Description
Fresh green bell peppers bring vibrant color, satisfying crunch, and mild sweetness to countless dishes across kitchens worldwide. These versatile vegetables, also known as sweet peppers or capsicums, feature thick, glossy walls with a crisp texture and a gentle, slightly grassy flavor that makes them perfect for both raw and cooked applications. Green bell peppers are simply unripe versions of red, yellow, or orange peppers, harvested early for their distinctive taste and firm bite.
In the kitchen, green peppers shine in everything from classic stuffed pepper recipes to stir-fries, fajitas, and Mediterranean dishes. Their sturdy structure makes them ideal for stuffing with rice, ground meat, or quinoa mixtures, while their mild flavor complements bold spices without overwhelming other ingredients. Raw green peppers add excellent crunch to salads, vegetable platters, and sandwiches. They're essential in many cuisines, from Italian sausage and pepper dishes to Chinese stir-fries and Mexican salsas.
When cooking with green peppers, remember they soften quickly over high heat, so add them toward the end of cooking for maximum texture retention. They pair beautifully with onions, tomatoes, garlic, and herbs like oregano and basil. Try roasting them to bring out their natural sweetness, or char them directly over flame for smoky depth. Whether you're making a simple pepper and onion sauté, adding them to pizza toppings, or incorporating them into hearty soups and stews, green bell peppers offer reliable flavor and nutrition that makes them a staple in produce aisles everywhere.