While many fall dishes include pumpkin and squash, today we’ve got a little twist for you. A spicy pepita dip recipe to warm you up! Pepitas – aka a variety of pumpkin seeds – are an often overlooked ingredient. I know for myself I usually just sprinkle them on salads or us them as more of a garnish. But Kacey from House of Perez is here today to show us how to take this simple seed to the next level.
Spicy Pepita Dip // serves 6-8
- 2-3 chiles
- 1 yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup pepitas
- 2 tomatillos
- 1 bunch mint
- 1 small bunch cilantro
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ lime, juiced
- 1 tbsp honey
- salt to taste
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Rinse and dry the chiles. Remove the stems and shake out the seeds.
- Peel the onion and cut into quarters.
- Spread the chiles, onion quarters, pepitas and garlic onto a baking sheet and dry roast for 10-15 minutes. Rotate the onions and chiles halfway through the roasting time and give the pepitas a shake. After the ingredients have roasted, set them aside to cool.
- Once the chiles have cooled, scrape out the remaining seeds. Peel the roasted garlic and core the tomatillos. Add all of the ingredients into a food processor or blender.
- Blend all of the ingredients together until completely smooth. Slowly add a little water if needed.
- Add salt to taste and serve the pumpkin seed dip with bread, crackers or tortilla chips.
Chef’s Notes: Start with one roasted chile if a less spicy dip is desired. If more acid is needed to create more of a bite, juice the other half of the lime and add it to the dip. More honey can also be added for more sweet and spicy balance!
I love how festive this dip looks with all the garnish on top! Here, Kacey added chopped cilantro, whole pepitas, and some pomegranate seeds for color. I love experimenting with different toppings to a dip, and find that adding something with a bit of crunch – and of course fresh herbs – always goes a long way. Can’t wait to try this out for the upcoming holidays!
