Guest Recipe: Alissa Timoshkina's Smoky Carrot and Red Pepper Cream Cheese
A must-have side dish for your bank holiday gathering. {v, nf, gf}
Perfect for sharing and made for laid-back gatherings, this Smoky Carrot and Red Pepper Cream Cheese is a vibrant, crowd-pleasing spread that’s just right for the bank holiday weekend.
In Kapusta, Alissa Timoshkina offers a fresh take on Eastern European flavours, and this recipe is no exception—creamy, smoky, and full of depth. Serve it with rye, pita, or Turkish pide, which Alissa notes is closest to the traditional Romani bread known as bodag. However you scoop it, this dip is guaranteed to be the centrepiece of your spread.
You can follow Alissa over on her Instagram for a feed full of delicious recipes and foodie inspiration.
SMOKY CARROT & RED PEPPER CREAM CHEESE
{v, nf, gf}
SERVES: 6 - 8
THE INGREDIENTS
olive oil, for frying
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 red (bell) pepper, thinly sliced
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1 heaped teaspoon smoked paprika
250g (9oz) full-fat cream cheese (or 125g/41/2oz feta and 125g/41/2oz cream cheese)
salt, to taste
THE METHOD
Heat a drizzle of oil in a frying pan and fry the onion, pepper and carrots with a pinch of salt over a medium heat for 25–30 minutes until they start to caramelise. Take off the heat and mix in the paprika. Let it cool down a little.
Transfer the vegetables to a food processor with the cream cheese.
You can use a hand blender and a tall narrow jar for this, too. Blend until smooth, then adjust the seasoning to your liking. If the mixture is too runny, place it in the fridge for a few hours to firm up before serving.
Abbreviations:
v- Vegetarian, pb - Plant based, gf - Gluten Free, nf - Nut free, df - Dairy free.
Credit: Kapusta by Alissa Timoshkina (Quadrille, £28) Photography by Laura Edwards. Author headshot credit - Lizzie Mayson
