Middle Eastern Bread Salad
Donal's Notes
If ever there was a summer salad to impress, this would be it. Humble though its ingredients are, they are used in such a way as to make the very most of them. Like many bread salads, this one finds its origins in peasant food but makes a hearty dish humming with spice and flavour. Sprinkle with a little extra sumac before serving for a sharp hit of citrus. You could also replace the sourdough with toasted pitta.
For the dressing:
Baking tray
Cling film
Chopping board
Chopping knife
Large bowl
Tongs
Whisk
Instructions
1
Preheat the oven to 200 ̊C (180°C fan). Place the peppers on a large flat baking tray and bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until blackened and charred on all sides.
2
Remove the peppers from the tray while still hot, place in a bowl and cover with cling film. The steam in the bowl will allow you to remove the skins easily.
3
When cool enough to handle, remove the skins and cores of the peppers.
4
Slice the peeled peppers into chunky pieces.
5
Place a small handful of the peppers in a food processor with the ingredients for the dressing and blitz until smooth. Season to taste, transfer to a bowl and set aside.
6
Tear the bread into pieces and lay out on the same baking tray that you cooked the peppers on, drizzle with a little oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven for 5–6 minutes until just toasted.
7
Prep the salad ingredients: slice the cherry tomatoes in half. Deseed and dice the cucumber.
8
Peel and thinly slice the red onion. Thinly slice the radishes.
9
In a large bowl, place the cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and radishes. Tear in the coriander and parsley.
10
Add the peppers, toasted bread and olives. Toss together with the dressing.
11
Toss until completely coated and serve.
