Bell Pepper Salad

Memorial Day weekend and for the first time in my adult life I had someone to be with for it. Tyler and I drove to the lake on Saturday with a cooler of food I had packed: cold fried chicken, the corn and black bean salad, deviled eggs, a peach pie that I made Thursday night. We sat on a blanket in the shade of a pine tree and ate everything and swam and came home sunburned and satisfied.

Deviled eggs at a picnic are one of those things that seem simple and are simple if you do them right: hard-boiled eggs halved carefully, the yolks mashed with Duke's mayo and a little mustard and sweet pickle relish and a dash of hot sauce, piped back in or spooned, topped with smoked paprika. The key is Duke's mayo and I will not apologize for that brand loyalty. Some allegiances are correct.

Tyler made me laugh most of the afternoon. He has a way of noticing small funny things in the environment, the particular way a family three blankets over was arguing about sunscreen, a dog that was very committed to stealing an unattended sandwich, and describing them in two sentences with perfect comic timing. He is very good company.

I called Gloria when I got home, sunburned and happy. She asked if I had fun. I said yes. She asked if Tyler was good. I said yes. She said good. That is enough. She meant it in the literal sense: that is all she needed to know. I think about what enough means sometimes, what it looks like to have enough, and this is getting close to it.

The corn and black bean salad I packed for our lake day got eaten down to nothing, which told me everything I needed to know about what a crowd wants at a picnic: something cool, colorful, and easy to eat off a paper plate in the shade. This bell pepper salad hits every one of those marks — it’s bright and crisp, comes together fast, and travels beautifully in a lidded container. Next time Tyler and I load up a cooler, this one’s going in right alongside the deviled eggs.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 15 min (plus 30 min chilling) | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

Slice the peppers. Core and seed all four bell peppers. Slice them into thin strips, about 1/4-inch wide, and place in a large mixing bowl along with the sliced red onion.
Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, minced garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes (if using), salt, and black pepper until fully combined.
Dress the salad. Pour the dressing over the peppers and onion. Toss well to coat everything evenly.
Chill. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. The peppers will soften slightly and absorb the dressing — this is a good thing.
Finish and serve. Before serving, toss again and taste for seasoning. Scatter the fresh parsley over the top. Serve cold or at room temperature straight from the container.

Nutrition (per serving)

Bell Pepper Salad — The Picnic Side That Deserves a Spot on Every Blanket