One of the things I love and hate about growing bell peppers is that my luck is that I wait all summer for them to fruit, and then they all pop out at the same time, leaving me struggling to use them all. That’s actually how I came up with this Roasted Red Pepper and Shallot Dressing. Luckily my daughter is a big fan of sliced bell peppers for a snack too, but she’s four, so a kid can only eat so much.

I use them in my Chicken Cacciatore, Stuffed Peppers, and beyond, but there’s plenty of room left for canning, preserving, and—you guessed it—making salad dressing. Red bell peppers don’t seem like they’d be front and center for the base of a salad dressing, however if you’ve ever made Portuguese Red Pepper paste, you know it’s possible! And in fact, if you’ve ever had it, the taste is quite similar.

There is the undeniable flavor of sweet bell peppers, but the caramelized shallots balance and sweeten it out. The apple juice and apple cider vinegar add the zip required to make a fine vinaigrette.

Personally, I love to serve this Roasted Red Pepper and Shallot Dressing over a more neutral leaf such as Romaine because it’s sturdy and has a nice neutral flavor that doesn’t distract from the flavor of the dressing. However I also love it in a pasta salad, and you can certainly use it over a roast in a slow cooker or pressure cooker.

It’s a bit more work than I’m used to for dressing but it’s worth the time involved.

Roasted Red Pepper and Shallot Dressing

Imagine the texture of a good ginger salad dressing you get with your sushi, but make it sweeter and more savory Portuguese-style with roasted red peppers.

• Author: Amanda MacArthur
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4
• Category: Salads & Dressings

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 red bell peppers, cored and sliced into four flat quarters
• 1 shallot, quartered
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1/3 cup apple juice
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper (to your liking)

Instructions

1. Roast the peppers and shallots at 450 degrees F for 25 minutes.
2. Remove from oven and add to a bowl and cover to finish steaming them for 20 minutes.
3. Remove skins from peppers and any burned bits from shallots.
4. Add to blender with the rest of the ingredients and serve over romaine, a sliced cherry tomato salad, pasta salad, or even as a rub on meat.

Notes

• It will keep for a week or two in the fridge just fine.

Have you made this Roasted Red Pepper and Shallot Dressing? Let me know what you thought!