Tunisian Salade Méchouia (Grilled Pepper and Tomato Salad)

About This Recipe

Tunisian Salade Méchouia is a real, traditional Tunisian dish, known as Grilled Pepper and Tomato Salad. Charred and blended bell peppers, tomatoes and garlic tossed with olive oil, capers and tuna, a smoky, robust Tunisian starter.\n\nMéchouia, meaning 'grilled' in Arabic, reflects a distinctly Tunisian technique of charring vegetables directly over flame before chopping, resulting in a smoky, rustic salad served at nearly every Tunisian gathering.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Tunisian home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 4red bell peppers
• 2tomatoes
• 6garlic cloves(unpeeled)
• 1green chile pepper
• 4 tbspolive oil
• 1 tbsplemon juice
• 1 tspfine sea salt(to taste)
• 150 gcanned tuna(drained, to garnish)
• 2 tbspcapers
• 3hard-boiled eggs(quartered, to garnish)
• 10black olives(to garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Char the vegetables

   Grill or broil the bell peppers, tomatoes, unpeeled garlic and chile directly over flame or under a broiler until charred and blistered all over.

2. 2

   Steam and peel

   Place the charred vegetables in a covered bowl to steam for 10 minutes, then peel off the skins and remove seeds from the peppers and chile.

3. 3

   Chop

   Finely chop the peeled peppers, tomatoes, garlic and chile together, either by hand or with a brief pulse in a food processor, keeping some texture.

4. 4

   Dress

   Toss the chopped vegetable mixture with olive oil, lemon juice and salt.

5. 5

   Assemble

   Spread the salad onto a serving plate.

6. 6

   Garnish and serve

   Top with flaked tuna, capers, quartered hard-boiled eggs and olives, and serve at room temperature with bread.

Variations

• •

  Add a handful of chopped preserved lemon for extra tang.

• •

  Some households add a few chopped anchovies alongside the tuna.

• •

  Serve as a dip with pita or as a side salad alongside grilled meats.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions