Spain is famous for more than just its beautiful beaches – many people also love the country for its magnificent cuisine, which offers so many delicious dishes. For most people, paella and tapas are likely the first things that come to mind. True classics. This delicious Roasted Bell Pepper & Tuna Salad falls into the tapas category… yet not quite, since it works perfectly well as a main course, too. We love this salad in any form…
We are huge fans of tapas in all shapes and forms. If I could, I’d simply put a few tapas on the table every evening and call it a day. Of course, a small portion of any single tapa isn’t enough to fill you up. That means you have to serve a wider spread, which makes a tapas night a bit more of an undertaking if you want to put out all your favorites.
That isn’t always feasible, of course. It always depends on the time you get at hand and probably the mood you’re in. I can easily whip up this tasty roasted pepper and tuna salad, but adding four or five other tapas on top of that? Unfortunately, that happens not that often. That’s why I usually make a larger portion of this salad instead. Add some bread and maybe one other side dish, and you’ve got your perfect, simple dinner ready.
For this simple salad, you need roasted peppers, tuna, onions, and hard-boiled eggs. That’s basically it. That’s all quick and easy to prepare. It goes especially fast if you use a jar of store-bought roasted peppers. However, since our local supermarket doesn’t stock anything particularly good in that department, we quickly roast them in the Air Fryer. That little machine is much faster at this task than a conventional oven.
To be honest, roasting the peppers is the trickiest part of this salad – if you can even call it »tricky«. Roasting peppers is actually super easy. Once they’re roasted and have blackened in spots (whether in the Air Fryer or the oven), all you really have to do is get rid of the outermost layer – the bell pepper skin. That’s the only minor hurdle.
Peppers are known for not wanting to part with their skins – roasted or not. But a simple trick solves that quickly. Right after roasting them in the Air Fryer or oven, just let them sweat for a few minutes in a sealed container until the skin practically peels off on its own. That’s all. After that, removing the skin is a breeze. And if a few bits stick here and there? No big deal.
By the way, when roasting bell peppers in an Air Fryer, make sure the halved peppers are lying side-by-side rather than stacked on top of each other. The hot air needs to reach the skin from all sides. While that’s easy to do with a larger amount of bell peppers in an oven, you might need to run several batches in an Air Fryer if the machine is on the smaller side. We can only fit two bell peppers at a time in our small Air Fryer – you can probably see that clearly in the photos below.
Anyway. Whether served as tapas, a side salad for a barbecue, or a light main course, this simple bell pepper and tuna salad is quick to make and tastes delicious. If you’re looking for tapas recipes that are even faster and easier to make, take a look at our Pimientos de Padrón. They’re the ultimate speedy tapas dish!
If you have a bit more time, you should definitely check out the best type of tapas in the world: Croquetas de Jamón. This is the ultimate tapas classic and one we really love. Unfortunately, they take a bit of time and effort to prepare. However, you can prepare them ahead of time and then freeze them. Then, whenever you’Re craving some Croquetas, you simply take them out of the freezer, let them thaw briefly, and drop them into hot frying oil. Done.
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(3-4 servings)
4 large red bell peppers
1 red onion, cut into wedges
5.9 oz. (150g) tuna (canned in its own juice), drained
2–3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
flaky sea salt, pepper
1–2 hard-boiled eggs (optional)
(3-4 Personen)
4 große Paprikaschoten (rot)
1 rote Zwiebel, in Spalten
150g Thunfisch (im eigenen Saft), abgetropft
2-3 EL Olivenöl (extra nativ)
1 EL Weißweinessig
Meersalz, Pfeffer
1-2 hart gekochte Eier (optional)
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Wash, dry, and halve the bell peppers, then remove the seeds and membranes. Press the pepper halves down slightly and place them, skin-side up, in the Air Fryer basket. Roast the bell pepper at 200°C (390°F) for about 15-18 minutes. It is fine if the peppers turn black in some spots. You can also do this in the oven (see notes).
2. Remove the roasted peppers from the Air Fryer and place them immediately into a sealable container (or freezer bag). Let them cool and steam in their own moisture for about 15 minutes – this makes the skin easier to peel off later.
3. While the peppers cool, peel the onion and cut it into thin wedges. Hard-boil the eggs (if using). Drain the liquid from the tuna.
