Not only will this veggie delight be the talk of your cookouts, but it’s also filled with convenient make-ahead options and clever shortcuts. You can prepare the Smoked Almond Muhammara up to 3 days ahead and keep it chilled in the fridge. To save even more time, swap out the grilled bell peppers for 2 cups of jarred roasted peppers and add about 1/4 cup of the jar’s liquid. If your grill is on the smaller side, simply cut the flatbread in half or opt for lavash instead.
Active Time: 1 hrs 10 mins | Total Time: 1 hrs 30 mins | Yield: 12 to 16
Ingredients
- 3 (1/3-inch-thick) sourdough bread slices (about 3 ounces)
- 1 1/2 cups plus 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for brushing
- 3 medium-sized red bell peppers
- 3 pounds mixed vegetables (such as squash, zucchini, red onion, and baby bell peppers)
- 4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
- 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Aleppo pepper or sweet paprika, divided
- 6 garlic cloves, smashed, divided
- 1 (30- x 14-inch) sangak flatbread (such as Ara-Z) or 4 (11 1/2- x 8 1/4-inch) lavash flatbreads (such as Joseph’s)
- 1 1/4 cups smoked almonds (about 6 1/2 ounces), divided
- 6 to 9 tablespoons water, divided
- 2 1/2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses, divided
- Flaky sea salt, to taste
- 1 cup mixed fresh herbs (such as flat-leaf parsley leaves, small mint leaves, and chopped chives)
Directions
- Preheat a charcoal or gas grill to medium-high (450°F to 500°F). Drizzle sourdough bread with 2 tablespoons of oil. Place bread and bell peppers on oiled grates, and grill, uncovered, turning often, until bread is toasted, 2 to 3 minutes, and peppers are blackened on all sides, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer bell peppers to a medium bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap; let stand for 10 minutes. Cut peppers in half, and peel peppers, reserving any juices in the bowl. Discard skin, stems, and seeds. Set peeled peppers and toasted sourdough aside.
- Cut squash and zucchini into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Cut onion into 1-inch-thick wedges, leaving root end intact. Cut baby bell peppers in half. Toss vegetables with 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large bowl. Grill vegetables until slightly charred and just tender (see Note for cook times). Remove vegetables from the grill, and place in an even layer in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish; sprinkle with 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Whisk together 1 cup oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/2 tablespoon Aleppo pepper, and 3 garlic cloves in a medium bowl; pour over vegetable mixture. Cover and let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 hours.
- Reduce the gas grill temperature to low (250°F to 300°F), or let the charcoal burn down to low. Place sangak on grill grates (if using lavash, brush both sides lightly with olive oil). Grill flatbread, covered, flipping, and rotating often, until lightly toasted, 6 to 10 minutes. Set aside.
- Tear sourdough bread into small pieces; place in a food processor. Add bell peppers and juices, 1/3 cup oil, 3/4 cup almonds, 6 tablespoons water, 11/2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses, remaining 1/4 cup lemon juice, remaining 1 tablespoon Aleppo, remaining 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and remaining 3 garlic cloves; process until mostly smooth, about 45 seconds. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes. If needed, add the remaining 3 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing to incorporate, until a thick but spreadable consistency is reached. Season with kosher salt to taste. Roughly chop the remaining 1/2 cup almonds; set aside.
- Spread muhammara on flatbread. Arrange marinated vegetable mixture on flatbread. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of marinade from the dish and the remaining 1 tablespoon of pomegranate molasses. Sprinkle with chopped almonds. Season to taste with flaky sea salt. Sprinkle with herbs. Drizzle with remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil just before serving.
Make Ahead
The smoked almond muhammara can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Flatbread can be grilled up to 6 hours in advance. Assembled flatbread can be held at room temperature for up to 1 hour.
Notes
Grill baby bell peppers over direct heat, uncovered, 4 minutes. Grill squash and zucchini over direct heat, uncovered, 6 to 8 minutes. Grill red onion over direct heat, uncovered, 10 minutes, then another 10 minutes over indirect heat.
