How to make sweet bell pepper (peperonata) salad

Name: Sweet pepper salad (Perperonata) with croutons
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 red bell peppers; 2 yellow bell peppers; 2 plum tomatoes; 1/3 C olive oil; 3 garlic cloves (peeled and whole); 1 red onion (very finely chopped); 2 Bay leaves; 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar; 1/2 tsp kosher salt; 1/2 tsp sugar; 1 Tbsp capers in vinegar (drained (optional)); Handful of cherry tomatoes; Small bunch of fresh basil; 4 balls of fresh buffalo mozzarella (halved); Salt and pepper (to taste); Arugula leaves; handful of pine nuts toasted; 1/2 loaf French Baguette (sliced and cubed); 2 tbsp olive oil; 1/2 tsp kosher salt

This is a new recipe that I tried and I loved it! I am sharing how to make sweet bell pepper (peperonata) salad from Flavors of Summer cookbook. This is what it should look like but I didn’t have all the ingredients on hand. It still turned out AMAZING!

Italian Peperonata is a rustic Southern Italian dish of stewed bell peppers, tomatoes, onions and garlic served at room temperature. I didn’t have any buffalo mozzarella on hand so I used parmesan.

Sweet bell pepper salad ingredients

First you quarter 2 red bell peppers and 2 yellow peppers and remove the stalk, seeds and white pith. Then you slice into thin strips about 1/2 wide.

Second, take 2 plum tomatoes (I used one large tomato that I had on hand) quarter it, remove seeds and chop the flesh into small cubes.

Fry 3 whole garlic cloves in oil until golden. Remove from pan and set aside. Add thinly sliced red onion and cook until translucent.

I may have a few onion slices a little to thick…it does not need to be perfect!

Then add in the the sliced peppers, 2 bay leaves and fried garlic. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or so until the peppers are soft but still holding shape.

Remove the lid and add chopped tomatoes, red wine vinegar, sea salt, sugar. Cook for another 10 minutes. The recipe called for capers but I didn’t have any. At this point add in handful of sweet cherry tomatoes. Take the pan off the heat. The hot peppers will soften the cherry tomatoes as it sits to cool.

Once cool add in toasted pine nuts, small bunch of fresh basil and salt and pepper to taste. This dish reminded me so much of eating in Italy on our last trip. Lots of olive oil and fresh ingredients!

Here is another one of my favorite salad recipes

Croutons

I had half of a French baguette leftover and I cut it into small chunks. Then I fried the bread cubes in olive oil and sprinkled them with kosher salt.

I love big crunchy croutons.

How to serve sweet pepper (perperonata) salad

Serve this sweet pepper salad by placing arugula lettuce in a bowl and layer the peppers on top. Top with croutons, pine nuts and parmesan shavings.

The recipe calls for Buffalo mozzarella but I didn’t have any so I used some shaved parmesan.

oops! I forgot to take a photo with the croutons and pine nuts on the salad. I love this bowl that I bought while traveling on the island of Capri in Italy. It is so beautiful there and the lemons grown as big as grapefruit there!

Flavors of Summer Cookbook

This is the cookbook I bought on Amazon and I am super impressed with the recipes. I will be sharing more of the recipes that I will be trying out in the coming weeks.

Recipe

Sweet pepper salad (Perperonata) with croutons

Sauteed peppers, onlons, garlic and tomatoes served over a bed of arugula and topped with big croutons and cheese.

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Keyword sweet pepper salad, Warm salad

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Servings 6 people

Calories 250kcal

Cost 5

Equipment

frying pan
chopping board
knife

Ingredients

2 red bell peppers
2 yellow bell peppers
2 plum tomatoes
1/3 C olive oil
3 garlic cloves peeled and whole
1 red onion very finely chopped
2 Bay leaves
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp capers in vinegar drained (optional)
Handful of cherry tomatoes
Small bunch of fresh basil
4 balls of fresh buffalo mozzarella halved
Salt and pepper to taste
Arugula leaves
handful of pine nuts toasted

Croutons

1/2 loaf French Baguette sliced and cubed
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

Quarter the bell peppers and remove the stalk, seeds and any of the white pith. Slice them into think strips about 1/2"wide. Quarter the tomatoes, remove the seeds and chop into small cubes.
Heat frying pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and garlic. Fry the garlic on both sides until golden brown, then remove from pan, set aside. Add the red onion and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent. Add the peppers, fried garlic and bay leaves. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or so until the peppers are soft but still holding their shape.
Remove lid and add diced tomatoes, vinegar, salt and sugar. Cook uncovered for 10 min. Then add drained capers (if using) and cherry tomatoes and take off heat. The heat from the pan will soften the cherry tomatoes.
Leave to cool, then add basil and season with salt and pepper.
Place arugula in a large bowl, top with peppers, croutons, fresh basil and toasted pine nuts.

Croutons

Slice French baguette into 1" cubes and pan fry in oil until golden on each side. Sprinkle with kosher salt. You can add some fresh herbs like rosemary or basil.

Karins Kottage

Welcome to Karins Kottage! There is always something fun going on! You would think after becoming an empty nester couple that our nest would be very quiet and empty but our Kottage nest is usually more full than what we started out with! You might find me hosting a birthday party or graduation party and a baby shower on the same weekend or a big outdoor get together with 25 of our friends and family in the backyard or maybe I might be in the kitchen trying out a new recipe for my hubby and I to grill on the BBQ for a quiet night for the two of us. I am passionate about entertaining and setting a beautiful table! I may or may not have an addiction to cloth napkins and fun salad plates oh and goblets too! I think I will always have a home decorating DIY project in the works as long as my hubby is on board with me haha. We have painted A LOT in the 6 homes we have owned in the 35 years that we have been married as well as re-done multiple pieces of furniture, added wall and ceiling treatments, replaced lights, bathroom fixtures and even tiled floors! I have sewn what seems like a million window treatments for our home as well as for family, made slipcovers, and duvets and even a formal dress or two!

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