Roasted Red Pepper & Cauliflower Dip Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Weeknight Cooking

by: Ella Quittner

October27,2018

4.4

16 Ratings

  • Prep time 5 minutes
  • Cook time 30 minutes
  • Serves 6 to 10 as a dip, or 1 when used in various ways for a week

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Author Notes

I became well-acquainted with this roasted red pepper and cauliflower dip during a foray into the world of Whole30. It's equal parts creamy and perky, with a welcome tang from lemon and a little kick in the pants from cayenne. I love it just as much as the centerpiece of a crudités platter as I do spread beneath a crispy roasted chicken thigh, or dolloped over a salad. Of note, it's a big hit amongst the non-Whole30 crowd as well—it pairs nicely with pretzel crisps, pita chips, and griddled, buttered bread. Garnishing this dip is half the fun. My current favorites are finely chopped chives, toasted pepitas, olive oil, and flaky salt, but it's tough to go wrong with any herbs, nuts, or seeds. —Ella Quittner

Test Kitchen Notes

Featured in: A Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Dip That Was There For Me When I Needed It Most. —The Editors

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • 6 cupschopped cauliflower (in roughly large bite-sized florets), stalks included (about 1 small head of cauliflower, minus the green core part)
  • 2 red bell peppers, with seeds and stems removed, quartered
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1/4 cupolive oil, plus more as needed and for drizzling to serve
  • 2 teaspoonskosher salt, plus a big pinch, plus more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoonwhite pepper, plus more to taste (you can substitute black or rainbow if you prefer)
  • 2 tablespoonsfresh-squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
  • 1/3 cuptahini, well stirred
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper
  • 3 tablespoonswater, room temp
  • 1 handful finely chopped herbs, toasted seeds, and/or crushed nuts to serve (optional)
Directions
  1. Heat oven to 450°F. Toss cauliflower, peppers, and garlic together with olive oil, salt, and pepper on a sheet-pan, and spread out into an even layer. Roast in oven for about 30 minutes, stirring once midway through, until the cauliflower is tender enough that you can squash a floret easily with the tines of a fork. Let cool for a few minutes.
  2. In a food processor, combine roasted cauliflower, peppers, and garlic (scrape in any browned bits from the bottom of the pan!) with lemon juice, tahini, cayenne, and a big pinch of salt. Blend to combine until it’s fully hom*ogeneous, scraping down sides with a spatula midway through, about 3 minutes. Add the water, and blend for another couple of minutes, until it’s smooth and light. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, and lemon juice as needed.
  3. To serve, transfer to a bowl and make a dramatic swooshy pattern on top. Drizzle with your favorite toppings. (Store for up to a week, covered, in the refrigerator.)

Tags:

  • Sauce
  • Condiment/Spread
  • Dip
  • American
  • Olive Oil
  • Cauliflower
  • Lemon Juice
  • Garlic
  • Bell Pepper
  • Sesame
  • Weeknight Cooking
  • Entertaining

Popular on Food52

19 Reviews

Adam C. September 22, 2021

Very excellent and fast. You'd swear there was cream cheese or sour cream in it, but it's just the loveliness of the tahini. It makes a ton.

Adam C. September 22, 2021

And I didn't use any olive oil besides a tiny bit when roasting the veggies, and it still tasted great.

So S. January 6, 2021

Yummmmm

CT December 24, 2020

Can you use packaged cauliflower rice?

CT January 3, 2020

This dip is awesome!!!! It tastes like healthier pimento cheese!!

judy October 4, 2019

I am now in a very small kitchen, with only a stove and toaster oven. That being said, this recipe went together very well. I Halved the cauliflower and roasted red pepper due to kitchen space. But left all of the rest of the ingredients as is. Needed only about 3 Tbsp olive oil to round the whole tank out. VERY tasty and a delight for our veggie sticks. Thanks for a delightful healthy light dinner idea.

Jared K. September 24, 2019

Delicious, very easy to make, and quite healthy!! Might add some more garlic next time!

Ella Q. September 24, 2019

Hi Jared,

So happy to hear you enjoyed it!

Ella

Solveig M. March 25, 2019

This is just soooo good! Do you think this freezes well? I see no reasons why not?

Ella Q. March 25, 2019

I'm so glad you like it. I haven't tried freezing it, but I suspect it could work—let me know if you try it!

