Add Fresh Bell Peppers To Give Your Sandwiches A Colorful Crunch

Tired of eating one-note sandwiches that are bland, sad, and soggy? Then the time has come to add some colorful crunch to your next baguette, sub, hoagie, or hero by embracing the brilliance of the bright-eyed bell pepper.

Known as capsicum in some countries (Capsicum is also the genus name for peppers), these sweet and juicy vegetables (which are technically fruit) provide texture balance to a soft, floppy sandwich, lending it structure as well as flavor. Their eye-catching red, yellow, and orange shades make even the most basic of sandwiches look uber-appetizing too. Indeed, the very best sandwiches, from Reubens and BLTs to meatball subs and banh mi, have layers of interesting ingredients with contrasting textures and colors to create toothsome bites with a robust mouthfeel. Bell peppers provide that sweetness, crunch, and vibrancy in one fell swoop. 

For a no-fuss crunchy layer in your next sandwich, cut your bell peppers into strips or slices and lay them on top of your deli meat, shredded rotisserie chicken, or smashed avocado filling. Better yet, try our suggestion outlined below; replace the bread in your sandwich with two bell pepper halves.

Substitute the bread in your sandwich for two pieces of bell pepper to maximize the crispness and color of your lunchtime bite. Try loading up the bell pepper that's rolling around in the bottom of your crisper drawer with your choice of fillings for the ultimate crunchy sando. This trick also makes for a quick keto lunch or low-calorie snack.

The key here is to choose a hefty bell pepper and the color that suits your preference. Bear in mind that red ones are the sweetest followed by orange, yellow, and then green, which has a slightly bitter flavor. Top and tail your bell pepper, discard the innards, and place it upright on a chopping board. Then slice it vertically down the center to create two similar-sized halves. Remove any remaining seeds and build your sandwich in the hollow of each half by layering up your favorite deli meats, cheeses, condiments, and veggies. A cream cheese layer at the bottom of each hollow makes for a moister sandwich. Join the halves together for a crunchy, contained sandwich minus the bread, or eat them individually, open-faced style.

Another way to add bell peppers to your hoagie or sub is to dice and stir them through creamy sandwich mixes to lend heaps more texture, color, and flavor to egg mayo, tuna, and chicken salad. The flavor of bell peppers is delicious with other crunchy add-ins too, like robust red onions and celery slices.