Smoky Roasted Eggplant Red Pepper Dip with Walnuts

Deep orange brownish cream in a small white bowl topped with green dried herbs and tiny white sees

Smoky Roasted Eggplant Red Pepper Dip with Walnuts

This roasted eggplant and red pepper dip is a smoky, rich, flavorful dip. It is the combination of two popular Middle Eastern classics baba ganoush and muhammara. Serve it with vegetables or with sliced pita bread, but it is especially delicious added to a grilled cheese sandwich.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Dairy-free, Egg-free, Gluten-free, Grain-free, International, Soy-free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword muhammara, roasted bell pepper dip, roasted eggplant dip, roasted eggplant red pepper dip

Prep Time 15

Roasting 30

Total Time 45

Servings cup

Calories 233kcal

Author Nandor Barta

Equipment

Ingredients

2 Eggplant (medium)
1 Bell pepper (red, yellow, green) small/medium
2 cloves Garlic
1 Onion (medium)
1 Tbsp Walnut (minced/finely chopped) or pecan
½ Tbsp Tahini -> list of tahini substitutes
1 Tbsp Soy sauce -> gluten-free soy sauce substitutes
2 Tbsp Tomato paste
¼ tsp Nutmeg
½ tsp Sweet smoked paprika powder
Salt & Pepper to taste start with ½ tsp each then adjust to your liking

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preparing the vegetables

Wash and cut eggplants in half. I usually cut the stem off, but no worries if you leave them on.
Wash the bell pepper. No need to cut it, as we will roast them in whole.
Peel and chop onion and garlic.
If you don't have a walnut or pecan meal, then use a food processor and mince whole/chopped nuts until they are the right consistency.

Roasting eggplants and bell peppers

Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).
Drizzle a parchment paper with olive oil and place the half eggplants upside down so their peel is up. (If you use a non-stick baking sheet, you can roast oil-free.) And add the whole bell peppers next to it.
Roast the veggies in the oven for approx. 30-40 minutes. You know the eggplants are ready, if their peel is wrinkled. The bell pepper might get some blackish color here and there, but that is completely all right.
When the veggies are ready, let them cool at least for a bit so you can touch them and peel them. (See notes on how to peel them easily step by step.)

Cook all other ingredients

While the vegetables are roasting, take a frying pan and heat to medium. Add oil and sautee the chopped onion and garlic in a frying pan on medium heat for 1-2 minutes. (If you do oil-free, sautee with water or veggie broth). Add walnut meal, tahini, soy sauce, and all seasoning and stir to combine. Cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Blend the dip until creamy

Add roasted and peeled eggplant and bell pepper, and pre-cooked ingredients in a tall but thin container and puree them thoroughly with an immersion blender.
Ready to dip in it or spread them on your toast. Enjoy!

Notes

How to peel roasted eggplants easily?

You need to allow them to cool a bit, so it is not too hot to touch them.
Place them on a wooden cutting board with their peel down.
Hold the bottom tip of the eggplant with one hand and gently scrape the eggplant flesh with a spoon in the other direction (where the stem was).
If the eggplants are very soft and tender, you can just pull off the peel with your fingers easily.

How to peel roasted bell peppers easily?

You need to allow them to cool a bit, so it is not too hot to touch them.
Place them on a wooden cutting board with the stem up.
Roasted bell peppers are super soft, so you can easily remove the stem and the seeds with your fingers at this point. Just hold down the pepper and pull the stem upwards. Most of the seeds should come out like that.
Now place them sideways.
Cut the top half vertically from stem to bottom, but do not cut it in half. This way you can spread it out like a carpet with its peel down.
Finally, scrape the bell pepper flesh with a spoon.

Nutrition