Celery and Pepper Salad

I can provide you with a simple and tasty recipe for an Italian-style celery and bell pepper salad. It is a fresh and colorful dish, perfect as a side for any season.

Ingredients

• 4 stalks of celery
• 2 bell peppers (one red and one yellow to add color)
• A handful of black olives (pitted)
• 2 tablespoons of salted capers (rinsed and desalted)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh basil (a few leaves)

Preparation

1. Start by washing the bell peppers thoroughly, then dry them and cut into thin strips, removing the seeds and the white parts inside.
2. Clean the celery stalks and slice them thinly.
3. Take a large bowl and combine bell peppers and celery.
4. Add the black olives and desalted capers.
5. Dress with lemon juice, a pinch of salt (be careful as the capers are already salty), pepper, and plenty of extra virgin olive oil.
6. Gently mix all the ingredients, then let the salad rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes so that the flavors can blend well.
7. When serving, add fresh basil torn by hands to avoid blackening, and do a final check of salt and pepper.

Fun Facts

Celery is a crunchy and refreshing vegetable widely used in Italian cooking, in cold dishes such as salads or as a base for sautés in more elaborate preparations. Bell peppers, rich in vitamins and bright colors, are often paired with vegetables of a more neutral flavor to balance their sweet and slightly bitter taste.