Roast Capsicum Dip

Roast capsicum dip is a quick and easy recipe that is perfect as a party starter. Using homemade roasted capsicums combined with simple ingredients this dip comes together in no time. Requiring minimal effort yet delivering maximum flavour this dip will be the talk of the town and everyone will ask you for your roasted capsicum dip recipe!

Recipes like the Chive and Onion Cream Cheese, Honey Pecan Cream Cheese and Honey Walnut Cream Cheese are all quick dips that use cream cheese.

The Roasted Capsicums or Air Fryer Roasted Red Peppers or a store bought variety are what we use to make this specific dip.

🤍 Recipe Highlights

I have summarised everything that you will come to know and love (LOVE ❤) about the recipe in the points below:

• Back to basics: this is an easy dip to make. We throw everything into the food processor and give it a blitz to combine. Taking inspiration from muhammara which is a Syrian dip recipe we create a tasty, textured full body dip with a little Mediterranean fragrance about it.
• Simple ingredients: whilst these are not so much 'everyday ingredients', they are all simple and easy to find at the local shops. The cream cheese has the shortest shelf life, usually a block will have an expiry date that is within one month of the purchase. This is something to keep an eye on if you are trying to be super prepared in advance for an occasion.
• Spread or dip: sometimes you want to spread something on some crackers or freshly toasted bread but not have it be plain old softened cream cheese. Through the use of roasted capsicum, cream cheese, firm feta, nuts and basil we create a deliciously textured kind of dip.
• No bake: assuming you have already prepared or bought your roast capsicums then you are on easy breezy street to popping this into a bowl and throwing some chips on a plate to go with it.
• Perfect party starter: use your air fryer to cook some crostini or pita chips, some crispy bread chips and pair them with this red capsicum dip as a tasty combo sure to thrill the eaters!

🥗 Ingredients

The photo below is to show you everything you need to make the roasted capsicum dip recipe. Please refer to the printable recipe card for specific ingredient measurements as well as detailed instructions.

As you can see the recipe calls for:

• Garlic powder: an excellent pantry staple and easy way to use garlic that doesn't require peeling skins and chopping or mincing.
• Onion powder: as above and a complimentary pairing that goes with the garlic flavor. These are so handy to have in your spice draw so that you can whip them out anytime they are needed.
• Pistachios: a robust nut that are great to use in pestos and dips. They offer colour, texture and crunch. We need roasted, salted pistachios.
• Basil: you can really taste this vibrant fresh herb when eating the dip! It offers such a great healthy zingyness to the flavor combination.
• Feta cheese: firm and salty this is a fantastic cheese to pair with the sweet juicy roast capsicums.
• Cream cheese: is it even a dip if it doesn't have cream cheese in it, haha! Of course, but it does really help to create a thick paste that is perfectly 'dip worthy'.
• Roasted capsicums: these bring the colour, the texture and some of the taste to the recipe. They are flavorsome when roasted as the process helps to release their sweet juicy flavour. I use my Roasted Capsicums recipe and then make the dip later that day or the next.

Tasty Tip: I like to provide you with a number of substitutions and variations giving you an array of options when making my recipes. If in doubt of any of the above ingredients, or wanting alternatives, read this section (further below) before jumping into the instructions on how to make the recipe which are coming next 😉👌.

🍳 Instructions

Here are the step by step instructions to make the recipe. We start by blitzing the nuts.

• Blitz pistachios (Photo 1)
• Add cream cheese (Photo 2)
• Add feta (Photo 3)
• Then add garlic powder (Photo 4)

👩‍🍳 How to Make Roast Capscium Dip

Start to make the dip by adding the pistachio nuts to the food processor bowl and giving them a blitz to crush.

Once crushed add the cream cheese, feta cheese and garlic powder.

• Add onion powder (Photo 5)
• Then add roast capsicum (Photo 6)
• Add the basil leaves (Photo 7)
• Blitz to combine (Photo 8)

🌶 Easy Capsicum Dip

Next you want to add the onion powder and then place the roasted capsicum slices on top.

Finally add the basil leaves and blitz the food processor until the ingredients have combined. You can see this step and what it will look like in the photo above. Remove the lid and use a spatula to push the ingredients back down then give it another blitz to combine.

Once done, you can again remove the lid from the food processor and use the spatula, this time to transfer the dip into a serving bowl.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

Chips, crackers, pita chips, crostini, bread chips all of these will work for being dipped, dolloped or spread with your pepper dip.

One thing to keep in mind is that if you are using super thin chips they can bread off mid dip (oh no!!). So you are best then providing a small cheese knife so that the dip can be scooped and spread.

The texture of the dip is thick and paste like which works to allow it to be dolloped easily.

If you want to spread it on toasted bread, that will pair nicely also.

👍 How to Guide

How to Store

You can store the dip in a bowl with cling wrap over the top or in an airtight container in the fridge. It can be kept for 3-4 days. When serving again, allow it to sit on the bench for a couple of minutes as it will firm up in the fridge and if you try and serve it straight away, people will again break their chip in it.

How to Reheat

This dip is best served cold. There is no 'baking' of it involved (unless you roast the bell peppers yourself) and it won't need to be heated or reheated.

How to Freeze

This dip is not suitable to freeze.

You can however, as a means to be organised purchase and freeze the pita bread if you are going for that option and then thaw and bake them when ready to entertain if you want a solution to not having chips or crackers in the pantry.

😉 Substitutions and Variations

Here are my sub ins and outs that you might be thinking about as you read the post and I will tell you if I think they will work or why they won't:

• You can use roasted salted cashews in place of the pistachio nuts if you wish too.
• You can use store bought chargrilled capsicum if you don't want (no time) to make your own. You will need to drain them and discard the oil or use some sheets of paper towel to pat them dry. This way you are not adding excess oil or moisture to the dip.
• You can use either Italian basil or Thai basil, both will work well.
• In place of the feta cheese you can use ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese or pecorino romano cheese.
• If you want to add some dried herbs or spices, paprika, cayenne pepper and or chilli flakes are your go to with this flavour combination. I would not add more than ½ teaspoon of any of them.

💡 Tasty Tips

Here are my top tips and tricks that I want to share with you so that you master the recipe from the get go:

• Start by blitzing (roughly chopping) the pistachios in the food processor on their own. If we try and do it all at once they will mix in with the dip but not get chopped up into pieces.
• Before adding the feta cheese to the food processor, break the block into smaller pieces.
• As above, before adding the cream cheese, use a butter knife and chop it into pieces so that the food processor is balanced with even ingredients.
• It does help to scrape down the food processor after an initial blitz. Then with a 2nd blitz, you will find that everything comes together quite nicely.

🤓 Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best dip for bell peppers?

Bell peppers work well with a number of dips. Try cottage cheese, peanut butter, olive dip or salsa.

What is capsicum dip?

Caqpsicum dip is made from a combination of roasted capsicums, cream cheese, feta cheese, pistachio nuts, dried spices and fresh basil leaves.

What is Capsicum called in Australia?

Bell peppers is the name for what Australians call capsicum.

😍 More Easy Dip Recipes

Getting the party started with some good food can be the best way to kick things off. These dips will all help start the party!

• Cream Cheese Pepper Jelly
• Green Olive Dip
• Spinach Cob Loaf
• Gherkin Dip
• Black Olive Dip
• Kalamata Olive Dip

It is time to get your dip on my friend! You can also find all of my dips and spreads recipes in the one spot.

Adrianne

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