This Charred Cherry Tomato and Pepper Salad comes straight from America's Test Kitchen. I was watching TV and it looked so good I replayed the episode and furiously jotted down the ingredients and steps. It is a great side any time of the year especially since cherry or grape tomatoes are available year round.
It is fantastic when cherry tomatoes are fresh from the garden and since it is warm it also makes a great salad or vegetable side when the weather is frosty.
It is also an amazing salad to make if you are fortunate enough to have an abundance of cherry tomatoes from your patio planters and you are wondering what else you could do with them!
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What Makes This Salad Different?
- Charred cherry tomatoes have a different taste from fresh. They take on more depth of flavour through charring.
- Charred peppers also carry a bit more flavour 'weight'.
- Charring makes the tomatoes and peppers almost seem like different vegetables from fresh.
- The dressing is full of umami flavours. The anchovies blended with the smoked paprika and garlic are an outstanding combination.
- The fresh mozzarella is shredded instead of cut so those ragged edges hold on to that yummy dressing.
- Fresh basil adds interest and tearing it instead of cutting it apparently makes for less bruising and better taste.
- You could prep your ingredients and dressing and then char your tomatoes and peppers on your BBQ grill if you are serving this as part of a picnic or patio dinner. What a great presentation for a summer salad!
Ingredients
Salad
- cherry tomatoes but you could use grape tomatoes too
- olive oil is recommended
- coarse sea salt
- red bell pepper
- fresh mozzarella
- fresh basil
Dressing
- fresh garlic
- olive oil
- red wine vinegar
- fresh lemon juice - recommended but bottled will work in a pinch
- anchovies or anchovy paste - If you don't have anchovies you can use some Worcestershire sauce
- fresh thyme but dried works too
- red pepper flakes optional but highly recommended
- smoked paprika
- coarse sea salt but if using table salt reduce by half
Equipment
- A cast iron skillet is recommended for inside. You need something to char the tomatoes and pepper in. A griddle could work or a sheet pan with a lip could work if you have to use your broiler
- A BBQ grill and basket is fantastic to add even more smokiness to your salad.
How to Make Charred Cherry Tomato and Pepper Salad
First make your dressing and set it aside. Prep the mozzarella and basil and add to a bowl.
For the salad, you are going to toss the cherry tomatoes with coarse sea salt and let them rest while you prepare the peppers. Heat the olive oil in your pan or griddle over high heat. Add the tomatoes in one layer. They should sizzle when they hit the pan. Leave them undisturbed until you see char marks on the bottom. They should be soft but not mushy.
Then do the same with red pepper strips. Add them to the hot skillet and leave them undisturbed until you see char marks. They won't take as long as the tomatoes to char so watch them carefully.
Toss the charred tomatoes and peppers with the mozarella and fresh basil. Then toss the whole salad with the salad dressing.
What To Serve With Charred Cherry Tomato and Pepper Salad
- This is fantastic with a grilled steak! If you are grilling you can make them both on the grill. Make the salad first because you don't need it to be 'hot off the grill'. It is fantastic warm, slightly warm and at room temperature.
- It makes an amazing side for Eggplant Parmigiana! The salad sauce is so good it actually complements the Eggplant Parmigiana.
- You could serve it as a main salad. In that case I would double up on the mozarella and peppers to make it even more hearty. Serve it with warm Pita bread to soak up the juices!
Credit for the recipe goes to Cook's Country. I was watching an episode and thankfully it was recorded so I could go back and write down the ingredients after I became intrigued!
Wine Pairing for Charred Tomato and Pepper Salad
You could match this to the main protein you may be serving this with. So if you serve it with steak you can go for a big red like a Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec. If you serve it with Eggplant Parmigiana or with a pasta dish then think Italian and go with a Chianti or Barbera that will stand up to the brightness of the tomatoes.
If you decide to serve it as the main for lunch then an Italian Barbera, which is medium-bodied with bright acidity would be an excellent choice. A Chianti Classic or Tempranillo Crianza would also work.
