Easy Roasted Pepper Salad

This roasted pepper salad uses six bell peppers in different colors, cut into thin strips and dressed in a vinaigrette with serious backbone. The dressing isn’t your basic oil-and-vinegar. Anchovy paste, Dijon mustard, garlic, shallots, and thyme get whisked with balsamic vinegar before olive oil goes in, building layers of salty, tangy, herbaceous flavor.

The anchovy paste is the stealth ingredient. You won’t taste fish in the finished salad. What it does is add a deep, savory umami that makes the sweet roasted peppers taste more complex and interesting. It’s the same trick Italian cooks have used in antipasti for centuries, and two teaspoons is all it takes.

Whisking the oil in a slow, steady stream into the vinegar base is what creates an emulsified dressing that clings to the pepper strips instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl. Rush this step and the oil and vinegar separate, leaving you with greasy peppers on top and watery vinegar underneath.

Chef Tips

• Drain the roasted pepper strips well in a colander before dressing. Excess liquid from the peppers will dilute the vinaigrette.
• Chill for at least two hours, but bring the salad to room temperature an hour before serving. Cold olive oil congeals and dulls the flavors.
• Use the best olive oil you have. In a simple dressing like this, the quality of the oil is the difference between good and great.

Variations

• Add sliced black olives and crumbled feta cheese for a Mediterranean-style pepper salad.
• Toss in a handful of torn fresh basil leaves right before serving for a fragrant, summery finish.
• Swap balsamic vinegar for sherry vinegar for a more Spanish-leaning flavor profile.