Summer Recipe: Roasted Pepper Salad

Bell peppers are such a flavorful, fresh and vitamin-rich vegetable that they should be on the menu as much as possible. This Summer Recipe is great for a side dish for grilled meat or for fish and adds cheerful color to any table with low calories, good fats, lots of vitamins and last but not least – great taste.

Summer Recipe: Roasted Pepper Salad

Roasted pepper salad recipe

Image via: Italian Food For Ever

Summer Recipe: Roasted Pepper Salad

Ingredients

10-12 large bell peppers (use red, yellow and orange for a colorful dish)

Salt and pepper

1 clove garlic

1 to 2 teaspoons quality balsamic vinegar

Extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup small olives, rinsed (optional)

1 tablespoon capers, rinsed (optional)

Basil leaves, for garnish

Add olives or feta cheese for a little twist

Image via: Martha Stewart

Directions

You can roast the peppers directly on a grill or on the burner of a gas stove, but also in an oven. To grill them or roast them on a burner, just place them directly over high heat and as soon as a side gets black and a little puffy, turn them over using tongs. If you choose to roast them in an oven, just place them on a baking pan (lining it is recommended to prevent too much mess) and broil them, watching out to turn them as soon as a side becomes charred. Whichever way you choose, a good tip to peel them easily is to place them into a bowl as soon as they are done and still hot. Seal the bowl using plastic wrap and let the peppers sit for about 10 minutes, until they are cool enough to handle, but don’t let them cool completely. Now you should be able to simply peel them effortlessly. While peeling them, remove the stems, ribs and seeds also.

Slice the prepared peppers into 1 inch thick strips and place them into a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss carefully to combine.

Crush the garlic to make a paste (use a little salt to help) and add it to the bowl. Add capers and vinegar.

Drizzle generously with the extra virgin olive oil and toss the ingredients again so everything gets well combined.  Serve at room temperature after adding olives and basil for garnish.

Roasted peppers keep well in a glass container when they are covered in olive oil in the refrigerator. Make this easy Summer Recipe for a late summer BBQ party for everyone to enjoy. Make sure to use only high quality vinegar, oil and olives, since the best ingredients are essential for a salad to taste great and fresh.