Low Sodium Italian Sweet Peppers Recipe
This low sodium Italian sweet peppers recipe makes perfectly soft and juicy pepper strips, perfect for topping your next sandwich or wrap! Made with fresh sliced bell peppers, pan cooked with salt-free spices and some unsalted broth.
You can also enjoy these peppers as a side dish with your favorite protein, they are super versatile! See our step-by-step photos below and make these great Italian peppers along with us today.
Want more low sodium bell pepper recipes? Try our low sodium Cajun pasta, our low sodium Southwest chicken and peppers, and our favorite low sodium stuffed peppers!
Since I’m working on my next low sodium cookbook, one of the recipes I just had to include is our low sodium Chicago style Italian beef… which you can’t have without Italian sweet peppers! They’re a classic topping for Italian beef and are super soft, juicy and give great flavor and moisture to the sandwich.
This is my mom’s favorite recipe which she gave to me and I adapted slightly for a lower sodium version (thanks Mom!). As a born and raised Chicagoan my mom knows sweet peppers and I would agree with her: These are the best!
But these peppers are so much more versatile than just a sandwich topping; they are great as a side dish on their own (served up with low sodium shake and bake chicken or low sodium pork chops), or would even be a great topping on low sodium pizza.
Notes from Our Low Sodium Kitchen
- These low sodium Italian peppers are super flavorful and pan cooked in a great salt-free spice blend.
- They are super juicy and tender, and have a great soft texture in each bite.
- An excellent addition to burgers, sandwiches, salad bowls, and so much more.
- A super inexpensive recipe that is great to batch cook for company.
- Cooks of any skill level can successfully make these peppers by following along with our step-by-step photos and video below.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Be sure to visit the recipe card below to see the full ingredient amounts and directions!
The star of this recipe is sweet bell peppers. I love the flavor of green bell peppers, but you can use any combination of bell peppers you prefer- green, red, yellow or orange work interchangeably in this recipe and all taste wonderful!
Our salt free spice blend has onion powder, garlic powder, dried basil and oregano, and black pepper. We also add a bit of sugar for added sweetness which makes these extra good.
And to give these peppers a bit of tang, we add a little extra white vinegar. The peppers cook in a vinegar and water mix which gets a nice acidity in each bite.
Additions and Substitutions
For added flavor, if you wanted to cook the peppers in unsalted chicken broth or beef broth you could use that instead of the water.
You don’t have dried oregano and basil, you can use a salt-free Italian seasoning blend as a substitute.
If you want to make these peppers spicy, add a half teaspoon of chili flakes while you are cooking for a low sodium hot pepper variation.
Step-By-Step Photos & Directions
Step 1: In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the sliced bell peppers and the vinegar, and cover the pot with a lid.
Step 2: Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the bell peppers begin to soften.
Step 3: Remove the lid and add in the granulated sugar, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, water, and the white vinegar.
Step 4: Cover again with the lid, and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the bell peppers are soft and begin to peel.
Step 5: Remove from heat, and enjoy the peppers as a side dish or on a low sodium beef sandwich. Enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
We use sliced bell peppers, favorite salt-free spice mix featuring Italian herbs, of vinegar to add brightness and flavor in each bite of peppers.
Our low sodium peppers recipe has XX mg sodium per serving, as we use though, added salt in our recipe. If you order Italian sweet peppers from a restaurant or a deli, the nutritional content will vary, so be sure to ask your for server for more accurate and specific ingredient amounts.
Store any left over sweet peppers in an airtight container and use within 3 days.
Serving Suggestions
These peppers are classically served with Italian style beef sandwiches… check out our low sodium Italian beef sandwich recipe in our next book: Low Sodium Lunches for a treat!
Aside from the classic beef sandwich, you can also serve these Italian peppers on low sodium pulled pork sandwiches, chicken wraps made with low sodium oven baked chicken, or with low sodium pork chops.
These peppers work great as a side dish as well. You can serve them up with low sodium grilled chicken, low sodium cedar plank salmon, or our favorite low sodium halibut.
Expert Tips
- Make sure you fully cook the peppers until they are soft and juicy (they shouldn’t be crunchy at all) – so if you are using a smaller pan, it may take a little extra time for each of the pepper strips to soften.
- This is a classic sweet pepper recipe, but for low sodium hot peppers, you can add a half of teaspoon of chili pepper flakes into the spice mix for some heat!
- If you want even sweeter peppers, then you can add an additional teaspoon or two of sugar.
More Low Sodium Recipes with Bell Peppers
- Low Sodium Stuffed Pepper Soup Recipe
- Low Sodium Chicken Corn Chowder Recipe
- The best Low Sodium Fajita Vegetables
- Low Sodium Baked Egg Cups Recipe
- Low Sodium Chickpea Curry Recipe
Let’s keep in touch – don’t forget to follow over on Instagram, Facebook, & my Youtube channel for more easy low sodium recipes.
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Low Sodium Italian Sweet Peppers
Equipment
- Large Pot or Pan
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 green bell peppers sliced
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the sliced bell peppers and the vinegar, and cover the pot with a lid.
- Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the bell peppers begin to soften.
- Remove the lid and add in the granulated sugar, oregano, dried basil, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, water, and the white vinegar.
- Cover again with the lid, and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the bell peppers are soft and begin to peel.
- Remove from heat, and enjoy the peppers as a side dish or on a low sodium beef sandwich. Enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure you fully cook the peppers until they are soft and juicy (they shouldn’t be crunchy at all) – so if you are using a smaller pan, it may take a little extra time for each of the pepper strips to soften.
- This is a classic sweet pepper recipe, but for low sodium hot peppers, you can add a half of teaspoon of chili pepper flakes into the spice mix for some heat!
- If you want even sweeter peppers, then you can add an additional teaspoon or two of sugar.
Nutrition estimate (for 1 serving)
*Please note, all nutrition content is estimated based on the ingredients we used in our kitchen. It will vary based on your ingredients. Always check your nutrition labels to verify your nutrition content and sodium amounts.
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