Coconut Free Walnut Pesto Roasted Red Pepper Relish
Smoky, charred red peppers meet a bright basil-and-walnut base in this bold relish that works as a spread, a topping, or an outright dip. The peppers go under the broiler until deeply blistered and collapsed, then steam in a covered bowl until the skins slip right off — a simple technique that coaxes out a rich, almost sweet depth of flavor. Walnuts are pulsed separately so they stay coarse and toasty, folded in at the end to give every spoonful a satisfying crunch against the silky pepper-and-herb paste. Fresh basil, lemon juice, garlic, and a pinch of red pepper flakes keep the whole thing lively and a little punchy. Because every ingredient here is a whole, recognizable food — no emulsifiers, no hidden oils, no tropical derivatives — it's genuinely easy to trust what's in the bowl. Serve it at room temperature alongside crusty bread, grilled chicken, or roasted vegetables, and watch it disappear fast.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the roasted peppers
- 3 large red bell peppers (about 1 ½ lb total)
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
For the pesto-walnut base
- ½ cup raw walnuts
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- 1 small garlic clove, roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For serving
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Position an oven rack 6 inches from the broiler element and preheat the broiler to high. Place the whole red bell peppers on a baking sheet, rub them with 1 tbsp olive oil, and broil for 18–22 minutes, turning with tongs every 5–6 minutes, until the skins are deeply charred and blistered on all sides and the peppers have collapsed.
- 2
Transfer the charred peppers to a mixing bowl, cover tightly with a plate or plastic wrap, and let them steam for 10 minutes — this loosens the skins.
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