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Impress your taste buds with this Roasted Pepper Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette. It's a fresh, colorful dish, bursting with sweet & smoky flavors.
Have you ever tried Roasted Pepper?
If not, you really have to!
Better yet, you need to try this Roasted Pepper Salad.
I absolutely love fresh bell peppers...
and I add them in salads often. Each color has a slightly different flavor and sweetness. The yellow pepper is my favorite of all, because of its fruity-like taste. I could seriously eat it like an apple. Is that weird?
However, when these colorful little gems are roasted, the flavors are taken to another level of deliciousness. They emerge out of the oven with soft flesh, and a sweet, tangy, and smoky flavor. They are far superior to jarred roasted peppers and well worth the effort.
Roasted Pepper is delicious on its own, marinated, lightly seasoned, or you can make a satisfying and mouth-watering meal with these Santa Fe Roasted Stuffed Peppers. They are really something to marvel over.
How do I roast bell peppers?
How do I roast bell peppers?It's fairly simple to roast peppers. It takes some time, but I promise, it'll be worth it! The hardest part is waiting for them to roast. Other than that, they're really easy to prepare. I prefer to roast them whole and deseed them after, to keep them from drying out. Plus, I can fit more on the baking sheet this way.
I usually roast them under the broiler, because it's quicker, and the peppers really get charred. The charring infuses them with a deep smoky flavor, and roasting them enhances the sweetness of the peppers. There are many ways to roast peppers to perfection. I found an informative guide with helpful tips and step-by-step photos here. It's really helpful if you've never roasted them before.
Here's what you'll need to do:
You won't need anything fancy to get started, just some kitchen basics such as aluminum foil, baking sheet, oven mitt, tongs, large bowl, and of course, the yummy PEPPERS!
Look how easy it is:
~ Turn on your broiler
~ Place whole peppers on a lined baking sheet
~ Broil until the skins start to blister and blacken
~ Rotate peppers every five minutes until all sides are charred.
~ Place peppers on a cutting board and cover with a large bowl to steam them, about 15 minutes.
~ Remove the stems, seeds, and charred skin.
Voila! It's THAT easy!
Let's make things even better
Roasted peppers are delicious on their own, but adding some seasonings make them even more delectable. Now, if you want to take it to the max, add salty kalamata olives, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, fresh-cut basil, tangy tofu feta, buttery pine nuts, and spicy chile pepper flakes. Sounds like a lot, but I promise, it's DELISH!
You can serve this as an appetizer or side dish, and pair it with a glass of wine or crusty bread. It's a real crowd-pleaser, and great to bring to a potluck or picnic, too. It will disappear fast so make sure you get in there. Don't be shy!
Alright, are you guys ready for this? Let's get roastin'!
I’d love to hear from you
If you make this Roasted Pepper Salad, I’d love to get your feedback. You can leave a comment below and let me know what you think. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don’t miss it.
Roasted Pepper Salad
Ingredients
- ½ block extra firm tofu, pressed & crumbled into small bite-sized pieces (*see note)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 6 large bell peppers, a combination of red, yellow, orange or green
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano, divided
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon crushed red chile pepper (optional)
- ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped (more for garnish)
- ⅓ cup kalamata olives, pitted
- ¼ cup pine nuts
Instructions
Tofu Feta:
- In a medium bowl, add 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ½ teaspoon oregano, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, salt and pepper, to taste. Add pressed and crumbled tofu and gently toss to coat. Place uncovered in fridge to marinate.
Peppers:
- Position oven rack to the highest position and turn on the broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place whole peppers on the sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Broil in the oven until skin starts to blister and blacken. Using tongs, rotate peppers a quarter turn until all sides are charred, about 5 minutes each side. The peppers should be slightly collapsed and soft. The whole process should take about 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and place peppers on a cutting board. Cover peppers with a large bowl or pot to steam them, about 15 minutes.
- While peppers are steaming, prepare the dressing. In a large bowl, add the remaining olive oil, balsamic vinegar, remaining dried oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine.
- When peppers are cool enough to handle, slice them vertically, and spread them open to make a long strip. Remove the stem and seeds. Flip the pepper over and remove charred skin. It should peel off easily.
- Cut peppers into ¾-inch strips and place them in the bowl of dressing. Add fresh-cut basil and toss to coat. Taste for seasoning and add more as needed.
- At this point, you can decide to serve the peppers right away and top with pine nuts, olives and tofu feta, OR you can let the peppers marinate in their dressing for an hour or more. Just cover and place in the fridge after tossing. Add the toppings when you are ready to serve. Enjoy!
Linda
This was light and delicious. Only thing I did differently was placed it on rice so I could turn it into a full meal. Thanks for sharing.
Melissa Huggins
Thank you, Linda! So happy you liked it. Also, I appreciate you making so many of my recipes. Makes me happy! 🙂
Irene
I made this for a summer BBQ and it was amazing! I've never roasted peppers before - thanks for the great instructions!!
Melissa Huggins
Yay! I'm glad you liked them! This is one of my favorite summer recipes! Thank you for giving it a try! 🙂
Stephanie
I made this yesterday as part of our Thanksgiving dinner. Evefryone loved it. It is flavorful and colorful! Thanks for sharing it with us!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Stephanie, so happy to hear this! Thank you for sharing your feedback 🙂
Cap'n Dave
I saw a package of baby bells at Trader Joe's today and thought that this would make for wonderful roasting peppers...and like an idiot, I got distracted and didn't get them. That may well have to change! I'm also thinking of roasting them with zucchini and yellow squash, maybe some criminis and purple onion, and making the salad with risotto...so many ways this could be made! And I never thought of de-seeding them afterward - good idea! Thanks for the inspiration!
Melissa Huggins
Hi there, I love baby bells! I haven't seen them around, so I guess I'll be making a trips to Trader Joe's. I love your idea of roasting them along with squash, mushrooms and onions. That just has to be good! Thank you for the inspiration too! Have a great weekend! 🙂
Hauke Fox
Wow, this is indeed super easy to prep!! Love the colours too. It's spring, I'm ready for salads! 😀
Melissa Huggins
I'm so ready for salad season too! Thank you for stopping by. 🙂
Manju | Cooking Curries
Now thats a salad I can get behind! Looks delicious!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Manju, thank you for stopping by. Have a great weekend! 🙂
Agness of Run Agness Run
This is quite a colorful salad, Melissa! Loved the recipe!
Uma
Roasted pepper salad sounds very delicious:) flavorful and colorful!
Melissa Huggins
Thank you, Uma! It's my favorite 🙂
Linda from Veganosity
Yum, I love roasted peppers. This is such a beautiful salad.
Melissa Huggins
Thank you, Linda! I made this today again. My favorite spring/summer recipe 🙂
Kelly @ Trial and Eater
Such a colorful dish! I know peppers are the star of this recipe but the olives sold me!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Kelly, I'm a big olive fan too! They just had to go in 🙂
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
O that sounds so good! I LOVE roasted peppers! So much flavor!
Melissa Huggins
Thank you, Rebecca! Have a great weekend! 🙂