Roasted red peppers are one of the easiest and most adaptable ingredients you can have in your picnic arsenal.
They keep well, travel well and work well with so many dishes. They’re also delicious, are so good for you and come in a myriad of colours if you want to stray from classic red to brighten any picnic dish.
Whether you decide on the classic roasted red pepper or like to mix it up with some other sweet pepper varieties and colours, you’ll find roasted peppers brighten up so many picnic recipes you’ll always want to have some on hand.
When we think about the best picnic menu tips, robust vegetables for salads that travel well and platters always get a mention. Peppers, whether raw, roasted or grilled certainly earn their place in any hamper or picnic backpack.
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How to Include Grilled Peppers in Your Picnic Menu
The ways you can incorporate grilled and roasted peppers into picnic menus are endless.
- Eat them stand-alone or as a side, especially the baby roasted sweet peppers which come in a bright array of colours. Simply drizzle with olive oil or even add a dash of balsamic.
- Incorporate into a Mediterranean style mezze platter with olives, bread or focaccia and some robust dips like baba ganoush and hummus.
- Slice them into salads. They are a robust addition to any salad especially make-ahead salads.
- They are a great accompaniment to main dish salads like our broccoli potato salad or spiced pumpkin quinoa salad.
- Sprinkle with olive oil, oregano, lemon and feta for a Greek-inspired roast pepper salad.
- Add them to sandwiches or use as a hamburger topping.
- They are great chopped through quiches, vegetable tarts and frittata’s
- Make them into a dip of their own such as a roast pepper hummus.
- Serve them as a side to grilled meats or whip up a simple roast pepper sauce. – Great with steak and marinated chicken dishes.
Can I Grill Peppers Instead of Roasting?
You sure can. Grilled peppers are pretty much the same as roasted peppers only cooked over a flame or under a broiler. Grilling peppers is sometimes faster than roasting and done over coals gives you an extra smokiness. Some people also prefer to leave the skins on grilled peppers, especially when grilling on a bbq.
Do I Have to Remove the Skin on Grilled and Roasted Peppers?
Removing the skin from roasted or grilled peppers is entirely a personal choice. I prefer to remove the skins unless I am grilling or roasting baby sweet peppers and serving them whole, then I leave the skins on as the skins are quite thin. Also, some coloured peppers tend not to peel as well such as green and yellow peppers.
Sometimes when grilling, the skins will be very charred so it is best to remove. If making a roast pepper hummus or roast pepper sauce, removing skins will give a smoother finish.
We give tips on how to easily remove skins in the recipe below.
How to Store Roasted Peppers
Roasted peppers are ready to use as soon they are cooked and skinned. However, if you have roasted up a batch, you can store the leftovers to use whenever you need them. Allow your peppers to cool before either storage method.
Storing Fresh Peppers in Olive Oil
To keep fresh peppers in the fridge:
- Place the peppers in a jar or container with a tight-fitting lid.
- Pour olive oil over the peppers so they are completely covered.
- For maximum freshness make sure they are always submerged in oil.
Peppers stored in oil will impart their flavours in the oil which can be used to make salad dressing – no waste.
Roasted peppers will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for about a week. Stored in oil – around 2 weeks.
Freezing Roasted Peppers
For longer storage, you can freeze your roasted peppers.
Lay them on a baking sheet/paper to freeze individually before transferring to a ziplock bag or freezer container so they don’t all freeze in one clump. Or just store them in individual servings in ziplock bags.
Roasted peppers will keep well in the freezer for up to a year. They will be safe to eat beyond this but will not be at their best.
How to Make Roasted Red Peppers Recipe
Roasted peppers are a great addition to so many fabulous picnic recipes such as antipasto and cheese platters, salads, sandwiches, tarts and quiches, the list is endless. And with so many varieties of sweet peppers, you don't have to stick to red peppers.
Ingredients
- Red bell peppers (or whichever variety or colour of sweet pepper you like)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
Instructions
Oven Roasting Method
I use this method more often than not as it is easy and you can roast loads of peppers at once. I also like to use lots of different colours and varieties.
- Preheat oven to around 400 ℉ | 205 ℃
- Arrange whole or halved peppers (skin side up) on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a little kosher salt. I prefer to leave mine whole as the stem and seeded core pop out very easily once cooked. (I also add garlic cloves. More on that in the notes)
- Allow peppers to roast for approximately half an hour or until soft. You may wish to tun the peppers midway to ensure an even blistering of the skin. The peppers will look collapsed and soft, and the skins should have a sweaty, blistered appearance.
- Remove from the oven. Pop the stem and seeds out if whole.
- Peel the skins. (use the soak or steam method in notes below if the skins are not peeling away easily).
- Place in a container or serving bowl and pour over any of the juices left in the pan. The peppers will continue to release more liquid as they cool.
Grill Method
You can grill peppers on either a gas bbq, gas stove stop or even under your oven's broiler. All methods will achieve the same result except peppers cooked over coals do have a smokier flavour.
- Heat the gas top, gas grill or oven's broiler, medium to hot. If using coals, allow the flame to die down so you can cook closely over the hot coals. (Note: If you cook the peppers under the broiler, drop the rack down a bit away from the element so the peppers can soften without burning. If the peppers char before they soften, they can be hard to peel).
- You can core and halve the peppers to cook flat. You can also leave the pepper whole continuously turning for even cooking and blistering of the skin. The stem and seeds pop right out once cooked. Cooking whole is also best for smaller peppers.
- Drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of kosher salt.
- Place the peppers on the grill or over the coals, skin-side down — skin side up if using a broiler.
- Cook for around 15 - 20 minutes until the flesh is tender and the skin is blistering. It may also blacken in parts.
- Peel the skin off the peppers. If cooked properly, it should just slip off. If not, use the same soaking or steaming method below as for roasted peppers. If using baby peppers, leave the skin on as it will be thin.
- Place in a dish and drizzle the peppers with a little olive oil and allow their natural juices to release.
Notes
Tips for Peeling Roasted Peppers
If you find the skins are not peeling away easily even though the pepper is nice and soft, either of the following methods can help.
Peel Peppers in Water
Pop the peppers in a bath of water and peel them in the water. The water will help lift the skins and make them easier to handle if they are still hot. Don't do it under running water as this will wash away a lot of the good roasting taste.
Steaming Peppers
Another way is to steam the peppers after cooking.
Pile the peppers on a flat surface – a cutting board or even leave in the baking tray, and invert a large bowl over the top of them. The bowl will trap the steam from the hot peppers and allow them to soften a bit more and lift the skins.
You can also place peppers in the bowl and cover with cling wrap or a tea towel.
Leave for about 15 minutes. Placing the peppers in a closed bag will have the same result.
Throw in Some Roast Garlic
When roasting peppers in the oven, I also like to throw in some unpeeled cloves of garlic. They will enhance the flavour of the peppers, and roasted garlic is great for so many other dishes such as my broccoli and potato salad dressing or even spreading on bread or barbequed meats.
Keep the Peppers Juices
If roasting, the peppers will release a lot of juice and will continue to do so once left to cool after cooking. Leave the peppers sitting in this juice as it will be very flavoursome. It is also lovely drizzled over a salad or even for dipping crusty bread in.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 25Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 97mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 0g
Nutrition data provided here is only an estimate
Essential Tips for Picnic Perfection