This is my take on the Cucumber and Pepper Salad that went viral on TikTok! It's crisp, refreshing, and an unbeatable balance of spicy and sweet. A combination of chopped mini cucumbers, sweet peppers, cherry tomatoes and creamy avocado topped with chili oil, homemade sesame ginger dressing, and Everything But the Bagel Seasoning. The best part is that it only takes 5 minutes to make. This crunchy salad is a great side dish for summer months!
Video of How to Make Cucumber and Pepper Salad
Here is a video of how to make Cucumber and Pepper Salad that I hope is helpful! Be sure to check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full recipe.
As a dietitian, I try to incorporate fresh vegetables and other simple ingredients as much as possible, and this colorful salad is my new favorite snack. The original recipe came from Rachael Kirkconnell, and the first time I made it I knew I had to share it!
This cucumber and pepper salad recipe pairs great with Air Fryer Honey Garlic Salmon Bites or Crispy Roasted Chickpeas. Add rice or your favorite grain for a nourishing and balanced meal ready in just 15 minutes. If you are looking for more great salads, try an Arugula Salad with Beets and Goat Cheese.
Jump to:
- Video of How to Make Cucumber and Pepper Salad
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- How to Make Cucumber and Pepper Salad
- Variations
- Meal Prep and Storage
- Expert Tips
- Registered Dietitian tip
- FAQs
- More Recipes
- Perfect for Pairing
- Looking for Nutrition Education from a Registered Dietitian?
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Why You'll Love This Recipe
QUICK - the best part is that this salad comes together in a total time of 5 minutes.
EASY - if you can chop some veggies and mix them together, you can make this salad!
FLAVORFUL - it's loaded with so much flavor you won't want to stop eating!
COLORFUL - the vibrant colors in this recipe scream warm weather is here.
NUTRITION - you don't always need to eat spinach, kale, or broccoli for nutrition. This salad is full of nourishing ingredients that provide antioxidants and plenty of vitamins.
Key Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
*This Sweet Pepper Salad is made with simple ingredients. Below are some ingredient notes. Be sure to check the printable recipe card at the bottom for exact ingredient measurements and full recipe.
Salad Ingredients
- Persian Cucumbers - fresh cucumbers add a crunchy texture to this salad and also add antioxidants. Look for Persian cucumbers which are also known as mini cucumbers. You can also use English Cucumber for this recipe. Both Persian and English Cucumbers have fewer and smaller seeds and thinner skin than American Cucumbers and they are sweeter and more crisp. If you use an American cucumber, I suggest peeling it.
- Sweet Mini Peppers - look for mini bell peppers in a bag at the grocery store. They have less seeds and are slightly sweeter than regular bell peppers. You can substitute with a regular bell pepper if that's what you prefer or what is accessible. Red peppers are the sweetest and green peppers are the least sweet.
- Cherry Tomatoes - make it a cucumber pepper tomato salad by adding a handful of halved grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes.
- Ripe Avocado - creamy avocado adds healthy fats and takes this already good cucumber salad to the next level!
- Chili Oil - a teaspoon or two adds a bite of spice to the salad ingredients. You can find Trader's Joes Crispy Chili Crunch (a chili sauce oil) which is what I use for this recipe on Amazon. Any chili oil will work and another brand you may see is FLYBYJING.
- Sesame Ginger Dressing - I use my homemade Sesame Ginger Dressing for this recipe. You can make your own sesame ginger tangy homemade dressing using this recipe. If you're short on time, use any store-bought ginger dressing you want, like this one from Primal Kitchen.
- Everything Bagel Seasoning - I use Everything But the Bagel Seasoning from Trader Joe's but you can use any Everything Bagel seasoning or even make your own. If you aren't familiar with it, it's a combination of toasted sesame seeds, poppy seeds, garlic and onion flakes, and salt. Add black pepper too if you want.
- Salt-and-Pepper - to tie all the flavors together.
Sesame Ginger Dressing Ingredients
You can use a store-bought ginger dressing for this Cucumber Pepper Salad. But if you want to make a homemade dressing, here are the ingredients you will need.
- Toasted Sesame Oil - using toasted sesame oil has a depth of flavor that adds a nuttiness to this dressing. I use Oi! brand or La Tourangelle brand. You can use regular sesame oil if it's what's accessible.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil - extra virgin olive oil balances out the stronger sesame oil. You can substitute with avocado oil if you prefer.
- Tahini - You can usually find tahini with nut butter at the grocery store. I find it's easier to use a squeezable tahini like Mighty Sesame Co. brand.
- Fresh Ginger - grate it finely with a citrus zester.
- Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce - if you are gluten-free, substitute with tamari sauce or coconut aminos.
- Rice Wine Vinegar - also known simply as rice vinegar. I use Marukan brand.
- Maple Syrup - adding a sweetener like maple syrup balances out the other salty and savory flavors in this dressing.
- Garlic
How to Make Cucumber and Pepper Salad
*Below are the instructions for how to make Cucumber and Pepper salad with some process photos that I hope are helpful! Don't forget to check out the recipe card at the bottom for the full recipe.
Step 1 - If using homemade Sesame Ginger Dressing, whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. If using store-bought dressing, you can skip this step!
