How to Roast Red Peppers

Only in the past year have I discovered these red little beauties. Growing up, I thought I didn't like vegetables (besides maybe broccoli). It still isn't my favorite food group, but I am slowly finding more & more vegetables that I can eat.

I used to think that red bell peppers were spicy (it's a pepper, after all!), but at the encouragement of my mom I finally tried one. It was nothing like how I imagined it! It's one of the very few vegetables I will eat raw- I like it dipped in things, in salad, etc., but my FAVORITE way to eat it is roasted. It makes it so sweet, smoky, and delicious!

I add these to fajitas, pasta salads, burritos, eggs, and my new favorite- roasted red pepper hummus. I don't know how these compare to the kind you can buy in a jar (because I've never bought those), but I like that with these ones, you can make whatever amount you need, there are no preservatives, and they're super fresh. They keep for at least a few days in the fridge, or you could freeze them. Enough talking, now on to the directions. :)

1. Rinse & dry pepper(s), cut off most of the stem.


2. Line a metal baking sheet with foil, lay the pepper on its side on the pan.


3. Move the oven rack to its highest slot and turn broiler to high (or on). Put baking sheet in oven.


4. Watch closely. Remove from oven when top side is blackened (mine took 7 minutes), flip to the next side, and put back under broiler.


5. Repeat process until all sides are blackened. (The remaining sides only took a few minutes each.)


6. Put pepper in a paper bag & fold the top down a few times. Let sit for 10 minutes. (Alternately, you could put the pepper in a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap.)


7. Remove from bag, and peel the skin off.


8. All peeled! All that's left is to make a slit down the side, pull out the seeds, and cut into desired size pieces.


Printable version with pictures HERE, text-only version HERE.

Let me know if you have any questions!