Description
This romesco dip is a rich, robust, and quick spread that’s perfect for storing in your fridge and enjoying throughout the week to enhance any meal! Perfect for dipping, spreading on bread or grilled vegetables, and tossing through pasta.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 7 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly smashed with the side of your knife
- ½ cup / 80g blanched almonds
- 1 cup / 150g roasted red bell peppers,* drained (about 3 medium peppers)
- 2/3 cup / 90g sun-dried tomatoes, drained (about 10–12 halves)
- 1 teaspoon Spanish smoked sweet paprika* (Pimenton)
- ½ – 1 teaspoon salt (season to taste)
Instructions
- Heat a small skillet on medium-high heat, and add the olive oil, garlic and blanched almonds. Toast them until they become golden, tossing them around the pan to spread the heat evenly. Make sure you watch it as it can turn very quickly.
- Transfer them to a food processor along with the bell peppers, tomatoes, paprika, salt (start with a smaller amount and adjust later if needed), and 3-4 tablespoons of cold water. Blend until you’ve reached your desired consistency. You can continue until it’s completely smooth. I like mine chunky, so I stopped when there was still texture to the dip.
Notes
Bell peppers: Try to find roasted peppers in a jar preserved in either olive oil and vinegar or, even better, just with olive oil. A little bit of acidity is fine. If you happen to roast your peppers, which is the tastiest option or use ones that are only preserved in olive oil – add ½ teaspoon of sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar to the dip before blending.
Make sure you buy both the red bell peppers and sun-dried tomatoes without herbs or spices (flavourings), as this will completely alter the flavour.
Paprika: If you can’t get your hands on the Spanish Pimenton paprika, mix ½ teaspoon sweet paprika and ½ teaspoon smoked paprika and use that instead.
Storage: This dip will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Want a little bit of heat? You can play around with this recipe to make it your own. If you like heat, you can add some cayenne pepper or chilli powder to add that extra kick.
- Diet: Vegan
