Marinated Roasted Bell Pepper Bean Salad with Fried Capers

A marinated roasted bell pepper bean salad topped with fried capers and tossed together with dill and lemon. Easy to make and packed with fiber and protein.

Why You’ll Love This Roasted Bell Pepper Bean Salad

• Great to make ahead. This salad is hearty and holds up well fore meal prep. Use this bean salad during the week to build meals around or enjoy as a nourishing snack.
• Easy to customize. As always, I’ve suggested some swaps and tips to help make this salad best suit your palate.
• Nourishing. This salad is loaded with fiber, protein, iron, and antioxidants. It’s also a fun and flavorful way to up your veggie intake.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

• Beans: I used my trusty combo of white beans and chickpeas, but feel free to use two of the same beans or swap with a different bean you prefer. This also works well with red kidney beans.
• Roasted Red Peppers: I used jarred roasted red peppers. Just drain well before using. If you prefer more crunch, swap with regular diced red bell pepper. You can also choose to replace with some halved cherry tomatoes.
• Cucumber: I used an English cucumber, but Persian cucumbers work just as well. Not a fan of cucumber? Try this with some julienned radishes.
• Capers: If you are not a fan of capers, feel free to leave them out. I
• Shallots: Interchange with some red onion if desired.
• Red Wine Vinegar: You can also swap with white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar. If the vinegar comes off too strong for your liking, you can always balance it out with some more sweetener based on your preference.
• Jalapeños: To make them less spicy, feel free to remove the seeds and membranes before dicing up to add. To avoid spice altogether, swap with 1/2 a bell pepper of your preference.
• Herbs: I used a mix of dill and parsley. Feel free to add more or less of either herb based on your own preference.
• Maple Syrup: Since we are cooking the sauce in a pan, you can swap with 1-2 tsp of light brown sugar as a cost effective swap. When adding, stir well to melt down the sugar before removing from the heat.

How to Make This Roasted Bell Pepper Bean Salad with Fried Capers

Cut your cucumber in half lengthwise then place each half cut side down on a flat cutting board. With the flat side of your knife, smack down along the length of the cucumber until it splits. Slice the smashed cucumbers diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces. Transfer the cucumbers to a bowl and sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt. Toss the cucumbers and allow to sit for 15 minutes to drain.

As you wait, heat the oil in medium sauté pan over medium-low heat. When hot, add the capers and spread out evenly, so they have contact with the oil. Allow to cook in the oil for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally until the capers look crisp in texture. You may notice that some of them may burst open, and this is totally normal. Once crisp, transfer the capers to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.

To the same pan with the remaining oil, add the shallots and coriander with a pinch of salt and sauté for 2 minutes to soften. Add the jalapeños and garlic and continue to sauté for 3 minutes or until the garlic is cooked through.

Add the maple syrup, vinegar, and lemon zest and juice, then give everything a good stir. Remove from heat and set aside.

Now prepare the salad. Discard the liquid that has drained away from the cucumbers then add them to a large mixing bowl or storage container along with the chickpeas, cannellini beans, roasted bell peppers, dill, and parsley. Pour the mixture of shallots and dressing from the pan on top then toss together until evenly mixed.

When ready to serve, top with a sprinkle of the fried capers and enjoy with your favorite crusty bread (smearing with cream cheese is totally optional, but very enjoyable).

Expert Tips

• Let it marinate. This is the type of salad that is tastes better the longer it marinates. I recommend marinating for at least an hour to let the flavors mingle and absorb into the beans and veggies before enjoying it.
• Adjust the flavors based on your preference. Change up the beans based on what you like. Adjust and balance the level of tang, sweetness, and salt to fit your palate.
• Batch prep this salad to use throughout the week. You can use it as a main ingredient to build a full meal or use it as an additional side to meals to add protein and fiber to a meal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Make It Balanced

Prep and enjoy in advance to build meals around or to snack on. I often make a variation of a bean salad for the week to help make it easier to hit my protein and fiber goals. To keep it interesting, I’ll serve it a few different ways to keep it different enough without it feeling repetitive. Here are some ideas:

• Serve with a slice of crusty bread to mop up some of the dressing at the bottom
• Roll it up into a wrap with some greens
• Enjoy on top of a tostada
• Serve with some whole grain chips or crackers
• As part of a nourish bowl with your favorite grain like rice or quinoa
• Topped over a salad with some cubed avocado

More Bean Salad Recipes to Try

• Creamy Chipotle Bean Salad
• Marinated Sun-Dried Tomato Bean Salad
• Ginger Shallot Chopped Bean Salad
• Zesty Black Bean Rice Bowl with Lime Basil Sauce
• Southwest Chickpea Black Bean Salad

If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.

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