Charred broccolini with muhammara

Servings

Ingredients

225 g broccolini trimmed
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and black pepper
30 g toasted sliced almonds or roughly chopped walnuts

Muhammara (makes about 1 cup)

125 g store bought roasted capsicums/bell peppers (preferably fire roasted)
60 g cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
4 scallions, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon red chili/pepper flakes
2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses
3 teaspoons lemon juice (from about ½ small lemon)
60 ml extra virgin olive oil

Substitutions

Walnuts: almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds
Broccolini: broccoli, cauliflower

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cut each broccolini stem in half so that they are not as long. If you have any stems that are super thick, slice the stem in half so it cooks evenly.
Heat a large skillet (frying pan) on medium high. When hot, add a drizzle of olive oil and add the broccolini. Season with sea salt and black pepper and cook for 6-7 minutes, turning every minute or so, until the broccolini stems are just tender and some of it is charred.
To make the muhammara, place the roasted capsicums/bell peppers, walnuts, scallions, garlic, cumin, sea salt, red chili/pepper flakes, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice and olive oil into a blender or food processor and puree until completely smooth.
To serve, spread the muhammara onto a large plate and top with the broccolini. Scatter over the almonds or walnuts, and serve.

Notes

There are many ways to adapt this dish. If you are looking to make it heartier, you could add some legumes such as lentils or chickpeas, a grain like farro, pearl barley or quinoa, and top with some cheese such as ricotta, torn burrata or feta. Some flat bread or sourdough would be nice to mop up the vibrant dip.