On the white wine spectrum look for a high acid wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. For a nod to the Italian profile consider a Soave or Falanghina white.
Grape tomatoes would be interchangeable. The slightly larger Cocktail tomatoes may work but they will have more liquid so I would suggest allowing some of the liquid to drain off the tomatoes after charring so your salad won't have too much liquid that will dilute the dressing.
I have not tried this. It might work. Charring will take longer and you would have to turn the tomatoes to ensure at least 2 sides get charred. You might want to consider this Roasted Tomato Dressing that uses a roasted Roma Tomato as a way to use Roma tomatoes in a Salad.
Worcestershire sauce can successfully be used as a substitute for anchovies. The recipe card includes notes on how to substitute worcestershire sauce for anchovies.
Fresh mozzarella is chosen here for its soft, creamy texture. Regular mozarella would not be appetizing in this recipe. Burrata, which is a variation of fresh mozzarella would work. A soft creamy Feta cheese could work. I would reduce the amount to 4 oz and crumble it so the salad isn't too salty. Another idea would be to use Halloumi if you are working on your BBQ. Halloumi cheese is designed to hold together when grilled so I would grill the Halloumi while the peppers are charring and add to the salad with the tomatoes and peppers.
Charred Cherry Tomato and Pepper Salad
If you tried this, or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know it went in the 📝 comments below!
Save Print Pin FacebookEquipment
- cast iron skillet or BBQ grill recommended
Ingredients
- 1 lb cherry tomatoes can substitute grape tomatoes
- 4 tsps olive oil divided, plus more for the skillet
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt divided ½ and ½ (Reduce to ½ teaspoon if using regular sea salt.)
- 1 red bell pepper
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella See Note 2 for subsitutions.
- ½ cup fresh basil
Dressing
- 1 clove garlic if garlic is not very juicy consider 1 ½ -2 small cloves
- 2 Tbsps olive oil
- 5 tsps red wine vinegar
- 2 tsps lemon juice fresh recommended but can sub bottled
- 3 anchovies or about 3" of anchovy past - Can substitute Worcestershire sauce See Note 1.
- 2 tsps fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt Reduce to ¼ teaspoon if using regular sea salt
Instructions
Dressing
- Sprinkle the garlic clove with a pinch sea salt. Using a fork, mash the salt and garlic until it forms a paste.
- Combine garlic paste with remaining ingredients and mix well.
Salad
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat with a coating of olive oil.
- Rinse and toss the cherry tomatoes with 2 tsps olive oil and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Cut the ends off the pepper and remove the seeds and membranes. Lay flat and slice vertically (julienned). Chop the strips in to 2 or 3 segments depending on how big your pepper is.
- Toss the peppers in 2 tsps oil and ½ teaspoon of salt in a separate bowl.
- When pan is hot, add tomatoes in one layer. They should sizzle when they hit the pan. Do not disturb for at least 4 minutes. Check one to see if the skin has charred. Timing will depend on the elements heat level. When you see black spots have formed under the tomatoes give them a stir. Tomatoes should be soft and may start to split but they should not be fully collapsed and mushy. You may need to give them another minute or two after you stir them to get the right consistency. (But if you stove is really hot you may not need the extra time.) See Note 3 for alternate cooking suggestions.
- Transfer hot tomatoes to a serving platter.
- Add the peppers to the hot skillet and allow them to cook undisturbed about 4 minutes. They will char faster than the tomatoes so watch them carefully. When black forms transfer the peppers to the platter with the tomatoes. Allow mixture to cool about 15 minutes.
- While mixture is cooling, tear the mozzarella in to ragged strips or chunks. This will help hold the dressing in the rough edges. Add to the tomato/pepper mix and toss lightly to mix.
- Tear several leaves of fresh basil and sprinkle over the salad.
- Drizzle dressing over the salad and serve hot or at room temperature. Pass extra dressing on the side if desired.
Notes
- Fresh mozzarella is chosen here for its soft, creamy texture. Regular mozarella would not be appetizing in this recipe.
- Burrata, which is a variation of fresh mozzarella would work.
