When you want a simple side dish that is easy to prepare and adds a lot of color and texture to your table, make my Sautéed Sugar Snaps and Bell Peppers. It’s a super simple dish with lots of flavor and color. And the ingredients are readily available year round.

Once you understand how to cook these tender veggies, you can substitute any other vegetable you’d like. This recipe would be fabulous with sliced yellow summer squash, asparagus, green beans (they need to cook a bit longer though), cherry or grape tomatoes, zucchini, or fennel. Just look up the sautéing time for these veggies and adjust the recipe accordingly.

For now, this is my favorite veggie combination. The sugar snap peas are bright and still crunchy but tender, and they have such a wonderful sweet flavor. The bell peppers are so colorful and sweet and they are tender too. A bit of garlic adds a hint of sharp flavor, and the olive oil is rich and peppery. What’s not to like?

You can serve this easy side dish for Thanksgiving, as a side to roast chicken or steak, or with cookout hamburgers. Enjoy every bite.

How to make the best Sautéed Sugar Snaps and Bell Peppers

• When you are shopping, look for the brightest colored veggies and make sure that they are firm. Never buy veggies that are limp or discolored, that are damaged or bruised, or if they have soft spots.
• These veggies are best prepared simply so you  are just enhancing their flavor, color and texture. Don’t cook them too long or they will become limp and will be more bland and colorless.
• This is typically a last minute recipe, but it can also stand on a serving plate. It’s just as good served at room temperature as it is right out of the skillet.