Erin E. January 25, 2019

yum. A wonderful combo of flavors. Packs a great fiber punch! Other things to do with tahini other than make hummus. Thanks Ella (from fellow Mill Valley-ite)

Ella Q. January 26, 2019

Hi fellow Mill Valley-ite Erin! 👋

So glad you enjoyed!

Parmela January 24, 2019

Ella, this was delicious, thanks for sharing!
We have been gradually reducing olive oil quantities in our recipes over the past six years and did so with this recipe. By using only one tablespoon, we reduced the overall calories by 390, the roasted veggie flavors still came through beautifully thanks to your suggestion of scraping browned bits from the pan. I did line my pan with tin foil since oil quantities were reduced but next time I'll try roasting without. Thanks again Ella!

Ella Q. January 24, 2019

Thanks so much for letting me know! So glad you enjoyed the recipe. :)

Kimberly H. January 20, 2019

This dip is absolutely delicious. The recipe is not only versatile, it is so nutritious! I am so happy to have tried this. I will definitely make this again and again.

Ella Q. January 20, 2019

Hi Kimberly, I'm so pleased to hear it! Thanks for the note.

DIANA January 18, 2019

To Paula: cucumbers, watermelon radishes, radicchio, fennel, orange and purple carrots.
To E

DIANA January 18, 2019

To Ella: thank you for sharing. This recipe is perfect for our family!

Ella Q. January 20, 2019

So happy to hear you enjoyed it, Diana! :)

Roasted Red Pepper & Cauliflower Dip Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

Why is my roasted red pepper sauce bitter? ›

This sauce can easily become bitter if the peppers are bitter. So make sure to taste the peppers before making the sauce. The bitter taste will become concentrated along with the sauce, so it will really not taste well!

What to do with roasted red peppers reddit? ›

Roasted red peppers go well in so many things.
  1. Use with feta and kalamata olives(for salads, for dips, for sandwiches, for pitas, for pizza toppings, in pasta).
  2. Use in hummus.
  3. Use in pesto.
Jun 19, 2022

What spice takes away bitterness? ›

Spices mask bitter flavors, so don't be shy. Add some spicy peppers or powders to your cooking, or sprinkle some onto your dishes for a little bit of extra heat. Black pepper in particular has compounds that counteract bitterness. Some other great spices include cayenne, red pepper, paprika, and chili powder.

Why do crushed red peppers hurt my stomach? ›

Capsaicin and Your Stomach

Capsaicin can irritate the lining of your stomach and intestines. Some people can handle the minor irritation just fine but for more sensitive stomachs, it can lead to diarrhea.

Are roasted red peppers anti inflammatory? ›

Anti-inflammatory properties: Roasted peppers contain antioxidants and other compounds that have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. This can help reduce inflammation in the body, which is linked to several chronic diseases.

Do you have to peel the skin off roasted red peppers? ›

Some say don't. It's a waste of time, and it discards important nutrients others claim a peeled bell pepper or tomato tastes better. I find peeling releases the flavor faster and improves the taste in most sauces and, facilitates digestion. Peeling isn't all that difficult.

How long can you keep a jar of roasted red peppers? ›

Jarred roasted red peppers, once opened, tend to last 2-3 weeks in the fridge. Be sure to keep whatever they're submerged in (likely olive oil) above the peppers. Unopened and kept in a cool, dark place (like a pantry), purchased pickled items will last years.

How do you get the bitterness out of red sauce? ›

Add Some Baking Soda

If your tomato sauce is too acidic and verging on bitter, turn to baking soda, not sugar. Yes, sugar might make the sauce taste better, but good old baking soda is an alkaline that will help balance the excess acid. A little pinch should do the trick.

How do you make pepper sauce less bitter? ›

You'll need to add a lot more sugar or possibly vinegar to offset this. The flavor of certain fruits play well with chilies including stone fruits and mango. And, anecdotally at least, are know to counteract the bitter effect of the capsaicin. Or you could use a milder chili.

Why is my pepper sauce bitter? ›

Peppers with significant white pith can also make a sauce taste bitter. To remove this bitterness, it can be helpful to remove the seeds and pith before fermenting. Otherwise, it might be necessary to strain the sauce later on to remove some of the seedy grit.

How do you cut the bitterness out of pepper sauce? ›

Sugar should help with the bitterness, but it should be added at the end of the sauce making process... otherwise the lacto-bacteria will metabolize it and it'll all go to acid. You don't have to add granulated sugar either... you could add a sweet fruit at the end too. It's a cooked sauce, no fermenting going on.

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