Salade Mechouia — Tunisian Grilled Salad

About This Recipe

Salade mechouia is Tunisia's most famous salad: a deeply smoky, fragrant preparation of grilled and charred peppers, tomatoes, and hot chillies that are blistered over a flame or under a grill, then peeled and roughly chopped or blended with garlic, cumin, lemon and good olive oil. It is served as a starter with crusty bread, alongside grilled fish, as a sauce for couscous, or spread into sandwiches. The name 'mechouia' comes from the Arabic for 'grilled'. The charring is essential — it is what gives the salad its unique smoky depth — and the quality of olive oil drizzled over at the end is what elevates it from simple to extraordinary. Every Tunisian family makes theirs slightly differently.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 4 largered or green bell peppers
• 4 largeripe tomatoes
• 2long green chillies
• 4 clovesgarlic(unpeeled)
• 1.5 teaspoonsground cumin
• 1 tablespoonlemon juice
• 4 tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil(plus more to serve)
• 1 teaspoonsalt
• 1 tingood tuna in oil(optional, to serve)
• 4 largeblack olives(to serve)
• 2hard-boiled eggs(halved, to serve)

Instructions

1. 1

   Char the vegetables

   Place peppers, tomatoes, chillies and unpeeled garlic directly over a gas flame or under a very hot grill. Turn occasionally until completely charred and blistered all over — about 15–20 minutes. The skin should be blackened.

   Full charring is essential, not optional. The smokiness comes from the blackened skin — don't be timid.

2. 2

   Steam and peel

   Place charred vegetables in a bowl covered with cling film for 10 minutes. Peel off all the blackened skin. Deseed the peppers. Squeeze garlic from skins.

3. 3

   Chop and season

   Roughly chop or pulse the peeled vegetables briefly in a food processor — the salad should be chunky, not a purée. Mix with cumin, lemon juice, olive oil and salt. Taste and adjust.

4. 4

   Plate and serve

   Spread on a platter. Top with flaked tuna, hard-boiled egg halves and olives. Drizzle generously with more olive oil. Serve with warm crusty bread.

Variations

• •

  Add a pinch of caraway seeds alongside the cumin for extra depth.

• •

  Some versions add a teaspoon of harissa for extra heat.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Return to room temperature before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions