Roasted Pepper and Tomato Salad With Tuna and Black Olives

4 to 6 servings

This is an oven version of selata mishwiya - literally “grilled salad” - a classic opener to many Tunisian meals.

Serve with plenty of bread and a small dish of harissa drizzled in olive oil.

From food writer and cookbook author Jeff Koehler.

INGREDIENTS

2 medium red bell peppers

1 medium green bell pepper or 2 sweet Italian green peppers

3 medium-size ripe tomatoes

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

1 clove garlic (unpeeled)

Salt 1 teaspoon harissa, plus

more as needed ½ small lemon

3 ounces tuna packed in olive oil, preferably Ortiz Bonito del Norte brand, drained

24 pitted whole black olives

2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and quartered lengthwise (see NOTE)

STEPS

Position an oven rack 4 to 6 inches from the broiling element; preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Brush the peppers and tomatoes with oil and arrange on the baking sheet, along with the garlic. Broil for 15 to 20 minutes, turning them from time to time, until the vegetables are charred in places and very tender, and the garlic is soft. Transfer the vegetables to a wide, heatproof bowl; cover tightly with foil and let cool in their own steam.

Once they’re cool enough to handle, peel and seed the peppers and tomatoes, reserving the juices. Pinch the garlic from its peel.

Finely chop the peppers and tomatoes and place in a mixing bowl, reserving the tomatoes’ juices. Add the softened garlic, salt, harissa and a splash of the reserved juices, tossing to incorporate. Taste and add more harissa, as needed (we used another teaspoon).

Place in a wide salad bowl, drizzle with the 2 tablespoons of oil and squeeze the juice of the lemon half over the vegetables. Arrange chunks of the tuna and the olives on the top, and arrange the hard-cooked egg quarters around the edges.

VARIATION: Add a 1/2 teaspoon of caraway seed, along with the salt, for a punch of anise-tinged nuttiness.

NOTE: To hard-cook eggs, place them in a large steamer basket set over or inside a pot with several inches of barely bubbling water (medium heat; the water should not touch the eggs). Cook/steam for 13 minutes, then turn off the heat. Let sit for 10 to 13 minutes, then use a slotted spoon to transfer the eggs to an ice-water bath to cool. Peel when completely cooled.

Nutrition | Per serving (based on 6, using 2 teaspoons Rose Petal Harissa): 150 calories, 7 g protein, 7 g carbohydrates, 10 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 65 mg cholesterol, 310 mg sodium, 2 g dietary fiber, 4 g sugar