Celcius and grill the peppers on a baking sheet for 30 minutes or till nicely roasted. You can roast them on a BBQ as well.
- Use a food processor and not a mixer/blender to get a coarse texture of the red pepper dip.
- Honey and lemon juice together balance the flavor of the dip. Hence, are an essential ingredient.
Nutrition
Follow my SECRET tips to make the creamiest hummus ever. A Mediterranean-style vegan chickpea dip, perfect for spreading or snacking. So let’s dig deep into my creamy hummus recipe.
About Hummus
Hummus is a classic Mediterranean dip. It is a blend of white chickpeas (chana), sesame seeds paste (tahini), good-quality olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and za’tar.
Hummus is an effortless dish and doesn’t require too many ingredients. It is a combination of the right: a. Consistency b. Texture
Good hummus is usually smooth, luscious, and creamy. But the best part of hummus is that it is SO HEALTHY !
More Reasons To LOVE Hummus
- vegan
- nut-free
- gluten-free
- keto-friendly
- meal prep friendly
- highly customizable
- 5-ingredient recipe
- easy, tasty, healthy
I am sharing a failproof method to make the creamiest hummus at home. All you have to do is follow my 5 USEFUL TIPS.
Ingredients Required
The Chickpeas – White Chickpeas (chana) are the key ingredient of the hummus recipe. You need over-cooked/boiled chickpeas.
Tahini Paste : It is a smooth blend of white sesame seeds. Use the readymade tahini paste or make a batch from scratch at home (watch my Youtube video).
Garlic – It gives flavour to the hummus. Add cautiously, as too much raw garlic can make your hummus taste pungent.
Olive Oil – A good quality extra virgin olive oil transforms chickpeas into silky smooth goodness.
Lemon Juice – It gives flavour to the hummus and cuts down the sharp taste of garlic.
Seasoning – Salt, Cumin Powder
Ice cold water to blend the hummus.
Garnish – There are a dozen ways to garnish hummus. From pomegranate, fresh herbs, za’atar spice mix, olive oil, and feta cheese to boiled chickpeas, you can pick any ingredient combination to garnish hummus.
Watch Hummus Video
5 SECRET TIPS To Make Creamy Hummus
Nothing is more satisfying than making a bowl of perfectly creamy, fluffy, light, and tasty hummus. It is one of the quickest and easiest dip recipes.
I am sharing tips and tricks to make the BEST HUMMUS ever.
Tip 1: While boiling the chickpeas add ¼ teaspoon of baking soda. This helps in breaking them down. Plus, you don’t have to remove the skin of each chickpea. Even if you use canned chickpeas, I insist on boiling them in water with baking soda for 15 minutes. You will notice the difference.
Chickpeas should be cooked till they break down completely and are mushy. The perfectly cooked chickpeas define 50% of the texture of the hummus .
Tip 2: Use the reserved liquid from the boiled chickpeas to blend the hummus instead of plain water.
It is one of the magical ingredients that transforms hummus from ordinary to finger-licking good.
Tip 3: There is no hummus without tahini paste.
It gives a nutty taste and a creamy texture to the hummus. Hence, do not skip adding it.
Tip 4: Add ice-cold water while blending the hummus. It makes the dip fluffy and light in texture.
Keep boiled chickpea water in the fridge so that it gets chilled. Use it for blending hummus.
Tip 5: A few extra minutes on the food processor will always give you super creamy hummus. Follow the formula of scrape and blend to get the silky smooth hummus.
Hummus Recipe Variation
Nothing can beat a classic hummus. But a few of my favourite fun hummus flavours are:
Beetroot Hummus
Avocado Hummus
When it comes to hummus, the flavour possibilities are endless. Like Green Goddess Hummus, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Endamame Hummus, Olive Hummus, White Bean Hummus , and so on.
A freshly made hummus stays well in the fridge for 3 – 5 days . Make sure to store it in an air-tight container. Do not leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours. It tends to get spoilt.
Yes, you can make hummus without adding sesame seed paste, i.e. tahini. But the taste and texture will not be the same.
Hummus pairs well with pita bread, meat kebabs, or falafel . It is served alongside other dips like labneh and baba ganoush as part of a mezze platter . Hummus is an excellent vegan spread for a falafel wrap or pita sandwich.
More Dip Recipes
- Roasted Red Pepper Dip (Muhammara)
- Roasted Eggplant Dip (Baba Ganoush)
- Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce
- Creamy Corn Dip
- Spicy Mango Dip
- Tomato Salsa
If you try this recipe and love it, please leave a comment and a rating. This helps us grow and reach other food lovers like you.
Ingredients
- ▢ 1 Cup chickpeas (white chana)
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ▢ 1 tablespoon tahini paste (sesame seed paste)
- ▢ 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- ▢ Juice of one lemon
- ▢ 4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin powder (jeera powder)
- ▢ Salt to taste
- ▢ ⅛ Cup boiled chickpeas water (ice cold)
Ingredients for Garnish:
- ▢ 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ▢ 1 teaspoon za’tar spices mix (optional)
- ▢ 1 teaspoon chopped coriander
- ▢ a few pomegranate pearls
Instructions
How To Cook Chickpeas for Hummus:
- You can use canned chickpeas to make the hummus or cook them at home.
- To boil chickpeas, rinse and soak them in water for 5 – 6 hours.
- After 5 – 6 hours drain the water from the soaked chickpeas. Transfer them to a pressure cooker. Add approximately 2 Cups of water, baking soda, and a teaspoon of salt.
- Close the lid of the pressure cooker. Cook the chickpeas over medium heat for till well done. Slightly mushy or over-cooked chickpeas are best to make a creamy hummus.
- Transfer the boiled chickpeas to a colander. Allow them to cool down completely. Reserve the boiled chickpea liquid. Keep it in the refrigerator to get chilled.
How To Make Hummus:
- Transfer cooked chickpeas, crushed garlic, salt, cumin powder, olive oil, lemon juice, and tahini paste to a blender or food processor.
- Blend the ingredients using chilled boiled chickpeas water until you get a creamy texture. If the hummus seems too thick, add more olive oil or the reserved liquid from the boiled chickpeas. Scarpe the sides of the food processor and blend to get the perfect consistency and texture.
- Once the hummus is smooth and creamy, transfer to a serving bowl.
- Garnish hummus with the coriander, olive oil, and pomegranate pearls. Sprinkle za’tar spice mix.
- Serve hummus immediately with pita bread or chips.
Recipe Notes:
- If you use canned chickpeas, boil them in water with baking soda for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Do not add whole garlic cloves to hummus. Either grate them or crush them.
- Za’tar is a Middle Eastern spice mix. It gives an extra authentic flavour to the hummus. But don’t worry if that is not available.
- Garnish or topping for hummus can be customized per your liking and preference.
Nutrition
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