Roasted Eggplant Pepper Relish (Kyopolou)

Flavorful, roasted Turkish/Bulgarian relish with eggplant, tomatoes, red peppers and olive oil (traditional recipe called Kyopolou). Perfect as appetizer, side meal and even salad. Veggie-rich, vegan & vegetarian friendly, gluten-free and super delicious. As always kid friendly too. Perfect way to celebrate fall and harvest season.

This recipe is one close to my heart (and stomach) as my grandma used to make it for us all the time in late fall. Of course, she didn’t have to use an oven, but rather her outside grill with no ribs, that my granddad made specifically for roasting veggies.

This easy relish recipe is perfect as the main character on a relish tray (like this ceramic one), accompanied by cheese of choice and some crackers, breadsticks or tortillas.

FUN FACT: One of the most widely spread pepper variety in Europe is the Italian Sweet Pepper (or Cubanelle). They are usually green or red (depending on their ripeness).  Bell peppers are usually much more expensive in stores. Both types of peppers have similar taste qualities and are basically interchangeable in recipes. In our household we eat the Italian pepper kind and that is the pepper type my grandma used to grow in her tiny garden.

WHAT IS RELISH?

Relish is a sauce-like condiment that is typical for many cuisines around the world. It’s often times used to accompany other main meals or to enhance their flavor. Relish usually consists of cooked vegetables or fruits, spices, vinegar and sometimes sugar (especially in store-bought relish products). Different recipes use variety of ingredients like (pickles, eggplant, peppers, oranges, cranberries, ect.)

ROASTED EGGPLANT PEPPER RELISH – INGREDIENTS

• Peppers, roasted – roasted peppers are of the main ingredient that deliver sweetness to the relish. You can use both red bell peppers or Italian red peppers.
• Eggplant, roasted – eggplant is another main ingredient here – head over below to see how to roast a whole eggplant in the oven (the easiest way)
• Tomatoes – fresh tomatoes, combined with roasted peppers and eggplant are a wonderful way to bring more flavor to this vegetable-rich relish.
• Garlic, fresh – raw, minced garlic is a must for this relish recipe.
• Onion, fresh – recommend using yellow or red onions for the recipe. Spring onions work well too.
• Parsley, fresh – fresh parsley leaves add a lovely tone to the roasted red pepper.
• Olive oil – preferably extra virgin – creates the homogenized feel of the relish.
• Apple cider vinegar, optional -if you do not like apple cider vinegar in your salads, definitely skip this time too.
• Salt & pepper to taste – as always, salt and pepper are the finishing touch to a recipe. taste test and add more as needed. First however start small on the salt.

HOW TO MAKE ROASTED RELISH AT HOME – tips

HOW TO ROAST whole RED PEPPERS (in the oven)

• Wash peppers under cold water, let dry
• Place all peppers on parchment paper without removing seeds and stem
• Bake in preheated oven (200C/400F) until skin looks loose and burned spots appear
• Let steam and take skin off – use as needed or freeze (skinless)

PRO TIPS:

• Choose peppers that are similar in size and shape. That way they get evenly roasted for the same period of time;
• Always let roasted peppers steam well after baking. That way the skin falls off much easier. To do that, take the roasted peppers out the oven and immediately place them in a large cooking pan with lid. Let them sit there for 20 minutes. Then take out and peel the skin off.
• Do not wash peppers under water after taking skin off –otherwise their natural sweetness and nutrients get (slightly) washed away as well.

BEST (and easiest) WAY TO ROAST EGGPLANT (in the oven)

• Wash eggplant under cold water.
• Using a fork pierce the skin of eggplant on each side (roughly 101-5 times to cover all sides)
• Place pierced eggplant on baking paper
• Bake in preheated oven (200C/400F) until eggplant becomes soft
• Take out, let cool and peel the skin off as needed.
• Store in air-tight container up to 48h or freeze for future use

MORE EUROPEAN RECIPES:

• Chicken Meatball Soup with Kale and Rice Noodles (Instant pot friendly)
• Egg Noodles (Spätzle) with cheesy shiitake mushrooms and broccoli sauce
• Cellentani pasta with ground turkey and tomato sauce
• Mini Apple Strudel (Apfelstrudel)
• Beef Liver Steak Recipe (for Iron Deficiency)

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Roasted Pepper Eggplant Relish (Kyopolou)

Roasted eggplant and red pepper relish – perfect appetizers that celebrates seasonal vegetables in summer and fall. Vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free. Kid-friendly too.

Ingredients

• 1 medium eggplant , roasted
• 2 medium tomatoes, cut in cubes
• 6-8 red (bell) peppers, roasted & skinless
• 2 cloves garlic, or more to taste
• 1 red onion, small
• 3-4 tbsp parsley, chopped
• 3-4 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, optional
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Roast red (bell) peppers and eggplant (see above for directions), then peel skin off and cut roughly in chunks.
• Wash tomatoes under cold water and cut in small cubes. Wash and cut red onion and parsley as well.
• In food processor, add roasted eggplant, red peppers, tomato cubes, chopped onion and parsley and pulse until desired smoothness is reached. Alternatively, chop all vegetables in small cubes using kitchen knife for more chunky texture.
• Transfer to large mixing bowl, then add olive oil, vinegar (optional), salt and pepper and mix until well combined. Serve immediately or preserve in air-tight contained for up to 48 hours (in fridge).

Recipe Notes

->> Vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free;

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