Charred Pepper Orzo Salad with Olives Recipe

Tender and juicy peppers, orzo pasta, olives, lemon juice and fresh baby cucumbers are combined in this satisfying salad. Ramiro peppers are long and slim and have a thin skin so they cook quickly and become very tender with little effort from you. Be patient and allow the coals to cool a little so the peppers can gently char without blackening too much. Serve either warm or chilled.

Barbecue cooking temperature: medium heat

Serves:

Ingredients

2 ramiro peppers, sliced lengthways and deseeded
1 tbsp good-quality olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
250g (9oz) dried orzo pasta (ensure egg-free)
2 baby (mini) cucumbers, thinly sliced (or ¼ regular cucumber, diced)
8 black pitted olives, thinly sliced
1 tbsp flaked (slivered) almonds
Juice of ½ unwaxed lemon
Handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Small handful of fresh dill, finely chopped
Generous pinch of sea salt and black pepper

Method

1. Brush the ramiro peppers all over with olive oil. Place the peppers onto the hot grill and cook for about 5–6 minutes on each side until charred in places and very tender. Remove from the grill and allow to cool while you prepare the salad.

2. Bring a pan of water to the boil on the hob, then add the orzo. Cook for 8–10 minutes until al dente, then thoroughly drain away the water.

3. Add the pasta to a large bowl, then stir in the cucumber, olives, almonds, lemon juice, parsley and dill.

4. Roughly slice the Ramiro peppers, then stir into the salad.

5. Drizzle with a little extra olive oil and stir gently to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Hot tip:

Many brands of dried orzo pasta are vegan as it uses simple durum wheat semolina with no eggs, but always check the ingredients before you buy.

Recipe extracted from VEGAN BBQ: 70 Delicious Plant-Based Recipes to Cook Outdoors by Katy Beskow (Quadrille, £16.99) Photography: Luke Albert

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