Meera Sodha’s vegan roast peppers, cannellini beans and crisp capers – recipe | Beans, pulses and legumes

Recently, we had a street jumble sale; a good chance to get rid of unused things. I found myself evicting old pots, aprons and small bowls, but I couldn’t part with my platters. Because when it comes to serving vegetables, the platter is queen. You can pile things up high (see Ottolenghi’s delis) and, on a platter, they look feast-worthy, abundant and colourful. Today’s recipe for beans, roast peppers and onions might be very simple, but plated on a platter, it feels (and perhaps even tastes) more special.

Roast peppers, cannellini beans and crisp capers

Serve with a sprightly salad and some bread – baguette or focaccia, say – on the side.

Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hr 10 min
Serves 4

3 large red peppers (about 600g), stalks, pith and seeds removed and discarded, flesh cut into 1cm-wide strips
2 red onions, peeled and cut into ½cm-wide slices
Extra-virgin olive oil
Fine sea salt
4 fat garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 tsp dried oregano
800g tinned cannellini beans in water (ie 2 x 400g cans), drained
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp brined capers, drained really well
Warm bread, to serve

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Put the peppers and onions in a large bowl, pour in five tablespoons of the oil and sprinkle over a half-teaspoon of salt. Toss with your hands, then tip out on to one large or two smaller baking sheets – the vegetables should lie toe to toe rather than on top of each other. Roast for 55 minutes, mixing once halfway through, until reduced, glistening and caramelised.

Meanwhile, cook the beans and capers. Put four tablespoons of oil in a medium saucepan on a medium heat and, when hot, add the garlic and cook, stirring, for a minute, until pale gold and turning sticky. Stir in the oregano, drained beans and three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt, then half-fill the empty bean tin with water, add that to the pan, too, and stir again. Leave to bubble away for 10 minutes, until saucy and thick – if after this time it is still a bit wet and runny, squish the beans with a potato masher three times, until the liquid turns creamy. Stir in a half-tablespoon of lemon juice and take off the heat.

For the capers, put a tablespoon of oil in a small frying pan on a medium heat and, when hot, add the capers (watch out, they might spit) and cook for about four minutes, until they are emerald green and visibly crisp. Take off the heat.

When the peppers and onions have finished roasting, stir in the remaining half-tablespoon of lemon juice. Decant the hot beans on to your finest platter, tip the peppers and onions in a line down the middle, then spoon the capers over the peppers and onions. Serve with warmed bread such as focaccia, ciabatta or baguette on the side.

• Discover Meera’s recipes and many more from your favourite cooks in the new Guardian Feast app, with smart features to make everyday cooking easier and more fun