Roasted Pepper Salad with Feta, Pine Nuts & Basil
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Take your summer gatherings to the next level with this colorful, make-ahead roasted red pepper salad—perfect alongside your favorite grilled dishes.
Next time you’re asked to bring a veggie or salad to a summer gathering or cookout, consider these sweet and smoky bell peppers. Tossed with tangy feta, toasted pine nuts, fresh basil, and briny olives, this salad not only looks stunning on a platter but also pairs wonderfully with toasted pita bread, grilled lamb burgers, lamb kofta, or chicken kabobs. A special thanks to Linda Grimes, a South Lake Tahoe restaurateur and one of my wonderful readers, for sharing this delicious recipe.
What You’ll Need To Make Roasted Pepper Salad With Feta, Pine Nuts & Basil
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by placing the pepper halves face-down on a foil-lined baking sheet.
Broil until blackened and charred all over.
Place the cooked peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. This steams the peppers and makes them much easier to peel.
Once the peppers are cool, the skin will peel right off. Cut the peeled roasted peppers into slices.
Combine the peppers with the olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, basil, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper.
Toss to combine, then refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.
Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a small skillet to enhance their flavor. Keep a close eye on them so they don’t burn.
Transfer the salad to a serving bowl or platter and top with feta, olives and toasted pine nuts.
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Roasted Pepper Salad with Feta, Pine Nuts & Basil
Take your summer gatherings to the next level with this colorful, make-ahead roasted red pepper salad—perfect alongside your favorite grilled dishes.
Ingredients
- 4 bell peppers (any combination of red, yellow or orange), halved, seeded and cored
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, divided
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- 2 ounces (a scant ½ cup) crumbled Feta
- ⅓ cup pitted kalamata olives
Instructions
- Set an oven rack in the top position and preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the pepper halves on the prepared baking sheet and broil for 5-10 minutes, rotating the pan once, until well charred. Remove the peppers from the oven and place in a bowl; cover tightly with plastic wrap (so they steam) and let cool until luke warm.
- Peel the skin from the peppers (do not rinse under water) and cut into ¾-inch strips. Place back in the bowl; add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, 2 tablespoons of the basil, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper. Refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.
- Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 4 minutes. Immediately transfer the nuts to a small bowl to stop the cooking process. (Pay close attention: they go from perfectly golden to burnt quickly.)
- Transfer the marinated peppers to a serving dish and top with the feta, olives, toasted pine nuts and remaining tablespoon basil (do not toss). Garnish with whole basil leaves if desired.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 194
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated fat: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 11g
- Sugar: 7g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 4g
- Sodium: 673mg
- Cholesterol: 13mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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This looks so good! Can you suggest recipe pairings for a late winter dinner ie. now?
Hi Cathy, I think this salad would be delicious with my Parmesan Crusted Chicken or Chicken Piccata.
Superb!
This was delicious! I made it over the 4th of July for a family picnic (doubling the recipe) and everyone loved it! There were a few people that put it on grilled chicken sandwiches and they said it was even better.
How far in advance can I broil and slice the peppers before marinating? By the way love your cookbook!! Congrats!
I think a day or two should be fine. Enjoy!
I have made this twice in two weeks….since I first came upon the recipe and it’s delicious. Left out the pine nuts cause I didn’t have any but still great. Served it at a large family gathering and everyone loved it.
Yuumy! I also added about 15 grape tomatoes cut in half. Delicious and a bit different from my same old green salad!
Made this salad on the weekend and it was fantastic…..everybody loved it. Didn’t have any pine nuts so just left them out but didn’t miss them. This one’s going on my summer BBQ menu for sure.
This dish is outstanding. I love serving it as an appetizer with bread or over pasta as a main dish. I have given the recipe to several friends as they all love it!
This is one of my favorite recipes. I make this all year round. The only change I make is I don’t always have fresh basil. I prefer fresh but I grow my own and in winter that is not really an option. It does take time to make but well worth it!
This is one of my favorite recipes! My sister introduced me to it and I have made it many times since. Where I live, it is sometimes difficult to find fresh basil, so I’ve started using the basil paste in a tube. It keeps for a lot longer than fresh basil and adds almost the same flavor.
This salad is amazing and well worth the small amount of time it takes to roast and skin the peppers. Everyone in my family loves it! I love how you can taste every ingredient in this and all of Jenn’s recipes.
Super easy and delicious! Only thing was the time letting it sit in the fridge. I’m kind of a whip something together at the last minute type of girl so I actually had to plan this ahead. But it has so many wonderful flavors that it’s worth that extra time to make it. Will try preparing it the night before next time so I can just worry about what to make along side it.
This is one of my favorite recipes on Once Upon a Chef! A favorite at potlucks! I used fresh oregano (because I had it in hand) and I always add extra feta and olives because I’m a fan of both, but the recipe is perfect as-is
This was excellent and just as good the next day.
This salad looks absolutely amazing. My mom is allergic to pine nuts. Can I use a different nut that would be just as flavorful? Thanks!
