This is a must-make Roasted Red Pepper and Cucumber Salad, especially in the summer when peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes are overflowing in the farmer’s markets.
Sweet, and robust flavored tomatoes are best when treated in a simple manner. Red peppers sweeten and intensify in flavor when they are caramelized in the oven, and fully ripened cucumbers are typically perfect left just the way they are. If you’re working with an English cucumber, which is typically thinner skinned and has fewer seeds than a conventional cucumber, a simple peel and slice is all that is needed to retain its crisp, fresh flavor. With a no-cook approach, tossing all these perfect summer vegetables with a light dressing and some fresh herbs allows the flavors of summer to shine.
I’ve finished this salad off with some thick shaves of parmigiano reggiano cheese, slivers of fresh basil, and lots of Umbria nut & spice mix for a touch of almond crunch and aleppo pepper heat. This is a fresh and tangy salad with nice crunch and can be served as a side dish or a full meal.
Of course you could always top this Roasted Red Pepper and Cucumber Salad with some swirls of thinly sliced prosciutto, an Italian dry-cured ham, to make it a beautiful main dish.
And finally, if you want to give this same salad recipe a Greek twist, you could replace the parmigiano reggiano with feta and instead top it with fresh torn mint leaves and our Glory Kitchen Cairo nut & spice mix… this might be my next salad to make. Enjoy!
1 cup pickled red onions (recipe ingredients above)
3 teaspoons olive oil
3 teaspoons brine from pickled onions
4-6 fresh basil leaves, julienned
parmigiano reggiano cheese, small block
Instructions
for the pickled onions:
Using a small saucepan, combine the apple vinegar, sugar, and salt. Bring to a low boil and then reduce the heat, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve. Remove from heat and allow the brine to cool a bit. In a bowl, pour the cooled brine over the thinly sliced red onions and set them aside to marinate & pickle for about ½ hour to 1 hour.
for the salad:
Slice each red bell pepper in half, lay them on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, sea salt and Umbria nut & spice mix. Place into a pre-heated 400° oven and roast them until they are tender and browned. Remove from oven, cool and then slice each pepper. Set aside. For this recipe I used about 20 mini peppers (red, orange and yellow) instead of large red bell peppers.
Peel the English cucumber just a bit (see photo) and then slice in half, lengthwise. Cut the halves into half rounds (bite sized pieces) and set aside.
Slice each small tomato in half and set aside.
Slice each kalamata olive in half and set aside.
Using a large mixing bowl, add roasted red peppers, sliced cucumbers, sliced tomatoes, sliced olives, pickled red onions, olive oil, 3 teaspoons of pickling brine, 2 heaping teaspoons of Umbria nut & spice mix, and the julienned basil. Gently mix together to combine.
Place the salad onto a large serving platter or onto 4 individual serving plates. Garnish with Umbria nut & spice mix, fresh basil and thick shaves of parmigiana reggiano cheese. Serve immediately.
ROASTED RED PEPPER AND CUCUMBER SALAD
This is a must-make Roasted Red Pepper and Cucumber Salad, especially in the summer when peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes are overflowing in the farmer’s markets.
Sweet, and robust flavored tomatoes are best when treated in a simple manner. Red peppers sweeten and intensify in flavor when they are caramelized in the oven, and fully ripened cucumbers are typically perfect left just the way they are. If you’re working with an English cucumber, which is typically thinner skinned and has fewer seeds than a conventional cucumber, a simple peel and slice is all that is needed to retain its crisp, fresh flavor. With a no-cook approach, tossing all these perfect summer vegetables with a light dressing and some fresh herbs allows the flavors of summer to shine.
I’ve finished this salad off with some thick shaves of parmigiano reggiano cheese, slivers of fresh basil, and lots of Umbria nut & spice mix for a touch of almond crunch and aleppo pepper heat. This is a fresh and tangy salad with nice crunch and can be served as a side dish or a full meal.
Of course you could always top this Roasted Red Pepper and Cucumber Salad with some swirls of thinly sliced prosciutto, an Italian dry-cured ham, to make it a beautiful main dish.
And finally, if you want to give this same salad recipe a Greek twist, you could replace the parmigiano reggiano with feta and instead top it with fresh torn mint leaves and our Glory Kitchen Cairo nut & spice mix… this might be my next salad to make. Enjoy!
Margie Bruner
owner of Glory Kitchen
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serves about 4
Ingredients
Instructions