Turkish Roasted Pepper and Chickpea Salad Recipe
This salad combines the sweetness of roasted peppers with creamy chickpeas and fresh herbs, creating a colorful cold dish. In Turkey, similar salads often appear on the table as part of meze, a set of small dishes meant for sharing with friends. The flavors are a bit like a Mediterranean roasted vegetable salad, but with a distinct lemon and olive oil accent.
This salad brings together classic Turkish meze flavors in a simple, colorful dish that works both as a side and a light main. Roasting the peppers intensifies their sweetness, which contrasts beautifully with the tangy lemon dressing, creamy chickpeas, and salty feta.
Chef's tips
For the best flavor, don’t rush the resting time – those 15–20 minutes at room temperature really help the dressing soak into the vegetables and chickpeas. If you’re roasting peppers anyway (for example for another dish), make a few extra and use them here to save time later.
How to serve
Serve on a large platter as part of a meze spread with hummus, baba ganoush, flatbreads, and olives. As a light meal, pair it with warm pita or crusty bread and a bowl of thick yogurt with herbs. It also works well as a side for grilled chicken skewers or baked fish.
Ingredients
- red bell pepper meaty - 3 pieces
- canned chickpeas drained (1 can after draining) - 240 g
- red onion cut into thin slices - 0.5 pieces
- cherry tomatoes halved - 150 g
- parsley finely chopped - 3 tablespoons
- dill chopped - 2 tablespoons
- olive oil good quality - 3 tablespoons
- lemon juice freshly squeezed - 2 tablespoons
- garlic grated or very finely chopped - 1 clove
- ground cumin - 0.5 teaspoons
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- feta cheese crumbled, optional - 80 g
- black olives pitted, sliced - 8 pieces
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 220°C (top and bottom heat). Wash and dry the peppers, then place them whole on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Roast the peppers for 20–25 minutes, turning them every few minutes, until the skin is well darkened and slightly charred in places and the peppers are soft and slightly collapsed.
- Transfer the hot peppers to a bowl and cover with a plate or plastic wrap for about 10 minutes – this will make the skins easier to remove.
- Once cooled, peel the peppers, remove the cores and stems. Cut the flesh into strips about 1–2 cm wide.
- Drain the chickpeas in a sieve and rinse under cold water to remove the brine. Set aside to drain.
- In a large bowl, combine the roasted pepper strips, drained chickpeas, thin slices of red onion, halved cherry tomatoes, and olives.
- In a small bowl, prepare the dressing: mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, grated garlic, cumin, a pinch of salt, and pepper. Whisk well with a fork until the dressing comes together and looks uniform.
- Pour the dressing over the salad, add the chopped parsley and dill, and gently toss everything together. Finally, sprinkle the top with crumbled feta cheese, if using.
- Let the salad rest for at least 15 minutes at room temperature so the flavors can meld. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Storage
Sałatkę przechowuj w lodówce w szczelnym pojemniku. Przed podaniem wyjmij ją na 15–20 minut, aby nie była lodowato zimna, wtedy lepiej czuć smak przypraw.