Definitely, Christine. I think walnuts would work really well here.
Loved this salad, Jenn. I made it with some grilled chicken and steak, and my low carb family members loved it. Filling and so flavorful!
I made this salad and my husband really liked it and I made it again a few days later. It was good the day after as well with a good bread.
I made this for the first time to take to a picnic where foodies would be there! It was a big hit. It was easy to make and everyone loved this. I would totally recommend this.
This is a lovely salad for any time of year.
I roasted the peppers myself which I think makes a big difference. I followed the recipe with one exception. I used Parmesan chards in place of the feta.
This recipe was great. I took this to a picnic. I did find that folks who usually do not eat vegetables, ate this vegetable.
It was easy to do the peppers. I did cook them a bit longer under my broiler! But great recipe.
This was amazing…easy enough that we made it while on our beach vacation and even the kids loved it!
I made this for the first time and my family loved it! I did not have any pine nuts but it was very flavourful. Love the colours and presentation.
Hi Jenn, love your recipes and plan to make this for serving with a pork tenderloin. We are going to have our first cold snap that will end the last few garden plants. Hubby will be pulling the plants and harvesting all of the peppers, so this is perfect timing. Is there a nut other than pine nuts that you would suggest? They are just not a favorite in our house. Thanks, Jan
Hi Jan, I think walnuts would work beautifully here. Enjoy!
Thanks for the quick response Jenn. The kitchen is now overflowing with peppers, so not a minute too soon. Sorry you are not next door….I would hang a bag on your fence post which is what we do for neighbors in the country!
I was having last minute dinner guests so I grabbed a jar of roasted peppers from the pantry and followed Jenn’s instructions. I had all the ingredients on hand and let them marinate for two hours before serving. The blend of favors from the feta, toasted pine nuts, red wine vinegar, and basil were delicious. I used the leftovers on our salads the next day. Delicious!
I made this for a summer get together and it was the hit of the meal.
Do you have a trick to keeping bright color in the peppers? I have made this twice and have not been able to get the briliant color of the peppers in your photos.
Hi Brian, glad the dish was a hit! I think the lighting in my pictures may enhance the color of the peppers as I don’t do anything special to them to maintain the color.
This is a fantastic salad. It is very colourful. I have a fussy husband so I served the feta and olives in the side. It truly is a special dish. That said, I roasted a few extra peppers because they can have burn marks on them once the skin is removed. This is particularly true with yellow peppers. Red seemed to work best but it really is pretty with red, orange and yellow. I used twice as many red peppers as others. The ingredients for this salad are expensive and it takes time to make but it is well worth it. I’ve made it three times. It is a keeper.
This is a family favorite! It comes out perfect every time. It also travels well and have I brought it to several BBQ’s over the summer and everyone loves it and asks for recipe.
It looks so good. I”m having friends over for brunch,,,,Hot chicken salad.
Would this be a good side? Can it be fixed the day before?
Sure, I think it would pair nicely with the chicken, and yes, you can prepare it a day in advance and refrigerate it.
Just tried this for my evening meal as I get fed up with the usual salads; being a veggie. It was delicious. Will definitely be having this again. I had bulgar wheat/veg stock with lemon juice and tomatoes and cucumbers combined on the side. Very nice, thank you.
Beautiful and delicious!
the BEST, I can’t make this often enough, wonderful flavors.
Safety warning to those using the Willams Sonoma glass bowls like the one shown in the recipe. When I was adding the hot peppers the bowl exploded. I am so lucky it didn’t get in my face! I can’t wait to try the salad I’m sure it’s another winner. Need to get new peppers!
Wow Kerrie, so glad you’re okay and you didn’t get injured!! Thanks for the warning and I hope you enjoy the peppers when you finally get to taste them!
I was shocked that the bowls weren’t tempered, it all ended well. I finally made the salad this week, it was incredible! I love veggie salads that aren’t lettuce based. Keep posting more like it! Thanks for all your hard work with this site, I thoroughly enjoy the recipes. I often use three to four of your recipes a week!
This dish looks as good as it tastes!
The whole family loved this salad. I’m definitely making it again.
Best tasting salad ever! My husband loves roasted peppers so I make them for him but we get bored with the same old same. This is the answer to our monotony- I used green olives because we don’t like the kalmata’s but the flavors were to die for- I’m eating for breakfast and my husband took in his lunch (although he doesn’t know it yet). Thank you for the simple ingredients for a fantastic flare. Note: I only have “leftovers because I doubled the batch and left half in the fridge at dinner. I probably more than doubled it but who’s counting? Thanks again-
Love this! Beautiful, delicious, not a lot of work, and SO nutritious – makes it a “perfect” dish, IMHO.
I’ve even turned it into an entree salad for a hot summer night by adding cooked pasta (and increasing the dressing a bit.) It’s a winner every time!
Oops – forgot to rate it when I reviewed it:
FIVE STARS for sure!
