Salad with Roasted Peppers and Tomatoes [vegetarian]

This salad is all about the wonderful combination of ingredients: tasty tomatoes with sweet roasted peppers, salty anchovies, slightly acidic capers, crunchy pine nuts and fragrant basil. I prefer to finish it off just before serving as I don’t like when the tomatoes go soft from being covered by dressing for too long. But a lot can be prepared much earlier to ease the pressure in case the salad is to be served for guests. The peppers can be roasted, peeled and cut even a day earlier and all the ingredients can be arranged on a serving plate a couple hours before serving so you only have to prepare the dressing.

This delicious, summery salad is an ideal solution, if you are looking for an accompaniment to your grilled or roasted meat for gathering with family or friends but it will also suit a salad buffet very well.

INGREDIENTS (4 portions, if served with other dishes):

3 red peppers,

3 tomatoes (I used raspberry and black tomatoes),

3 anchovies, drained and chopped,

1 tbsp drained capers,

1 tbsp pine nuts,

1 garlic clove, thinly sliced,

Dressing:

3 tbsp olive oil,

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar,

1 tsp lemon juice,

a few basil leaves, chopped,

salt and pepper.

METHOD:

1. Preheat grill in an oven.
2. Cut the peppers in half, remove stalks and seeds, cut in half lengthways again and arrange the quarters skin side up on a baking tray; put under the hot grill till the skin chars (this will take approx. 10-15 min. but check frequently as required time depends on a grill).
3. Put the charred peppers to a bowl, cover with cling film and leave to cool.
4. Peel the peppers and cut them into strips.
5. Cut the tomatoes into bite-size portions.
6. In a big bowl arrange the tomatoes, peppers, sprinkle with anchovies, capers, pine nuts and garlic.
7. Mix all the dressing ingredients until combined and pour over the salad, season.
8. Stir the salad before serving.