4. Peel the skin off the bell peppers – it is okay if small bits remain. Cut the bell peppers into bite-sized pieces or strips, then combine them in a bowl with the onion wedges and tuna.
5. Mix the olive oil and vinegar, add the mixture to the bowl, and season with some flaky sea salt and pepper to your liking. Roughly break up the boiled eggs and arrange them on top of the salad. Mix everything once more at the table just before serving.
Notes:
+ If you don’t have an Air Fryer, you can roast the peppers in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 50-60 minutes.
+ Leftovers store well in the refrigerator and can be served again the next day.
1. Die Paprika waschen, trocknen, halbieren und dann von den Innereien befreien. Die Paprikahälften etwas platt drücken und dann mit der Hautseite nach oben in den Korb eines AirFryers legen. Bei einer Temperatur von 200°C (390°F) für etwa 15-18 Minuten anrösten lassen. Die Paprikaschoten dürfen da an einigen Stellen ruhig schwarz geworden sein. Geht auch alles im Ofen (s. Hinweise).
2. Die gerösteten Paprikaschoten aus dem AirFryer nehmen und direkt in einen verschließbaren Behälter (oder einen Gefrierbeutel) geben und für etwa 15 Minuten abkühlen und im eigenen Dampf schwitzen lassen – dadurch lässt sich die Schale später leichter ablösen.
3. Während die Paprika abkühlt, kann man schon auch schon die Zwiebel schälen und in Spalten schneiden, sowie die Eier hart kochen (falls man die verwenden möchte). Die Flüssigkeit des Thunfisch abgießen.
4. Die Schale der Paprika abziehen – falls sich kleine Stücke nicht entfernen lassen, ist das auch OK. Die Paprika in mundgerechte Stücke/Streifen schneiden, dann mit den Zwiebelspalten und dem Thunfisch in einer Schüssel vermengen.
5. Olivenöl und Essig vermischen und zur Schüssel dazugeben, alles mit Meersalz und Pfeffer abschmecken. Die gekochten Eier zerrupfen und auf dem Salat verteilen. Am Tisch dann alles noch einmal durchmischen.
Hinweise:
+ Wer keinen AirFryer hat, kann die Paprika auch bei 180°C (350°F) für 50-60 Minuten im Ofen anrösten.
+ Reste kann man prima im Kühlschrank lagern und am nächsten Tag noch einmal servieren.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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Roasted Bell Pepper & Tuna Salad (Tapas)
- Prep Time: 00:10
- Cook Time: 00:15
- Total Time: 00:40
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Tapas
- Method: -
- Cuisine: Spain
Description
This simple and easy Roasted Bell Pepper & Tuna Salad is a great tapas dish but also works perfectly as a side for your BBQ party in the backyard or garden.
Ingredients
4 large red bell peppers
1 red onion, cut into wedges
5.9 oz. (150g) tuna (canned in its own juice), drained
2–3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
flaky sea salt, pepper
1–2 hard-boiled eggs (optional)
Instructions
1. Wash, dry, and halve the bell peppers, then remove the seeds and membranes. Press the pepper halves down slightly and place them, skin-side up, in the Air Fryer basket. Roast the bell pepper at 200°C (390°F) for about 15-18 minutes. It is fine if the peppers turn black in some spots. You can also do this in the oven (see notes).
2. Remove the roasted peppers from the Air Fryer and place them immediately into a sealable container (or freezer bag). Let them cool and steam in their own moisture for about 15 minutes – this makes the skin easier to peel off later.
3. While the peppers cool, peel the onion and cut it into thin wedges. Hard-boil the eggs (if using). Drain the liquid from the tuna.
4. Peel the skin off the bell peppers – it is okay if small bits remain. Cut the bell peppers into bite-sized pieces or strips, then combine them in a bowl with the onion wedges and tuna.
5. Mix the olive oil and vinegar, add the mixture to the bowl, and season with some flaky sea salt and pepper to your liking. Roughly break up the boiled eggs and arrange them on top of the salad. Mix everything once more at the table just before serving.
Notes
+ If you don’t have an Air Fryer, you can roast the peppers in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 50-60 minutes.
+ Leftovers store well in the refrigerator and can be served again the next day.
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