Thanks so much for this amazing recpe. I love salads and need to get back into shape.
i know with this salad i can, I love that its roasted and pine nuts and basil in it that isnt like a pesto. You did amazing job and the feta oh its gives the best taste to this salad.
WOW!!! Easy-peasy and a wonderfully delightful summer salad! I followed the recipe as is (something unusual for me!! lol) and it was scrumptious. I had to double the recipe due to the number of people I was serving and aside from the time it took to remove the skins from so many peppers, it was so, so easy. Flavors were wonderful and the crunch of the roasted pine nuts was a fun surprise. Will most definitely make this many times over!!
Could you substitute regular black olives with the Greek olives?? Just would wonder if the taste would mix well together, as my family and I don’t like the taste of Greek olives.
Absolutely!
I made this dish over the weekend and it was excellent! I will definitely be adding this to my list of “go to” items to make for guests (and myself!). As a note, it’s important to use a GOOD feta cheese – that is the one thing I would do differently next time, as I felt the brand that I used did not have a lot of flavour.
It’s my second time making this, so delicious 🙂
We have something similar in Europe, but simple. Just oil, vinegar, salt. Ah and most of the people prefer to keep the bell peppers a whole.
I prefer yours a lot more !! And my partner (Japanese) as well 🙂
Thank you for your inspiring blog!
Ildi
Hi Jenn,
I made this 2 weeks ago and it was delicious! I want to make it again for a large group with grilled beef tenderloin (have any good recipes?) and grilled salmon. My question is I had to broil them almost 20 minutes to get the skin black, should the peppers be quite soft or still have a little firmness? Also, I would like to serve another make ahead salad, do you have a suggestion from your website?
Thanks, Mary
Hi Mary, So glad you enjoyed it! Sometimes broilers are finicky…if my oven gets too hot, my broiler turns off intermittently, which can increase cooking time. Don’t worry too much about the cook time; just cook them until they are blackened enough to peel. The peppers should be quite soft by the time they steam after broiling. As for another salad, I’d go with my fresh corn salad with basil — it will be delicious with everything else on the menu. Here’s a link: https://www.onceuponachef.com/2012/05/fresh-corn-salad-with-scallions-and-basil.html
This salad was excellent. I made 8 peppers for 6 people, and it was all gone. People were scrounging around the bottom of the owl for an extra bite! Best of all was the methodology for roasting the peppers. I used to hold them individually above the flame and char them all around, which was so time-consuming that I usually avoided recipes that required it. But this one -cut in half and under the broiler, into a bowl with plastic wrap till cool- worked perfectly and took about 15 minutes to do 8 of them. This recipe is a keeper.
Made this recipe for my sorority year end gathering…the women loved it…excellent party dish…
I am doing your chicken curry for a small dinner party. Would you suggest the appropriate salad to go along! Love your black bean salad and also the roasted pepper salad with feta, but I am not sure either is quite right.
Just discovered your site, baked the molten chocolate cakes today and I am thrilled. Hope to hear from you.
Thank you
Niels mandoe
Hi Niels, So glad you’re enjoying the recipes! I’d probably go with more of a green salad, like one of these:
https://www.onceuponachef.com/2009/09/mesclun-salad-with-goat-cheese-mapleglazed-pecans-maple-dijon-vinaigrette.html
https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/roasted-beet-salad-with-goat-cheese-walnuts-honey-dijon-vinaigrette.html
https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/baby-spinach-with-fresh-berries-pecans-goat-cheese-in-raspberry-vinaigrette.html
Thank you for your suggestion on salad. I’ll try that combination.
Niels
Niels – which chicken curry recipe have you tried? Thanks! I’m in search for The Perfect Chicken Curry!
Hi Ann, I think Niels used this recipe from my blog. (Niels, feel free to weigh in if I’m wrong 🙂
This is scrumptious! Have prepared it twice and guests can’t get enough of it. It has become a summer go-to salad for me but I’m torn because the Black Bean & Corn w/Chipotle-Honey Vinaigrette has been the one!
You read my mind! Need a new side dish for steaks next weekend & this will be delicious. A restaurant near us serves a roasted red pepper puree soup with feta…wondering if I could turn leftovers into something similar?
Hi Jill, Definitely, I think that would work!
This is Summer on a Plate! Easy,flavorful! We ate it with homemade soup, but Im thinking a platter of this next to a grilled steak for Fathers Day….or paired with a roast chicken and a crusty loaf of good bread!! Another five star!!!!!!!!!!!
We are just organizing an office pot luck so guess what I am making. This looks delicious.
How many inches from TOP of peppers to broiler coil in an electric stove, and about how long should they broil. Trying to avoid mushy peppers. Yours look great!
Hi Carol, I’d place the oven rack in the top position so the top of the peppers are just a few inches from the heating element.
This recipe was stunning, fun to make, pretty to look at and delicious to eat! A colorful dish that looked beautiful to serve. I was so upset when I realized I forgot to add the pine nuts, but no one knew the difference as it was perfect! Adding them tonight with the leftovers!