These pepper toasts are a perfect match for winter soups

These toasts are a perfect match for winter’s soups.

colourful and tasty finger food. Photo: Nikki To

Lennox Hastie

less than 2 min read

11:27AMMay 23, 2024.

Updated 9:11AMJuly 01, 2024

The Weekend Australian Magazine

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These roasted red pepper and feta toasts are equally enjoyable for breakfast or as a light snack, and a great use for any leftover bread. Try them with my Greek bean soup.

Toasts are great with winter soups.

Roasted capsicums are warming and vibrant. Photo: Nikki To

Roasted red pepper toasts

Ingredients

• 2 whole capsicums
• 100g Greek feta
• 100g black kalamata olives, pitted
• Handful fresh oregano or marjoram, roughly chopped
• 8 slices of your favourite bread (ciabatta or baguette work well)
• 60ml olive oil

Method

1. For the black olive crumb, preheat your oven around 120C. Rinse the olives under cold water to remove excess salt or brine. Break the olives in half lengthways and pat dry with a clean towel. Place the olives in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
2. Place the tray in the oven for approximately 2 hours until the olives are dry but still slightly pliable. Check them occasionally and rotate the baking sheet if needed for even drying. Once dried, remove the olives from the oven and let them cool completely. Roughly chop to an even crumb.
3. Meanwhile place whole capsicums on or under a hot grill. Grill for about 6-8 minutes on each side until the skins are charred and blistered. Turn them so that each side is charred evenly. Remove from the grill and place them in a bowl. Cover the bowl with a lid or a clean kitchen towel to allow the capsicums to steam for about 10-12 minutes. This will help loosen the skin, making it easier to peel. Once they are cool enough to handle, peel off the charred skin, which should come off easily. You can discard the skin but pass any resting juices through a sieve and reserve.
4. Cut the capsicum open and carefully remove the seeds, which can also be discarded. Cut the flesh into large pieces, place in a bowl and season with a little salt. Pour over any resting juices and 30ml of olive oil. In a toaster or under a grill, grill
   the slices of bread. Brush with olive oil,
   and lay some feta and the roasted red strips on each slice.
5. Crumble the feta over the capsicum. Top with the olive crumb and fresh herbs, and a drizzle of the roasted capsicum oil to finish. Serve immediately. Serves 3-4