The perpetually underappreciated bell pepper is so often a bit player and so rarely the star. It's the afterthought of the vegetable world: a few shiny strips on a crudité platter, a crunchy tidbit in a stir-fry, a colorful add-on to a pizza, an add-in to hummus, pasta sauces, and sandwiches. It's almost always an addition to something else, never a centerpiece.
Even roasted red peppers -- so mainstream that you can buy them jarred at every grocery store -- are rarely treated as a main ingredient rather than a peripheral one.
It's a shame, though, that bell peppers don't get more respect and attention. They have some commendable characteristics, and they can hold their own as the focal point of a dish, or even a meal.
Technically a fruit, and closely related to both hot and mild chiles, bell peppers have a refreshing, almost sweet flavor, sometimes with just a suspicion of heat. (The exception is green peppers, which are picked before they're fully mature and can taste bitter-they have their place, but red-or orange, or yellow-peppers are definitely sweeter.) They're crunchy and juicy when raw but become soft and velvety-but still pleasantly firm-when cooked.
They also require virtually no special preparation: just coring and seeding. If you want to keep the pepper mostly intact, cut around the core, pull it out, and rinse the inside of the pepper out to get rid of the seeds. If you're planning to slice or chop the pepper, cut it in half lengthwise, pull the core out with your fingers, and brush or tap out the seeds.
Bell peppers have relatively thick, unyielding walls that make them a great vessel for other things (which is one of the reasons they're frequently served alongside dips and spreads). Stuffed bell peppers may be retro, but they're also good-especially if the filling consists of good fresh sausage, zucchini, and thyme. The peppers become very soft, sweet, and moist-the perfect counterpart to a meaty filling.
I also like pan-cooking bell peppers over relatively high heat so that they scorch slightly and soften a little but not too much. These are the main attraction in one of my favorite recipes for fried rice, which can be seasoned many ways, but which is particularly good (and surprising) flavored with spicy Thai curry paste.
A real pleasure, though, is to make roasted red (or orange or yellow) peppers at home and eat them virtually unadorned. Turn the oven to 450° or turn on the broiler, and roast or broil whole peppers until their skin blackens and they cave in. Wrap them in foil, let them cool, and remove their skins, seeds, and stems (rinsing them with running tap water helps). Eat right away, with just salt, pepper, and a little olive oil. (Capers and/or anchovies are traditional and fabulous additions.) They're a category apart from jarred roasted peppers -- in fact, they're so good that they command respect.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.