Bell Peppers! What comes to your mind first when you think about this crunchy and healthy vegetable? They come in different colours and types and can be cooked as a sabzi or added to a variety of salads. All types of Bell Peppers offer several nutritional advantages for your health. Among all, the red bell pepper has the most nutrients of the bunch as it contains more antioxidants and phytonutrients due to its riper state than yellow or green peppers. They are a great supplement to a healthy diet because they are low in calories and rich in vitamin C as well as other antioxidants.
A nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo took to her Instagram and shared countless health benefits of Bell Peppers. “Colourful, antioxidant-rich, and nutrient-packed, bell peppers make for an excellent addition to your regular diet,” she wrote in the caption.
Talking about the rich vegetable sources, the psychiatrist wrote, “Bell Peppers are a rich source of Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and antioxidants like quercetin, capsanthin, and luteolin.”
The health expert said bell pepper is packed with Vitamin C that acts as antioxidants which further helps in improving and lightening the mood. It is also a rich source of Vitamin A that facilitates proper brain functioning.
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Here are a few bell pepper recipes that you should try:
Roasted bell pepper soup:
Take a heavy-bottomed pan and sweat spring onions, leeks and celery.
Add red bell peppers, ginger and tomatoes into it and cook for 5-6 minutes.
Then add paprika powder, red chillies, and tomato juice to the pan and cook it for 8 minutes.
Combine it with vegetable stock and cook them till the time they become soft (cook for about 20 minutes)
Blend the soup (use a mixer or a blender)
Add orange zest, oregano and chopped parsley into it.
While serving it in a bowl, garnish it with basil leaves.
Bell pepper and bean dip
Grill the bell pepper after washing it.
Take a blender and add garlic cloves, bell pepper, Thai chillies, cooked garbanzo beans/ chickpeas, and lemon into it.
Give it a whiz.
Consume it as a dip or spread it on pita bread.