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Red Pepper and Walnut Dip with Fennel Spears
© Ngoc Minh Ngo

Red Pepper and Walnut Dip with Fennel Spears

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  • ACTIVE:
  • TOTAL TIME: 25 MIN
  • SERVINGS: makes 2 cups
  • •BASIC-EASY
  • •FAST
  • •HEALTHY
  • •MAKE-AHEAD

Muhammara, a Middle Eastern dip with a spicy kick, is traditionally served with pita bread or roasted meats, but Chris Hanna likes it with the addictive crunch of fennel.

  1. 3 medium red bell peppers
  2. 3/4 cup walnuts (3 ounces)
  3. 1/4 cup crushed whole-wheat crackers
  4. 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
  5. 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  6. 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  7. 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  8. 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  9. Salt and freshly ground pepper
  10. 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  11. Fennel bulbs, cored and cut in wedges
  1. Light a grill. Grill the red bell peppers over moderately high heat, turning with tongs, until they're blackened all over. Transfer the charred peppers to a bowl and let them cool completely. Peel the peppers and discard the skins, seeds and cores. Coarsely chop the peppers.
  2. In a food processor, combine the peppers, walnuts, crushed crackers, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, cumin and Aleppo pepper and process until fairly smooth. With the machine on, add the 1 tablespoon of olive oil and process until creamy. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with the parsley. Serve the dip with the fennel wedges.
Make Ahead The Red Pepper and Walnut Dip can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 2 days.