Step 2 - Slice cucumbers using either a mandoline slicer or a sharp knife. Remove seeds from the sweet bell peppers and dice them into evenly sized pieces. Cut cherry tomatoes into halves and dice avocado. In a large bowl, combine cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, and avocado.
Step 3 - Add everything bagel seasoning, and chili crisp sauce. Drizzle in ginger dressing.
Step 4 - Give everything a good toss being careful not to smash the avocado.
Hint: if you are sensitive to spice, cut down on the amount of chili crisp sauce.
Variations
You can easily customize this Cucumber and Pepper Salad for your taste. Below are some ideas, but feel free to get creative and put your own spin on it.
- Fancy - add in briny green olives or yummy black olives and a shallot or chopped red onion for even more flavor and brighten it up a bit with a Tablespoon of lemon juice. Add crumbled feta cheese and chopped green onions on top.
- Spicy - if the kick from the chili oil isn't enough, toss in some crushed red pepper flakes and a finely chopped jalapeno pepper.
- Herby - add fresh parsley, cilantro, or fresh dill on top.
Meal Prep and Storage
Meal Prep: meal prep by chopping the vegetables including the cucumbers, peppers, and tomatoes in advance. When you're ready to serve, add the avocado and dressing.
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. If you store it much longer the cucumber will start to lose its crispness.
Expert Tips
- Slice your cucumbers and dice your bell peppers into relatively even-sized pieces.
- Prevent the cucumber pepper salad from getting soggy by adding the dressing right before you serve it!
- A great way to evenly distribute the flavors is to mix the chili oil sauce and ginger dressing in a small bowl before adding it to the vegetables.
Registered Dietitian tip
This Cucumber and Pepper Salad is a refreshing side dish, but it isn't a meal by itself. The best way to make it a balanced meal is to add protein and carbohydrates! I suggest serving it with Honey Garlic Salmon Bites, shrimp, or chicken breast. Make it vegan using a plant-protein. Tofu, edamame, or Roasted Chickpeas pair great with the flavors in this recipe. Add your favorite grain or a slice of crusty sourdough.
FAQs
Healthy means something different to everyone, but from a nutritional perspective, this cucumber and pepper salad is a nourishing option and can help you meet your daily values. It is made with fresh ingredients and provides several vitamins and other nutrients including vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium, and antioxidants which are important for overall health.
You can easily prep this salad ahead by cutting the vegetables and storing them in an airtight container. Then add the dressing when it's ready to be served!
It depends on your taste preference. But Persian cucumbers or English Cucumbers are my favorite to use for cucumber and pepper salad because they are slightly sweeter with fewer seeds and thinner skin than American Cucumbers.
Use sweet mini peppers like these which you can usually find in a bag at the grocery store. If you can't find them, feel free to replace with a regular bell pepper.
Serve this summer salad for a weeknight dinner with thinly sliced grilled chicken, shrimp, Crispy Air Fryer Salmon bites, or roasted chickpeas. Have it for lunch with sandwiches, chicken salad, tuna salad or quinoa salad. Add noodles to make it a pasta salad.
More Recipes
Looking for other nourishing dietitian recipes? Try these:
Perfect for Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Cucumber and Red Pepper Salad:
Looking for Nutrition Education from a Registered Dietitian?
Here are some of my blog posts you may enjoy:
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📖 Recipe
Easy Cucumber and Pepper Salad (Viral TikTok Recipe)
Equipment
- 1 mandoline slicer optional
Ingredients
- 4 mini (persian) cucumbers (or English cucumber)
- 8 mini sweet peppers (or 1 regular red bell pepper)
- 4 tablespoon sesame ginger salad dressing (see below for homemade dressing ingredients or use your favorite store-bought ginger dressing)
- 2 teaspoon chili onion crunch (I use Trader Joe's. FLYBYJING is another popular brand)
- 1 tablespoon Everything Bagel Seasoning (I use Trader Joe's but you can use any brand)
- 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 medium avocado, diced or ½ large avocado
For the Sesame Ginger Dressing
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1.5 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce (to make this recipe gluten-free, use coconut aminos or GF tamari)
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon tahini
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- ½ tablespoon ginger root, finely grated
Instructions
- If making homemade Sesame Ginger Dressing, whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. If using store-bought dressing, you can skip this step!
- Slice cucumbers using either a mandoline slicer or a sharp knife. Remove seeds from the sweet bell peppers and dice them into evenly sized pieces. Cut cherry tomatoes into halves and dice avocado. In a large bowl, combine cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, and avocado.
- Add everything bagel seasoning, and chili crisp sauce. Drizzle in ginger dressing.
- Give everything a good toss being careful not to smash the avocado.
- Hint: if you are sensitive to spice, cut down on the amount of chili crisp sauce.
Video
Notes
- Slice your cucumbers and dice your bell peppers into relatively even-sized pieces.
- Prevent the cucumber pepper salad from getting soggy by adding the dressing right before you serve it.
- A great way to evenly distribute the flavors is to mix the chili oil sauce and ginger dressing in a small bowl before adding it to the vegetables.
Sarah
This salad is reason enough to take a Trader Joe's trip!!!! LOVE