Grilled Bread Salad with Roasted Red Peppers & Onions

Yum. Tell me that doesn't look inviting. The glare from the sunlight almost makes it look like this bright salad is actually glowing!

There's a local bread maker at our farmer's market that has these wonderful fresh loaves for sale every Saturday. This is one he calls "Everything" -- which made us think of those fantastic bagels from Panera. So we got some great red peppers and a red onion to throw on the grill.

Quarter the onion so it won't fall between the cracks. If you have an olive oil mister, it is great for spraying both sides of all the veggies and the bread. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper and roast about 10-12 minutes, flipping once. My wife likes the onions cooked down pretty far so they release all the natural sugars and ease a little in their assertive bite.

The goal is to char the peppers like this. If you have the luxury of owning a gas stove, you can actually set the peppers directly onto the flame and get the same effect.

Scrape all the black off and you will be left with these beautiful roasted red peppers.  Slice them into 1-2" sections along with your onions and toasted bread.  Toss the peppers & onions in a large bowl with olive oil, sherry vinegar, and paprika. Stir it around to coat everything and then add your bread. Toss at the last minute with fresh chives.

The bread was still crunchy, which added a great texture to this dish. The sweet onions pair nicely with the roasted red peppers, and the paprika and vinegar add some big flavors to the party.  We paired this with our smashed potatoes & jalapenos to make an all-vegetarian dinner. And you know what? With all those bright, fresh ingredients and bold flavors -- I never even missed the meat.