Muhammara Dip with Fresh Herbs

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I recently saw a version of Middle Eastern-inspired dip featured on a popular cooking show, and it looked fantastic. The version below includes some Aleppo chili flakes, which come from Turkey and have a unique, sweet, deep spicy flavor. The recipe can be amended to include whatever fresh herbs that you like.

It can be served with some flatbread, scooped up as a dip for vegetables, or even served in lettuce wraps.

Ingredients

3 red bell peppers, cut in half, seeds removed
¾ cup walnuts, lightly toasted
½ cup fresh breadcrumbs, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp pomegranate molasses
Zest from 1 lemon
Juice from 1 lemon
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp Aleppo chili flakes
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Kosher salt & freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
¼ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped, as garnish
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, finely sliced, as garnish
A drizzle of olive oil, to finish

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 450F.
Cut the red bell peppers in half, and remove the seeds and stems.
Place the peppers on a baking sheet, skin side up, and roast them in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the skins are charred and blistered.
Remove the peppers from the oven, and place them in a bowl.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let the peppers sit in their own steam and cool down for about 10 minutes.
Once the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel off the skins and discard them.
Reserve the roasted pepper flesh in a separate bowl.
In a food processor, combine the toasted walnuts, bread crumbs, garlic, olive oil, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and freshly-ground black pepper.
Pulse the ingredients until they are finely ground and well combined.
Add the roasted red bell peppers to the food processor and pulse again briefly until the peppers are just barely incorporated into the mixture.
Transfer the dip to a serving bowl, and garnish with the fresh parsley and mint.
Drizzle with a heavy pour of olive oil, and serve.

Notes

You can also use a mortar and pestle to make this dip, which some folks prefer texturally.
If you prefer your dip to be less spicy, omit the cayenne pepper and cut down on the quantity of Aleppo chili flakes.