Roasted Red Pepper Salad

Oval platter with Roasted Capsicum (Red Pepper) Salad, with some serving utensils on the side.

This easy to prepare Roasted Red Pepper Salad is always a crowd pleaser. You will love the vibrant, fresh flavoured Mediterranean ingredients and the red, green and white colours reminiscent of the Italian flag. The peppers sit on a bed of rocket leaves with bocconcini, toasted pine nuts and pitted Kalamata olives. A flavoursome dressing of blended basil leaves, lemon juice, sea salt and extra virgin olive oil is drizzled over the top. There is flavour upon flavour; so delicious!

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine Mediterranean

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 20

Servings people

Calories 324kcal

Author Alexandra Cook - It's Not Complicated Recipes

Ingredients

For the Salad:

3 large red capsicums/bell peppers - roasted and cut into thin strips See Note 1
3 cups rocket/arugula leaves
150 g (5.3 oz) cherry bocconcini – thinly sliced
½ cup Kalamata olives - pitted and cut in half
⅓ cup pine nuts/pignoli
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste See Note 2

For the Basil Oil:

1 cup fresh basil leaves - firmly packed
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil See Note 3
2 teaspoon lemon juice - or to taste
sea salt - to taste

Instructions

Roasting the Red Peppers/Capsicums:

Follow this step if you'd like to roast your own peppers, or use store bought and skip to the salad assembly.
Preheat your oven to 220 Degrees C (430 F).
Line a baking tray with foil.
Place the peppers/capsicums on the tray.
Roast for approximately 50-60 minutes, turning the peppers every 20 minutes using tongs.
Remove from the oven, and place in a bowl. Cover for five minutes with a towel or cling film.
Uncover, and allow the peppers to cool slightly – until you're able to touch the peppers and remove the skin. Peel the skin from the peppers, and discard.
Remove the stem, and discard.
Slice the peppers in half, removing any remaining seeds.
Slice the peppers into thin strips.

Assembling the Salad:

In a dry pan, toast the pine nuts until a light golden brown. Remove from the pan so they don’t continue to cook and burn. Set them aside to cool for a few minutes.
Add the basil, lemon juice, salt and extra virgin olive oil to a small blender or food processor. Blend until combined.
On a large platter, place the rocket. Top with the peppers, bocconcini, olives and pine nuts. Drizzle with the basil oil and serve.

Notes

Capsicums/bell peppers: I use my method for Roasted Capsicums, but you can also use store bought if you prefer.
Seasoning: adjust the seasoning to your liking – we recommend using freshly ground black pepper and sea salt flakes for the best flavour.
Tablespoon: we use a standard Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml (4 teaspoons).
Storage: the salad is best if served while still slightly warm or at room temperature. At fridge temperature the flavours will be dulled by the cold. If you need to refrigerate it for a time, remove about 20 minutes before serving. Store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to two days. However, the rocket will wilt and lose its fresh colour and the pine nuts lose their crispness.

Nutrition