Name: Air-Fryer Roasted Bell Pepper Salad with Mozzarella and Basil
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: 4 small bell peppers (red, orange, and/or yellow); 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; 1 garlic clove , minced; Salt and pepper; 2 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese , torn into 1-inch pieces; 2 tablespoons torn fresh basil; 1 tablespoon pine nuts , toasted

Why This Recipe Works

Roasting bell peppers on the grill or over a direct flame can be a pain: Unevenly charred, black skin sticks to everything and can be frustrating to peel off. But jarred roasted peppers, despite their convenience, don't have the same fresh flavor or meaty texture. So we were thrilled to find that the air fryer does a beautiful job of roasting bell peppers. Twenty-five minutes after tucking four small bell peppers snugly on their sides in the air-fryer basket, we had well-browned, wrinkled skin and tender flesh. After a quick steam, the skin peeled off cleanly. To showcase our sweet, meaty roasted peppers, we paired them with a balsamic dressing, creamy fresh mozzarella, fragrant basil, and toasted pine nuts for a deeply flavored salad.

Before You Begin

Choose a mix of red, yellow, and orange bell peppers for the most attractive presentation. Be sure to buy peppers that will fit comfortably on their sides in your air fryer. You can use your air fryer to toast pine nuts.

Instructions

Trim ½ inch from top and bottom of bell peppers. Using paring knife, remove ribs, core, and seeds and discard. Arrange bell peppers in air-fryer basket on their sides. (Bell peppers will fit snugly.) Place basket in air fryer and set temperature to 400 degrees. Cook bell peppers until skins are brown and wrinkled and have collapsed, about 25 minutes, flipping and rotating bell peppers halfway through cooking. Transfer bell peppers to bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let steam for 10 minutes.

Whisk oil, vinegar, garlic, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper together in serving dish. Uncover bowl to let bell peppers cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, peel bell peppers and discard skin, then cut bell peppers into 1-inch-wide strips. Add bell peppers and mozzarella to bowl with dressing and toss to coat; season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with basil and pine nuts. Serve.