This is my take on the Cucumber and Pepper Salad that went viral on TikTok! I don't think every viral recipe is worth the hype, but this one absolutely is. 😊 It's crisp, refreshing, and an unbeatable balance of spicy and sweet. Made with mini cucumbers and sweet peppers topped with chili oil and homemade sesame ginger dressing. I add cherry tomatoes and creamy avocado for even more flavor!
As a dietitian, I love finding new and delicious ways to incorporate fresh vegetables and other simple ingredients in my recipes, and this crunchy 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 with my own tweaks! It's a quick recipe, makes a great side dish for summer months, and there's no need to turn on the oven or stove.
This cucumber and pepper salad recipe pairs great with Air Fryer Honey Garlic Salmon Bites or Crispy Roasted Chickpeas.
More Cucumber Salad Recipes
- Mango Cucumber Salad
- Cucumber Tomato Salad with Feta (Greek Inspired)
- Carrot Ribbon Cucumber Salad
- Chickpea Cucumber Salad
- Cucumber Corn Salad
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Key Ingredient Notes and Substitution Ideas
This cucumber and bell pepper salad is made with simple ingredients. Below are some ingredient notes. Check the recipe card at the bottom for measurements.
Base Salad Ingredients
- Persian Cucumbers - fresh cucumbers add crunchy texture and antioxidants. Look for Persian cucumbers which are mini cucumbers. English cucumber would work here too. Both Persian and English cucumbers have fewer and smaller seeds and thinner skin than regular cucumbers.
- Sweet Mini Peppers - look for mini bell peppers in a bag at the grocery store. Usually a variety of colors come in one bag. 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 you have.
- Cherry Tomatoes - tomatoes aren't in the original recipe, but I love adding juicy tomatoes to it and I use either grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes. It gives a pop of sweetness.
- Ripe Avocado - creamy avocado adds healthy fats and takes this already good cucumber salad to the next level.
- Chili Oil - a teaspoon or two of chili is an easy way to add spice and flavor. Trader's Joes has a Crispy Chili Crunch (a chili sauce oil) which is what I use for this recipe. Another brand I've used is Fly By Jing but any chili oil you like will work.
- Everything Bagel Seasoning - if you aren't familiar with it, everything but the bagel seasoning is a combination of toasted sesame seeds, poppy seeds, garlic and onion flakes, and salt. Add black pepper too if you want!
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 - sesame oil has a strong flavor so you only need a small amount.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil - extra virgin olive oil contains heart-healthy fatty acids and it balances out the stronger sesame oil. You can substitute with avocado oil if you prefer.
- Tahini - tahini is a sesame seed paste with a rich nutty flavor. You can usually find it with the nut butter at the grocery store.
- Fresh Ginger - grated fresh ginger adds a hint of spice and more flavor. Ginger is also full of antioxidants.
- Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce - to add a salty component. If you are gluten-free, substitute with GF tamari sauce or coconut aminos.
- Rice Vinegar - rice vinegar is perfect for this dressing because it's a bit sweeter than other vinegars, but you can substitute with white vinegar or apple cider vinegar if you want.
- Maple Syrup - adding a sweetener like maple syrup balances out the other salty and savory flavors in this dressing.
- Garlic - for more flavor.
How to Make a Cucumber and Pepper Salad
Below are the instructions this recipe with photos I hope are helpful. Check out the recipe card at the bottom for the full recipe.
Step 1: Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Step 2: Thinly 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. Half or quarter the cherry tomatoes and dice the avocado. In a large bowl, combine cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, and avocado.
Step 3: Add everything bagel seasoning, and chili crisp sauce. Drizzle in as much of the dressing as you prefer and serve the rest on the side.
Step 4: Give everything a good toss being careful not to smash the avocado.
Hint: if you're making this in advance, wait to add the avocado right before serving.
Dietitian Tip
Adding avocado and tomatoes to the original version of this cucumber and pepper salad is a simple way to add even more flavor and nutrition! The avocado especially makes it slightly creamy and provides fiber and healthy fats!
Video of How to Make Cucumber and Pepper Salad
Here is a video of how to make this recipe that I hope is helpful!
Variations for Cucumber and Pepper Salad
One of the best parts about this recipe is you can easily customize it for your taste. Below are some ideas.
- More Vegetables or Fruits - some other ingredients that would work great in this salad are green peppers, celery, shallot, chopped red onion or green onions. Fresh mango or pineapple would be great too.
- Add Citrus - add even more flavor and brighten it up a bit with a tablespoon of lemon juice or lime juice.
- Salty - add in briny green olives, black olives, or crumbled feta cheese for a salty component.
- Spicy - if the kick from the chili oil isn't enough, toss in some crushed red pepper flakes and a finely chopped jalapeno pepper.
- Add Fresh Herbs - add fresh parsley, cilantro, mint, or fresh dill.
Meal Prep and Storage for Cucumber and Pepper Salad
- 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 sweet bell peppers into relatively even sized pieces.
- Prevent the cucumber pepper salad from getting soggy by adding the dressing right before you serve it.
- Gently stir in the avocado so it doesn't get mashed.
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 cucumbers, peppers, and tomatoes and storing them in an airtight container. Then add the dressing and avocado when it's ready to be served!
It depends on your taste preference. But Persian cucumbers or English cucumbers are my favorite to use because they are slightly sweeter with fewer seeds and thinner skin than regular cucumbers.
Use sweet mini peppers 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 or oven-baked chicken, hot honey shrimp, air fryer salmon bites, or roasted chickpeas. Have it for lunch with chicken salad, spicy tuna salad or chickpea quinoa salad.
Related
Looking for more dietitian recipes like this? Try these:
Perfect for Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Cucumber and Red Pepper Salad:
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I would love to hear from you! If you made this recipe, please leave me a review below or tag me in a photo or story on Instagram. Your reviews help support me and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love. 🙂 IG: @mallorythedietitian
📖 Recipe
Cucumber and Pepper Salad
Equipment
- 1 mandoline slicer (optional)
Ingredients
- 4 Persian cucumbers (or 1 English cucumber)
- 8 mini sweet peppers (or 1 regular red bell pepper)
- 12 cherry tomatoes
- 1 medium avocado (or ½ a large avocado)
- 2 teaspoon chili onion crunch (I use Trader Joe's)
- 1 tablespoon everything bagel seasoning (I use Trader Joe's)
For the Sesame Ginger Dressing
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1½ tablespoon low sodium soy sauce (to make this recipe gluten-free, use coconut aminos)
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon tahini
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced (or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder)
- ½ tablespoon ginger root, finely grated (or ½ teaspoon ground ginger)
Instructions
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- Thinly 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. Half or quarter the cherry tomatoes and dice the avocado. In a large bowl, combine cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, and avocado.
- Add everything bagel seasoning, and chili crisp sauce. Drizzle in as much of the dressing as you prefer and serve the rest on the side.
- Give everything a good toss being careful not to smash the avocado.
- Hint: if you're making this in advance, wait to add the avocado right before serving.
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.
- Gently stir in the avocado so it doesn't get mashed.
- 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. If making it in advance, I suggest waiting to add the avocado and dressing right before serving.
Sarah
This salad is reason enough to take a Trader Joe's trip!!!! LOVE