What's better than a classic caprese salad? A roasted red pepper caprese salad, served in a fresh red pepper. The perfect grab and go appetizer for gathering around the garden.

Roasted red peppers are quite possibly my favorite food on earth. They are undeniably good. I've been on a kick lately making my own, since it's sooo much more cost effective and easy.

We have tomatoes, basil, and peppers growing in the garden and I love that I can literally run outside and grab the majority of the ingredients FRESH to put together this simple yet elegant appetizer or side dish. You could even add some grilled chicken in here and make it a main course.

And if you've got basil growing in the garden, I think you may also like my Basil flower pesto in mortar and pestle.

What is a caprese salad:

Caprese salad is a simple Italian salad, made of sliced fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and sweet basil, seasoned with salt, and olive oil. There are endless variations out there, like watermelon caprese, peach caprese, grilled chicken caprese. The list goes on and on.

In this variation we whip up some fresh roasted red peppers, so I'll teach you to do the same. Don't worry if you need to make this in a real pinch. You can absolutely use store bought red peppers if you don't have the time.

Ingredients:

8 medium to large red bell peppers
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 clove garlic
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 (8 ounce) container fresh mozzarella cheese balls/pearls

How to make a roasted red pepper caprese salad:

Caprese is usually arranged on a plate slightly overlapping each other. In this variation, we combine chopped roasted red pepper, basil, cherry tomatoes, and mozzarella balls in a delicious dressing. Next, we scoop the salad into a fresh raw or baked red pepper, if you prefer it be tender. I love that you can grab this salad eat the entire thing!

Preheat oven to 450°F. Cut off tops of four bell peppers. Remove seeds and membranes. Rinse bell peppers. If necessary, cut thin slice from bottom of each pepper so they stand upright. Set aside. These will be your "salad bowls"
Next, roast your four remaining red peppers. This step is completely optional as you can easily run to the store and grab a jar. But our family loves to make our own from the garden and store it in olive oil. Either way, the recipe will come out delicious.
Slice the red peppers so that they sit as flat as possible, to allow for even roasting. Drizzle with olive oil.
Roast at 450. degrees F for 35 to 45 minutes to allow your peppers to get tender and roasted, but not overly charred.
Prepare your caprese salad and dressing while you wait for your peppers to cool. Once the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel off charred skins. Slice them for your salad.
Add your mozzarella pearls, cherry tomatoes, roasted red peppers and basil leaves into a mixing bowl.
Prepare your dressing by mincing garlic, and adding olive oil, vinegar, salt, your minced garlic, and red pepper flakes into a jar or small bowl and mixing thoroughly.
Pour dressing over salad and mix with large salad spoon until it's evenly dressed.
Scoop salad into red peppers and serve immediately.

Expert tip:

If you have any left over roasted red peppers or want to make them again, store them in an airtight container in olive oil covered for up to two weeks. If you choose to freeze your peppers, do so before placing them in olive oil.