A simple salad of cucumbers, white beans, and mint sits atop a bed of sweet and smoky sweet pepper romesco. This vegan and gluten free recipe is simple to make and only requires 11 ingredients! If you’d like to head straight to the recipe, scroll down to the bottom of the post.
I’ve become accustomed to letting the seasons and their bounty dictate what dishes come out of my kitchen. It’s an interesting process to see what’s available at the farm or in my garden in each week before visualizing how everything will be woven together into sustenance. There have been so many dishes that have come about purely due to availability. I love the challenge, though. It’s sort of like a less dramatic version of the show Chopped except there aren’t any bizarre ingredients at play. Just fresh produce and herbs picked at their peak!
So here we are. The pairing of bright red sweet peppers and brilliantly striped Armenian cucumbers. Together they have an almost “Christmas-in-July” sort of aesthetic: vibrant greens and garish reds next to one another. But obviously, it’s far from Christmas. It’s blazing hot and dry. It’s the kind of hot that makes you feel like you’ve opened the oven door. You know, that oppressive whoosh of hot air that smacks you in the face and fogs up your glasses? Thus, this recipe had to be something simple and cooling.
The basis of this recipe is the sweet pepper romesco. Since tomatoes aren’t in season anymore, the romesco is purely roasted sweet peppers instead of a mix of the two. The Armenian cucumbers were begging to be made into a simple salad. So white beans joined the party along with a little lemon juice to brighten everything up. Mint is always a refreshing refuge, especially when paired with cucumbers, so in it went. And there you have it, a seasonally inspired summer dish!
Recipe Notes
Though you do have to use your oven to broil/roast the peppers for the recipe, it’s only for a small amount of time. If you want to avoid the oven altogether, you can just as easily use store-bought roasted red peppers. I used an Armenian cucumber because it’s what was available but you can use any cucumber variety that you like. I served this dish with slices of sourdough bread so feel free to use your favorite bread or crackers!
Sweet Pepper Romesco with Armenian Cucumber and White Bean Salad
- Total Time: 20-25 minutes
- Yield: 3–4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A simple salad of cucumbers, white beans, and mint sits atop a bed of sweet and smoky romesco made with roasted sweet peppers. This vegan and gluten free recipe is simple to make and only requires 11 ingredients!
Ingredients
- 5 sweet peppers such as Carmen, Bell, or Corno di Toros
- 1/2 cup blanched almonds, toasted
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
- 1 clove of garlic, optional
- heaped 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large lemon
- sea salt, to taste
- 1/2 a large cucumber (I used a striped Armenian but any slicing cucumber variety will work great)
- 1 heaped cup of cooked white navy or cannellini beans
- 1/4 cup of fresh mint leaves
- bread or crackers to serve
Instructions
Start by preparing your sweet peppers. Set your oven to broil. Place the peppers on a foil or silicone mat-lined baking sheet. I stay away from parchment paper with my broiler as it tends to smoke more and catch fire. Place the tray with the peppers under your broiler. Once both sides are blistered and beginning to blacken, remove the peppers from the oven. Place them in a bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a plate. Allow them to sit for 15-20 minutes. Peel the skin off the peppers and discard it along with the stems and seeds.
To make the romesco, you’ll add your roasted sweet peppers to a blender or food processor along with the almonds, parsley, garlic, paprika, olive oil, and the juice from half of your lemon. Add a pinch of salt then process the ingredients until a thick dip forms. Taste the romesco and add more salt as needed. Spread the romesco onto a serving platter or shallow bowl and set it aside for now.
Cut your cucumber lengthwise into two halves. Slice each half into half-moon shapes that are no thicker than 1/4-inch. Add the cucumber slices to a bowl along with the white beans and the juice of the remaining lemon half. Use your fingers to roughly tear the mint leaves then add them to the bowl as well along with a pinch of salt. Toss gently to combine, then taste and add more salt if needed.
Spoon the cucumber and white bean mixture onto the romesco in an even layer. Serve with your favorite bread or crackers.
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
Though you do have to use your oven to broil/roast the peppers for the recipe, it’s only for a small amount of time. If you want to avoid the oven altogether, you can just as easily use store-bought roasted red peppers. I used an Armenian cucumber because it’s what was available but you can use any cucumber variety that you like.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5-10 minutes
