Seasonality
Summer/Early Fall
Quick Tips
How to cook sweet peppers
Sweet peppers can be eaten raw as a snack or tossed in salads, wraps or sandwiches. They are wonderful grilled, fried, or sautéed as well. Because these peppers have little to no heat, I don’t worry if a few seeds find their way into the dish.
How to buy sweet peppers
Look for peppers that are firm, bright in color, and have no visible soft spots. Peppers that look wrinkled are old. Store-bought peppers have most likely been covered in a wax so it’s a good idea to roast or grill, then peel the skin before using.
How to store sweet peppers
Store in the crisper for up to a week and wash right before using. Peppers are prone to mold, so the dryer the environment for storage, the better.
Varieties
Bell Peppers (various colors)
Jimmy Nardellos
Carmen
Goddess
Mellow Star
Aura
About
Peppers rank right up there with tomatoes as my favorite summer produce. Even as summer starts coming to an end, the pepper plants are still bearing fruit in overdrive. My one main suggestion about peppers: make sure you know what you are getting, and know the heat level (Scoville Scale), as some peppers can be extremely hot. This page is about sweet and mild peppers, very low on the heat scale.
Sweet peppers are often referred to as bell peppers, but if you know a farmer, you’ll soon find out there are many varieties in this segment. Bell peppers are just the beginning, so be on the lookout for specialty sweet peppers like Carmen, Jimmy Nardello, Round of Hungry, or Italian Frying Peppers.
I’m really lazy when it comes to freezing peppers. Given the space, I usually just toss whole peppers in a freezer safe container and pull them out as needed. However, you may choose to remove the stems and seeds before freezing. You can also blanch for 2 minutes, followed by an ice bath, and towel dry to make packing a little easier. If I find myself with an abundance of red sweet peppers, I give them a quick roast and freeze for later use.
All Vegetarian Sweet Pepper Recipes
Adobo Acorn Squash, Crispy Quinoa, and Chimichurri
Baked Black Bean Taquitos
BBQ Chickpea Sandwich with Tahini Slaw
Black Bean Quesadillas with Garlicky Shishito Peppers
Black Lentil Enchiladas with Zucchini
Breakfast Quesadillas with Bell Peppers
Caramelized Cauliflower Salad
Cauliflower Stir fry with Quinoa
Chickpea Shawarma Stuffed Pita
Chili Green Bean and Egg Spring Rolls
Chorizo-Spiced Vegetarian Nachos
Cream Cheese Roll-ups with Crepes and Vegetables
Cucumber Peanut Salad
Enchilada Skillet with Eggs
Green Bean Curry
Green Bean Stir-Fry
Grilled Halloumi Skewers with Cilantro-Tahini Sauce
Grilled Peach and Halloumi Skewers with Basil-Jalapeno Sauce
Grilled Summer Veg Bowl with Kidney Beans
Groovy Bagel Melt
Harissa and Avocado Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Harissa Tomato Salad with Farro
Heirloom Tomato, Olive Tapenade, and Goat Cheese Sandwich (+Limantour Beach)
Herbed Zucchini Summer Rolls
Lasagna Stuffed Peppers
Late Summer Pasta with Cream Sauce
Loaded Summer Veg Burger with Fried Egg
Marinated Halloumi Skewers with Summer Veg and Chipotle-Lime Peanut Sauce
Mediterranean Flatbread
Mediterranean Kale Salad
Nachos with Corn Relish, Roasted Tomato Salsa, and Avocado
Olive Tapenade | Cooking Component
Olive Tapenade and Hummus Stuffed Pita
Pantry Red Harissa | Component Cooking
Pickled Carrot and Hummus Sandwich
Quinoa and Zucchini Stuffed Peppers
Radish Salsa with Scallions
Ricotta Toast with Butter-Fried Peppers
Roasted Broccoli Bowls with Freekeh
Roasted Green Bean Summer Rolls
Roasted Green Beans with Romesco
Roasted Romesco Potatoes
Roasted Sweet Corn Salad
Roasted Tomato Gazpacho
Roasted Tomato Salsa
Romesco Potato Arugula Salad
Romesco Sauce | Component Cooking
Spicy Lentil Vegan Sloppy Joes
Spinach Salad with Avocado and Sesame Roasted Almonds
Stuffed Hatch Chiles with Cilantro-Lime Yogurt
Summer Veg Nachos with Black Beans
Summer Vegetable Frittata
Summer Vegetable Pasta with Chickpeas
Summer Vegetarian Tacos with Avocado Cream
Summer Veggie Omelette
Sweet Corn and Goat Cheese Stuffed Peppers
Sweet Corn Couscous Salad with Arugula
Sweet Corn Sorghum Stuffed Peppers
Tahini Noodle Bowl with Collards
Three-Grain Grilled Vegetable and Feta Salad
Tomatillo Dressing (+ site updates)
Vegetarian Breakfast Burritos
Vegetarian Chili Cheese Fries
Vegetarian Enchiladas Verdes
Zucchini Bake with Farro and Ricotta