Sweet Pepper and Cucumber Salad with Ginger Dressing

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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!

Wooden rimmed white bowl filled with sweet pepper and cucumber salad on top of a raffia placemat along with a wooden spoon and blue towel.

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
Instructions
Substitutions
Variations
Equipment
Storage
Tasty Tip
Frequently asked questions
Related
Pairing
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RECIPE GUIDELINES AND TEST KITCHEN TIPS
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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!

Sliced cucumbers and some sliced mini peppers on a wooden surface with a chef's knife to the side.

First, thinly slice the cucumbers. Remove the stems and seeds from the peppers and thinly slice.

Peeling fresh garlic with a spoon on a wooden surface.

Next, peel and grate the ginger.

Whisking together a sesame ginger vinaigrette in a glass bowl.

Then, whisk together the vegetable oil, sesame oil, vinegar, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, and chili crisp in a small bowl.

Pouring sesame ginger vinaigrette over a glass bowl full of sliced cucumbers and sweet peppers.

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

What's the difference between a Persian cucumber and a regular cucumber?

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.

Why are English cucumbers wrapped in plastic?

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.

Should you peel Persian cucumbers?

Nope! There's no need to peel them since the skin is thin (and delicious).

Why are my cucumbers slimy in my salad?

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.

Can you eat raw bell peppers in a salad?

For sure! Raw peppers are delicious and add a nice sweet crunch to the salad.

What is chili crisp and where can I find it?

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.

Looking for other delicious recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with this cucumber bell pepper salad:

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