This sweet bell pepper cucumber salad is my newest side dish obsession. There are so many reasons to love this recipe. First, it's gorgeous and super impressive without being tricky (yet no one has to know). I mean, the vibrant color of those fresh vegetables alone makes me want to dig in!
Second, it's a fantastic no-cook, make-ahead dish. The flavors only improve over time. Hooray for all you meal preppers out there! Finally, and best of all, this crunchy salad is oh-so-delicious and goes with so many recipes from sushi rice bowls to grilled chicken, pork, and beef!
I first came across the recipe that inspired this one on TikTok--yes, it's one of those recipes: the viral cucumber pepper salad. Being a culinary content creator, I find inspiration for recipes everywhere, from places I travel to, shows I watch, restaurants I visit, social media, and yes, even a tiktok recipe.
I would never have thought to add everything bagel seasoning to a salad but it makes so much sense and is such a great idea. The mix of sesame seeds, poppy seeds, onion, and garlic goes so well with the homemade ginger dressing and crunchy texture of the mini bell peppers and fresh cucumbers.
If you don't happen to have everything bagel seasoning (or don't want to buy it), don't worry. I include a recipe below on how to make it yourself. And, if you're in a hurry, you can buy your favorite store-bought dressing instead of making one from scratch.
For an easy dinner, spoon this salad and the juices from the bottom of the bowl over some steamed rice and serve with some sliced grilled tuna or my grilled pork chops. It's also the perfect side dish to serve with my copycat Chicken Salad Chick chicken salad sandwiches or these pinto bean burgers.
Ready to make this amazing potluck ready cucumber salad recipe? Let's do it!
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Ingredients
Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this cucumber pepper salad recipe:
- mini cucumbers
- sweet mini peppers
- green onions
- everything bagel seasoning
- vegetable oil
- dark sesame oil
- rice vinegar
- fresh ginger
- low-sodium soy sauce
- light brown sugar
- chili crisp
(See recipe card for quantities.)
Instructions
Now that we've got our ingredients, it's time to get cooking!
- First, thinly slice the cucumbers. Remove the stems and seeds from the peppers and thinly slice.
- Next, peel and grate the ginger.
- Then, whisk together the vegetable oil, sesame oil, vinegar, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, and chili crisp in a small bowl.
- Finally, combine the sliced cucumbers, peppers, green onions, everything bagel seasoning, and dressing in a bowl and toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Hint: This salad only improves with time so it's a great make-ahead side!
Substitutions
Need to make some ingredient swaps? Here are some ideas:
- Cucumber - Instead of mini Persian cucumbers, use an English cucumber. The slices will be larger, but they'll still be tender and delicious. And, you don't need to peel the cucumbers.
- Sweet Peppers - I love to use a bag of mini sweet peppers for this recipe. Feel free to substitute a mix of red bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, and/or orange bell peppers instead.
- Vegetable oil - Substitute regular olive oil or canola oil for the vegetable oil if you'd like.
- Rice vinegar - White vinegar is a great alternative if you're out of rice vinegar.
- Everything Bagel Seasoning - The great thing about this seasoning blend is that it has so many delicious seasonings all together including sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and granulated garlic. You can use just sesame seeds if that's all you have.
Variations
Here are more ways to change up this cucumber and sweet pepper salad recipe:
- Spicy Cucumber Salad - Add a kick of heat to this salad by stirring some crushed red pepper flakes into the ginger dressing.
- Super Fast - Short on time? Instead of making the sesame ginger dressing from scratch, use your favorite refrigerated ginger dressing. I like Makoto, but use whatever you prefer.
- Asian Cucumber and Pepper Slaw - Beef up this salad and make it a slaw. Toss with a package of shredded coleslaw mix and double the dressing if you'd like.
- Sushi Bowl - This is the perfect topping for my ahi tuna poke bowls recipe. Add some creamy avocado too for the ultimate sushi bowl.
Equipment
Here's the equipment you'll need to make this recipe:
- chef's knife
- measuring spoons
- liquid measuring cup
- microplane grater
- whisk
- small bowl
- large bowl
Storage
Store any leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
This recipe doesn't freeze well.
Tasty Tip
Don't have everything bagel seasoning? It's easy to make your own! Mix together equal parts white sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, dried onion, granulated garlic, and poppy seeds. Add kosher salt to taste. I usually use 2 tablespoons of each individual ingredient and 2 teaspoons salt.
Frequently asked questions
Persian cucumbers are smaller cucumbers than regular cucumbers and have less seeds. The skin is also thinner so you don't have to peel them.
Because English cucumbers have thinner skin compared to regular cucumbers, they are wrapped in plastic to prevent bruising. They're also able to retain moisture better.
Nope! There's no need to peel them since the skin is thin (and delicious).
That's your clue to toss the salad out. Since cucumbers have a high water content, after a couple of days, they can get too watery and even slimy.
For sure! Raw peppers are delicious and add a nice sweet crunch to the salad.
Chili crisp, sometimes called chili crunch, is an oil-based condiment that can be found among the Asian products in the international aisle. Besides chili flakes, you'll also often find dried minced garlic and onion in the oil. It's a great flavor-packed ingredient.
Related
Looking for other delicious recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this cucumber bell pepper salad:
🍽Get the recipe
Sweet Pepper and Cucumber Salad with Ginger Dressing
Equipment
- chef's knife
- measuring spoons
- liquid measuring cup
- microplane grater
- whisk
- small bowl
- large bowl
Ingredients
- 6 mini cucumbers (I used Persian but Kirby are great too)
- 1 (16-ounce) package mini sweet peppers
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon everything bagel seasoning
- 1 1 inch piece fresh ginger
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
- 3 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon chili crisp (optional)
Instructions
- Thinly slice the cucumbers. Remove the stems and seeds from the peppers and thinly slice the peppers.
- Using the sharp edge of a spoon, scrape the skin off the ginger. Grate the ginger using a microplane grater to equal 1 teaspoon.
- Make the dressing: Whisk together the vegetable oil, sesame oil, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and chili crisp in a small bowl.
- Combine the cucumbers, peppers, green onions, and everything bagel seasoning in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
RECIPE GUIDELINES AND TEST KITCHEN TIPS
When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:
- Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
- When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
- I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your bake times will be different.
- When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
Food safety
Finally, don't forget to keep these food safety tips in mind when making this recipe.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
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