Pillowy, crispy gnocchi pairs so beautifully with Muhammara, a Middle Eastern roasted red pepper dip with bright, vibrant flavors! Serve as a starter or side, as an entree, or a salad or wrap! (soy-free with gluten-free option)
I have been craving textures lately and this vibrant meal packs textures and flavors and nutrients all in one meal! The outrageously delicious red pepper walnut dip paired with crispy gnocchi and veggies, is topped with a zesty walnut pepper lemon crumble, so each bite bursts with flavor and texture.
For this amazing meal we’re making a Muhammara bean dip. Muhammara is this Middle Eastern dip made with roasted bell pepper and walnuts. It’s creamy and delicious and so flavorful. It’s sweet and tart and filled with umami.
I’m adding some beans to the dip to make it part of a meal. Then, we top it with some gnocchi that has been baked in the oven along with some veggies and spices, so it becomes crispy on the outside. We also bake some of the beans with the gnocchi, so the beans get crispy as well.
Then, we make a quick lemony walnut crumble with roasted walnuts and lemon zest. These components pair really well together and allow you to serve the meal in various different formats.
You can spread the dip on a plate and top it with the crispy gnocchi and veggies and the walnut crumble. Or, make wraps with the dip and the crispy gnocchi. You can also mix the dip with the crispy gnocchi to make something like a potato salad but a crispy gnocchi salad version. Add some crisp veggies to it, and it becomes super delicious.
Why You’ll Love Crispy Gnocchi with Muhammara Bean Dip
- bursting with amazing Middle Eastern flavors!
- crispy gnocchi, beans, and cauliflower bake up on 1 sheet pan
- make the super easy muhammara bean dip in the food processor while the veggies bake
- versatile! Serve plated or as a salad, wrap, starter, or side dish
- naturally soy-free with easy gluten-free option
More Middle Eastern-Inspired Recipes
For the Muhammara Bean Dip
- 12 ounces roasted red bell peppers, or 2 large roasted red bell peppers
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper flakes, or more, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or more, to taste
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses, or 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, or more, to taste
- 1 cup white beans, such as cannellini, northern, or navy beans, or chickpeas, or 1 cup cooked white beans or chickpeas
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
For the Walnut Lemon Crumble
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Roast the walnuts.
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Roast the walnuts by adding them to a small skillet over medium-low heat. Roast until they start to smell nutty, about 3 to 5 minutes, depending on your pan and your stove. Stir every minute or so. Once the walnuts start to smell nutty, switch off the heat. They will continue to roast in the remnant heat of the pan while you prepare the other ingredients.
Roast the gnocchi, beans, and cauliflower.
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Preheat the oven to 410° F (210° C). Drizzle a little oil on a baking sheet and spread it around. Add the gnocchi, beans, and cauliflower to the baking sheet. You can also add everything to a bowl, drizzle with oil, and toss well to coat before transferring to the baking sheet.
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In a small bowl mix all the crispy gnocchi spices together really well. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the gnocchi, beans, and cauliflower and use a spatula or clean hands to toss well so everything is evenly coated with the oil and spices. Spread the mixture in an even layer on the baking sheet, so there is not too much overlapping.
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Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, then check the gnocchi and cauliflower and move them around with a spatula, so that they cook evenly. If the cauliflower florets are larger, keep them toward the outer edges of the pan so they brown more on the edges. Continue baking for another 5 to 10 minutes, depending on your oven, the brand of gnocchi, and the texture you prefer. You want the outside of the gnocchi to be crisp, the beans to become slightly crunchy, and the cauliflower cooked to preference. If you bake too long, the gnocchi will become hard, so keep an eye on it as it bakes. Remove the pan from the oven and set aside.
Meanwhile, make the Muhammara dip and walnut crumble.
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Reserve 2 tablespoons of the roasted walnuts for the crumble topping. Add the remaining walnuts to a food processor and process until they form a coarse meal. Add the garlic and process again, so the garlic gets chopped into smaller pieces. Add the roasted red bell pepper, the beans, the spices, olive oil, lemon juice, and the pomegranate molasses. Process until the mixture is somewhat smooth but still has some texture from the walnuts. Taste and adjust the flavor. Add more salt, lemon juice, heat, or spices if needed. Set the dip aside.
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Chop the reserved walnuts until chopped small. Add the lemon zest, salt, and pepper flakes and mix well. Set aside.
Serve how you like!
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To serve as a plate, spread the Muhammara bean dip on a serving plate. Top with the crispy gnocchi, cauliflower, and bean mixture. Sprinkle the walnut crumble and fresh chopped herbs on top and add a squeeze of lemon juice or serve with lemon slices on the side. It can be eaten as is, because the crispy gnocchi acts as a carrier for the dip. You can also serve it with garlic bread or pita bread.
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To make a creamy gnocchi salad, chop onion, red bell pepper, cucumber, and/or tomato and add to a bowl. Add the gnocchi mixture and a good helping of the bean dip. Add a few teaspoons of lemon juice and toss well to coat. For a creamier salad mix in 2 to 3 tablespoons non-dairy yogurt. Taste and adjust the flavor and serve immediately.
Gnocchi:
If using mini or gluten free gnocchi, put it on a separate baking sheet to bake as these will get done sooner than the veggies.
Crispy gnocchi Muhammara is naturally soy-free. It can be gluten-free if you use gluten-free gnocchi or you can use more beans instead.
Spice blend substitutions: I use baharat or shawarma spice blends, which are Middle Eastern blends and really delicious, but if you don’t have them you can use harissa spice blend, garam masala, or another spice blend of choice.
