Roasted pepper salad with cucumber and herbs

This is a take on Tunisian mechouia, a grilled vegetable salad to which we’ve added fresh cucumber and herbs. You can eat this warm or at room temperature, as a starter or side. It also works well spooned into a sandwich, with plenty of peppery arugula and a good glug of olive oil. A special shout-out to Paula Wolfert and her beautifully informative book The Food of Morocco, which makes a sneaky appearance in this photo.

Great

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

1. Preheat the oven to 475°F.

Step 2

2. In a large bowl, toss together both peppers, the tomatoes, onions, chile, garlic, 4 tablespoons of oil, ¾ teaspoon of salt, and a good grind of pepper. Spread out on two large, parchment-lined baking sheets and roast for about 30 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking, until the vegetables are softened and charred.

Step 3

3. Once cool enough to handle, coarsely chop the vegetables into a chunky mash and transfer to a bowl along with the lemon juice, herbs, ½ teaspoon of salt, and a good grind of pepper.

Step 4

4. In a separate, medium bowl, toss the cucumber with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and a grind of pepper.

Step 5

5. Spread the roasted pepper mixture on a plate. Spoon the cucumber over the top and sprinkle with the chile.

Step 6

Make it your own:

Step 7

– Keep this kid-friendly by eliminating or decreasing the amount of chile.

Step 8

– Swap out the cucumber for another crunchy veg, such as celery or kohlrabi.