- A soft creamy Feta cheese could work. I would reduce the amount to 4 oz and crumble it so the salad isn't too salty.
- Another idea would be to use Halloumi if you are working on your BBQ. Halloumi cheese is designed to hold together when grilled so I would grill the Halloumi cheese until it is warm and has grill marks. Add it warm to the salad with the tomatoes and peppers.
- spread the tomatoes on a foil lined baking tray and broil. Watch carefully and remove when they are charred.
- Oil a griddle and heat over high heat until charred.
- Heat BBQ on high, oil a grill basket or BBQ tray and cook until charred.
Nutrition
Charred Cherry Tomato and Pepper Salad
If you tried this, or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know it went in the 📝 comments below!
Save Print Pin FacebookEquipment
- cast iron skillet or BBQ grill recommended
Ingredients
- 1 lb cherry tomatoes can substitute grape tomatoes
- 4 tsps olive oil divided, plus more for the skillet
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt divided ½ and ½ (Reduce to ½ teaspoon if using regular sea salt.)
- 1 red bell pepper
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella See Note 2 for subsitutions.
- ½ cup fresh basil
Dressing
- 1 clove garlic if garlic is not very juicy consider 1 ½ -2 small cloves
- 2 Tbsps olive oil
- 5 tsps red wine vinegar
- 2 tsps lemon juice fresh recommended but can sub bottled
- 3 anchovies or about 3" of anchovy past - Can substitute Worcestershire sauce See Note 1.
- 2 tsps fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt Reduce to ¼ teaspoon if using regular sea salt
Instructions
Dressing
- Sprinkle the garlic clove with a pinch sea salt. Using a fork, mash the salt and garlic until it forms a paste.
- Combine garlic paste with remaining ingredients and mix well.
Salad
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat with a coating of olive oil.
- Rinse and toss the cherry tomatoes with 2 tsps olive oil and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Cut the ends off the pepper and remove the seeds and membranes. Lay flat and slice vertically (julienned). Chop the strips in to 2 or 3 segments depending on how big your pepper is.
- Toss the peppers in 2 tsps oil and ½ teaspoon of salt in a separate bowl.
- When pan is hot, add tomatoes in one layer. They should sizzle when they hit the pan. Do not disturb for at least 4 minutes. Check one to see if the skin has charred. Timing will depend on the elements heat level. When you see black spots have formed under the tomatoes give them a stir. Tomatoes should be soft and may start to split but they should not be fully collapsed and mushy. You may need to give them another minute or two after you stir them to get the right consistency. (But if you stove is really hot you may not need the extra time.) See Note 3 for alternate cooking suggestions.
- Transfer hot tomatoes to a serving platter.
- Add the peppers to the hot skillet and allow them to cook undisturbed about 4 minutes. They will char faster than the tomatoes so watch them carefully. When black forms transfer the peppers to the platter with the tomatoes. Allow mixture to cool about 15 minutes.
- While mixture is cooling, tear the mozzarella in to ragged strips or chunks. This will help hold the dressing in the rough edges. Add to the tomato/pepper mix and toss lightly to mix.
- Tear several leaves of fresh basil and sprinkle over the salad.
- Drizzle dressing over the salad and serve hot or at room temperature. Pass extra dressing on the side if desired.
Notes
- Fresh mozzarella is chosen here for its soft, creamy texture. Regular mozarella would not be appetizing in this recipe.
- Burrata, which is a variation of fresh mozzarella would work.
- A soft creamy Feta cheese could work. I would reduce the amount to 4 oz and crumble it so the salad isn't too salty.
- Another idea would be to use Halloumi if you are working on your BBQ. Halloumi cheese is designed to hold together when grilled so I would grill the Halloumi cheese until it is warm and has grill marks. Add it warm to the salad with the tomatoes and peppers.
- spread the tomatoes on a foil lined baking tray and broil. Watch carefully and remove when they are charred.
- Oil a griddle and heat over high heat until charred.
- Heat BBQ on high, oil a grill basket or BBQ tray and cook until charred.
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