Calories: 535kcal, Carbohydrates: 71g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Sodium: 687mg, Potassium: 793mg, Fiber: 11g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 775IU, Vitamin C: 67mg, Calcium: 164mg, Iron: 9mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients
- walnuts – Roasted walnuts add flavor and texture to the dip. You also reserve some of the walnuts to make a crunchy, lemony topping.
- roasted red bell peppers – Adds a ton of flavor to the muhammara bean dip! You can use jarred or homemade.
- garlic – To flavor the bean dip.
- ground spices – The bean dip uses ground cumin, pepper flakes, and salt. For the gnocchi, we are using more cumin plus paprika, onion powder, black pepper, and baharat, ras el hanout, or shawarma spice blend. You can use other spice blends, like garam masala, harissa, or blend of choice, if you don’t have the Middle Eastern spice blends available.
- pomegranate molasses – If you can find this, it adds a great flavor to the bean dip! If you can’t, use maple syrup instead.
- lemon – You’ll use lemon juice in the bean dip and the lemon zest in the walnut crumble. Add even more lemon juice as a topping or serve with lemon slices.
- white beans – Use your choice of white beans or chickpeas, canned or homemade. You’ll use 1/2 cup from the can on the sheet pan with the gnocchi and use the remaining 1 cup in the dip.
- extra virgin olive oil – Adds richness to the dip and helps the gnocchi, beans, and cauliflower brown in the oven.
- gnocchi – Choose gluten-free gnocchi, if needed.
- cauliflower – For roasting. You can use other veggies of choice, if you prefer.
- garnishes – Garnish with fresh basil, mint, cilantro, and/or parsley plus some lemon juice and pepper flakes.
💡Tips
- The walnuts keep roasting in the pan after you remove the pan from the heat, so you don’t need them to be fully roasted when you take them off of the stove.
- This recipe uses 1 can of beans or 1 1/2 cups cooked beans. We are just dividing the can, using part in the dip and roasting some of the beans in the oven for a crunchy texture.
- Keep checking the gnocchi during the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking time, as you don’t want them to overcook and become too hard.
How to Make Crispy Gnocchi with Muhammara Bean Dip
Roast the walnuts by adding them to a small skillet over medium-low heat. Roast until they start to smell nutty, about 3 to 5 minutes, depending on your pan and your stove. Stir every minute or so. Once the walnuts start to smell nutty, switch off the heat. They will continue to roast in the remnant heat of the pan while you prepare the other ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 410° F (210° C). Drizzle a little oil on a baking sheet and spread it around. Add the gnocchi, beans, and cauliflower to the baking sheet. You can also add everything to a bowl, drizzle with oil, and toss well to coat before transferring to the baking sheet.
In a small bowl mix all the crispy gnocchi spices together really well. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the gnocchi, beans, and cauliflower and use a spatula or clean hands to toss well so everything is evenly coated with the oil and spices. Spread the mixture in an even layer on the baking sheet, so there is not too much overlapping.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, then check the gnocchi and cauliflower and move them around with a spatula, so that they cook evenly. If the cauliflower florets are larger, keep them toward the outer edges of the pan so they brown more on the edges. Continue baking for another 5 to 10 minutes, depending on your oven, the brand of gnocchi, and the texture you prefer. You want the outside of the gnocchi to be crisp, the beans to become slightly crunchy, and the cauliflower cooked to preference. If you bake too long, the gnocchi will become hard, so keep an eye on it as it bakes. Remove the pan from the oven and set aside.
Reserve 2 tablespoons of the roasted walnuts for the crumble topping. Add the remaining walnuts to a food processor and process until they form a coarse meal. Add the garlic and process again, so the garlic gets chopped into smaller pieces.
Add the roasted red bell pepper, the beans, the spices, olive oil, lemon juice, and the pomegranate molasses. Process until the mixture is somewhat smooth but still has some texture from the walnuts. Taste and adjust the flavor. Add more salt, lemon juice, heat, or spices if needed. Set the dip aside.
Chop the reserved walnuts until chopped small. Add the lemon zest, salt, and pepper flakes and mix well. Set aside.
To serve as a plate, spread the Muhammara bean dip on a serving plate. Top with the crispy gnocchi, cauliflower, and bean mixture.
Sprinkle the walnut crumble and fresh chopped herbs on top and add a squeeze of lemon juice or serve with lemon slices on the side. It can be eaten as is, because the crispy gnocchi acts as a carrier for the dip. You can also serve it with garlic bread or pita bread.
To make a creamy gnocchi salad, chop onion, red bell pepper, cucumber, and/or tomato and add to a bowl. Add the gnocchi mixture and a good helping of the bean dip.
Add a few teaspoons of lemon juice and toss well to coat. For a creamier salad mix in 2 to 3 tablespoons non-dairy yogurt. Taste and adjust the flavor and serve immediately.
What to Serve with Crispy Gnocchi Muhammara
You can spread the dip on a plate and top it with the crispy gnocchi and veggies and the walnut crumble. Or, make wraps with the dip and the crispy gnocchi. You can also mix the dip with the crispy gnocchi to make something like a potato salad but a crispy gnocchi salad version. Add some crisp veggies to it, and it becomes super delicious.
Frequently Asked Questions
Crispy gnocchi Muhammara is naturally soy-free. It can be gluten-free if you use gluten-free gnocchi or you can use more beans instead.
I use baharat or shawarma spice blends, which are Middle Eastern blends and really delicious, but if you don’t have them you can use harissa spice blend, garam masala, or another spice blend of choice.
