Made Monday: Pepper Salad wtih Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ready to have your "I need to do something with the abundance of the end of summer produce I am up to my eyeballs in" world rocked??
Follow along. Because I am about to share one of my favorite salads (that is nothing like a traditional green salad) and my favorite ways to eat said salad.
{It should be mentioned, a favorable opinion of peppers is required for this one to have world-rocking power over you}
This recipe is fresh (SO fresh!) and light and packed with flavor and nothing like a boring tomato, red onion, craisin and whatever else you happen to have in the way of produce, over greens and drizzled with dressing. No offense green salad, because you are great and all, but I sorta get tired of you about a month into summer. Don't worry though, it's not you. It's me. Friends?
(Are you sensing the silly mood I am in??)
This salad sings... to a totally different, very fresh, very Italian tune. I can't sing opera, but I can make this salad, and it can sing opera... to my tastebuds. Maybe? (Did I mention my silly mood?)
Peppers, Tomatoes, basil, red onion, and fresh mozzarella, combined in extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette. It should be mentioned that one can say they have much more fully lived after experiencing fresh mozzarella. (Have you experienced it?? You kinda need to... YOLO?)
I started with this recipe and somehow convenience and speed led me to the one I now enjoy. Both are good. One is less work and has fewer ingredients :)
1. Cut the peppers and onions into very thin slices. (very thin!) Combine everything but the fresh basil and fresh mozzarella into a bowl and allow to marianate in the fridge for an hour before serving. (Note: this isn't necessary, it's just best this way)
2. Add mozzarella and basil before serving. (Note: this salad can last up to 3 days in the fridge provided you only add the basil and mozzarella to whatever you are using.)
1. With crustinis. [By the way: a crustini (crus-tee-nee) is just an Italian word for a thinly sliced, toasted piece of bread] Makes for a great hors d'oeuvre!
2. On a sandwich.
3. On top of that boring green salad we were mentioning earlier. Boring no more!
4. Like this:
With grilled chicken and flat bread.
5. Like this:
This is a sort of deconstructed version of the salad. The peppers and onions were still tossed in vinaigrette but I served with a slice of mozzarella, a thick slice of tomato, and topped with some basil. I put all that on top of some grilled chicken and slice of garlic french bread. I served it along side a simple spring green salad topped with tomato and pepper/onion in vinaigrette. This was one of the hardest sandwiches I had ever tried to get in my mouth, but I would eat it again in a heartbeat--mess and all (DELICIOUS!!!)
Hope this Made your Monday!
xo
Amanda
sharing this here:
Follow along. Because I am about to share one of my favorite salads (that is nothing like a traditional green salad) and my favorite ways to eat said salad.
{It should be mentioned, a favorable opinion of peppers is required for this one to have world-rocking power over you}
This recipe is fresh (SO fresh!) and light and packed with flavor and nothing like a boring tomato, red onion, craisin and whatever else you happen to have in the way of produce, over greens and drizzled with dressing. No offense green salad, because you are great and all, but I sorta get tired of you about a month into summer. Don't worry though, it's not you. It's me. Friends?
(Are you sensing the silly mood I am in??)
This salad sings... to a totally different, very fresh, very Italian tune. I can't sing opera, but I can make this salad, and it can sing opera... to my tastebuds. Maybe? (Did I mention my silly mood?)
Peppers, Tomatoes, basil, red onion, and fresh mozzarella, combined in extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette. It should be mentioned that one can say they have much more fully lived after experiencing fresh mozzarella. (Have you experienced it?? You kinda need to... YOLO?)
I started with this recipe and somehow convenience and speed led me to the one I now enjoy. Both are good. One is less work and has fewer ingredients :)
Pepper Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette:
- 5-6 large sweet peppers thinly sliced (Make it pretty! Use different colored peppers!) (I prefer using mini sweet peppers, but I have never counted how many I use... 15-20?? or so??? I buy them in a bag at the store and just use the whole bag.)
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced.
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 cup of cherry tomatoes
- 8 oz. of fresh mozzarella. Use pearls or cut into small cubes.
- 8+ Fresh Basil leaves
- 3 TBS of balsamic vineagar
- 6 TBS of extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
1. Cut the peppers and onions into very thin slices. (very thin!) Combine everything but the fresh basil and fresh mozzarella into a bowl and allow to marianate in the fridge for an hour before serving. (Note: this isn't necessary, it's just best this way)
2. Add mozzarella and basil before serving. (Note: this salad can last up to 3 days in the fridge provided you only add the basil and mozzarella to whatever you are using.)
My favorite ways to enjoy this salad:
1. With crustinis. [By the way: a crustini (crus-tee-nee) is just an Italian word for a thinly sliced, toasted piece of bread] Makes for a great hors d'oeuvre!
2. On a sandwich.
3. On top of that boring green salad we were mentioning earlier. Boring no more!
4. Like this:
5. Like this:
Hope this Made your Monday!
xo
Amanda
sharing this here: