How to Roast Peppers

Roasted peppers are a fantastic side dish on their own. The roasting process brings out the intense flavours of this juicy and crunchy vegetable. Cooking red, green, and yellow bell peppers in the oven just might be your new dinner party trick.

How to roast peppers in the oven

Roasting peppers couldn’t be simpler. For equipment, your oven will do the job, whether it’s traditional, fan or gas. Remember to oil your baking sheet or cover it with foil to save yourself on washing up.

How to make roasted peppers

1. Preparing peppers: Drizzle them with oil and season them with salt and pepper. Add a sprinkle of your favourite dried herb for a layered flavour. Our favourite is thyme, but try experimenting with marjoram, rosemary and sage for a variety of combinations. 
2. Space whole peppers on the sheet and place them into a preheated oven of 200ºC.
3. Set up a timer for 20 minutes and check the state of your peppers after it rings. Roast the peppers until you see them soften and darken. Once they start sizzling with a roasted colour, remove them from the oven. 
4. Check your peppers are cooked through and serve warm. If you’re planning to use them later, put them aside and cool them to enjoy as antipasti.

How long do you roast peppers for?

Roasting time depends on the type of oven you’re using and the type of peppers you have. Peppers usually require 20 minutes to soften and slightly darken. If you have a fan oven, don’t go over 200ºC, while with a traditional oven, you could try up to 220ºC. With a gas oven, try gas mark 7 and turn down to 5 if you see your peppers darken in 20 minutes. Once you roast your peppers once, like with bread-making, you will know exactly the right temperature for them. It’s always better to start with a lower temperature and then turn it up, as you don’t want your peppers to burn. Look out for when the peppers are sizzling and start to caramelise.

How to chargrill peppers

If you prefer a more authentic taste of the Mediterranean, try chargrilled peppers. For this, you either need a barbecue in your garden or a grilling pan on your stove. Alternatively, you can also use the grill function in your oven, but a barbecue or a pan gives you more control over the process. 

1. Slice your peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Put in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste. 
2. Once your grilling pan is hot or your barbecue grill is ready, spread your peppers evenly across the surface and watch carefully as they blacken and caramelise. It can be as quick as 5 minutes, so watch carefully to ensure they don’t burn. 
3. Turn them over. As soon as the other side is done, transfer to a plate and enjoy them warm or keep for later.

How to make roasted pepper soup

For a basic roasted pepper soup, you only need a few ingredients. Raid your veg basket and see what you can come up with. One pepper (any variety will do, but bell peppers are ideal), one potato (sweet will work well, but any potato will do) and an onion. If you can add a few garlic cloves, that’s great. 

1. Throw everything onto a tray, drizzle with oil and and sprinkle your favourite herbs. 
2. Roast in a preheated oven at 190ºC/170ºC fan/gas mark 5 for 30 minutes or until golden brown. 
3. Once roasted, let the veg cool for a few minutes and transfer into a pot. Cover with boiling stock and blend with a blender. If you like your soup textured rather than smooth, blend only a little. 
4. Add some salt and smoked paprika according to your preference. You might want to add some chilli or ginger for an extra kick, and a dollop of cream, thick yoghurt or a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds on top.

How to make roasted pepper pasta

Peppers are great for transforming a basic tomato pasta sauce into a gourmet meal. 

1. Simply roast three peppers and two onions sprinkled with dried thyme for 30 minutess in a 220ºC/fan 200ºC/gas mark 7 pre-heated oven and watch them soften and lightly darken. 
2. Cool, blend and mix with 500g of passata for a quick gourmet sauce. 
3. Pour the sauce over your favourite pasta and sprinkle generously with parmesan.

Recipes with roasted peppers

Roasted peppers are incredibly versatile and go together with many dishes, especially low-calorie dishes. Here, HelloFresh Recipe Development Manager, Mimi Morley, shares a few ideas on how to use them as accompaniments: 

• Spread some roasted peppers on top of steamed greens for an extra splash of colour and flavour.
• Awaken your taste buds and add roasted peppers as a side to your bangers and mash.
• Elevate your garlic bread to another level with a roasted pepper topping. 
• Serve them with HelloFresh Smoky Pork Tostadas.

Take a look at some HelloFresh recipes and use those tasty roasted peppers for your next lunch or supper: 

• Roasted Red Pepper and Goat’s Cheese Risotto 
• Pil Pil Style Prawns with Fluffy Rice and Roasted Peppers 
• Halloumi and Roasted Pepper Rigatoni  
• Roasted Pepper and Aubergine Linguine 

Making tasty dishes has never been easier than with HelloFresh. Whether you’re looking to spend less time cooking or try something new, HelloFresh has a vast selection of recipes suited to choose from. Check out HelloFresh meal plans today.