Asadillo

Asadillo is one of those simple, home-style recipes that always feels special. It’s light yet full of flavour — a mix of roasted red peppers, tomatoes, onion, boiled egg, parsley, and good-quality tuna steak.

The sweetness of the peppers and tomatoes melts together beautifully, and when you add the flaked tuna and egg, it becomes the kind of dish everyone reaches for seconds of. It’s the perfect thing to make for a light lunch or an easy starter, especially when you want something wholesome but still full of character.

It’s also the perfect make-ahead dish — keep it in the fridge and bring it out when ready to eat. Ideal for barbecues, dinner parties, or long summer lunches, when you want something fresh, colourful, and effortlessly good.

This one’s been in my family for years — the kind of recipe that appears on the table naturally, shared with a drizzle of olive oil and a bit of crusty bread. Simple, nourishing, and quietly delicious.

Asadillo

Serves 4 adults

Prep Time: 15 min once peppers are roasted

Make ahead cook time: 1 min after prep

Ingredients:

(olive oil, salt and pepper)

• 460 g roasted red peppers (from a jar or can), cut into chunks or 2 very large red peppers, washed (don’t dry them)

• 3 large tomatoes, cut into pieces

• 1 small onion, thinly sliced

• 3 boiled eggs, cut into 8 pieces

• 250 g good-quality tuna — I used yellowfin tuna steak in olive oil, flaked into smaller bits

• A big handful of roughly chopped parsley

• 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

• ½ lemon, juiced

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

If roasting the peppers yourself:

Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan). Place the whole peppers on a tray and roast for about 35 minutes, until the skins start to blacken. Remove from the oven and transfer to a container. Cover with a damp cloth and let them rest as they cool. Once cooled, peel off the skin, discard the seeds, and cut into chunks. Reserve the juices released while resting — they add wonderful flavour to the salad.

If you dont:

1. Put the pepper chunks into a large serving bowl.

   If you roasted the peppers yourself, add half of the reserved liquid at this stage for extra flavour, and discard the rest.

2. Add the tomatoes, cut into pieces.

3. Add the tuna, broken into smaller bits.

4. Add the onion, thinly sliced.

5. Add the eggs, cut into 8 pieces.

6. Sprinkle over the chopped parsley.

7. Drizzle with 4 tablespoons of olive oil, add the lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

8. Gently toss everything together and let it sit for a few minutes before serving so the flavours come together.

Serving Tips:

• Add a few black or green olives to the Asadillo for a lovely salty contrast to the sweetness of the peppers and tomatoes.

• Serve the with garlic bruschetta — rub toasted bread with a cut clove of garlic, drizzle with olive oil, add a bit of salt, and let it soak up all those beautiful juices from the salad.

• For a little extra flavour, add a few anchovies on top — they melt slightly into the olive oil and lemon, giving the whole dish a deeper, savoury edge.

Make-Ahead Meals Steps:

You can prepare the whole dish in advance, except for the olive oil. Assemble all the ingredients in the serving bowl but don’t mix them yet. Cover the bowl tightly with cling film and keep it in the fridge.

When ready to serve, take it out about 5 minutes beforehand to let it come to room temperature. Then drizzle with the olive oil, give it a gentle mix, and it’s ready to enjoy — fresh, vibrant, and perfectly chilled.

Tips & Tricks:

• If you’re roasting the peppers yourself, don’t skip covering them while cooling — the steam makes it much easier to peel off the skins.

• Use good-quality tuna in olive oil — it makes a real difference in both texture and flavour.

• Don’t overmix once you add the oil; you want to keep the pieces distinct and colourful.

• A few drops of the reserved pepper liquid (from roasting) add wonderful depth — mix it into the dressing or drizzle just before serving.

• If your tomatoes are very juicy, drain off a little of the liquid so the salad doesn’t become too watery.

• For a pretty presentation, layer the ingredients in the serving bowl rather than tossing — like I did on an individual plate for my picture.

Variations:

• Swap the tuna for roasted chicken for a slightly richer version.

• Add a few capers or pickled onions if you like a little tang.

• Mix in some chickpeas, white beans or whole grain rice to make it more filling and turn it into a complete meal.

Simple, fresh, and full of colour — that’s Asadillo for me. Hope you’ll love it as much as we do at home. Happy cooking!