Bell Pepper: One of the Top Veggies to Plant in your Home Garden

Most people don’t know that bell peppers are actually not veggies, but fruits. What is commonly known, is that their light, grassy flavor makes bell peppers go well with everything.

We have gone over 3 Reasons Why You Should Plant Your Own Garden, and we have given you a few reasons why mint is one of the top herbs to be growing in said garden.

Today, Salud wants to tell you why bell peppers are one of the best plants to grow in your home garden.

• Bell peppers have a flavor that is really easy to combine, and they can be eaten raw, as well as cooked. If that isn’t enough variety, think about the fact that each color of bell pepper tastes different, and that dried, powdered bell pepper is known as a completely different product, named paprika.
• Besides being a good source of fiber, bell peppers are composed of water in 92%. Bell peppers also contain a variety of vitamins, including A, B6, C, E, K, potassium, iron and folate. Some studies have linked bell peppers to the prevention of anemia, and maintaining your eyes healthy.
• Although bell peppers take a while to grow completely, their plant does not take up a lot of space, and you can grow 2 or 3 plants in a pot that is 10-12 inches deep and has enough holes at the bottom to allow draining.

Our recommendation

If you are a fan of bell peppers like us, you have probably already tried them included in salads, or stuffed. Today, we bring  you a recipe with bell peppers that you can have as a tasty, filling healthy snack.

Red Pepper Hummus

• 1 red bell pepper
• 3 tbsp plus 1 ½ tsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
• ¾ tsp salt
• 15 oz canned garbanzo beans, drained of liquid
• 2 garlic cloves
• ⅓ cup tahini
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 green onion, diced

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. 

Coat the bell pepper with 1 tsp olive oil and place on a roasting pan. You can also roast the whole pepper over a gas burner or an outside grill. Roast for 20 minutes, flip over and roast again for 20 more minutes. Remove from the oven and allow peppers to cool about 20 minutes. 

Peel off the charred skin from your roasted pepper. Remove stem and seeds and discard. Coarsely chop bell pepper, reserving 1 tsp of finely chopped bell pepper for garnish. Add remaining peppers to the bowl of a food processor and purée until smooth with garbanzo beans, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, 3 tbsp olive oil, and ground pepper. 

Spread hummus into a shallow serving bowl and garnish with 1/2 tsp olive oil, reserved chopped red bell peppers, and diced green onions. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

We hope you give this recipe a try the next time you need a creative, healthy snack, and that you love it as much as we do.

You can call us at 1-800-299-7917 to make a virtual appointment with Doctor Rigoberto Perez Diaz, or visit our website www.salud.bz, we will gladly assist you. Remember to follow us on Facebook and Instagram and do not forget to tune into our daily program SALUD TV.