I don’t know what kind of hold cucumbers have on me lately, but I’m obsessed. This cucumber bell pepper salad is crunchy, a little sweet, a little spicy, and totally guilt-free.
Why It’s Totally Worth the Hype
TikTok Famous: This cucumber bell pepper salad went crazy viral, and one bite will show you why.
Veggie Clean-Out Win: The perfect way to use up all those crisp summer veggies.
Meal-Prep Hero: Chop your veggies at the start of the week, then just toss with dressing as you go for a fresh, healthy snack or lunch all week long!
Ingredients for Cucumber Bell Pepper Salad
Use English or Persian cucumbers: No peeling or seeding needed! Just note that Persian cucumbers are smaller, so you’ll need a few extra.
Skip the green bell peppers: They can add a bitter note that throws off the flavor balance.
Sweet Mini Peppers work too: Just be sure to remove the seeds for the best texture and taste.
Toss in some avocado: It adds a creamy contrast that pairs well with all that crunchy goodness.
Save time with storebought dressing: I think this homemade ginger dressing is perfect, but you can swap in ⅔ cup of your favorite ginger dressing to make this salad even quicker to throw together.
How to Make Cucumber Bell Pepper Salad
I love taking a little time at the beginning of the week to chop the veggies and prep this salad. It makes the best grab and go lunch or snack all week long. Add some grilled chicken and warm pita, and you’ve got lunch or a light dinner ready in seconds.
Combine: Add the cucumber slices, bell peppers, and red onion to a large bowl.
Make the Ginger Dressing: Prepare the dressing by adding the ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and mustard to a blender or food processor and blending until smooth.
Add Olive Oil: While the blender is on the lowest speed, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until fully combined. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste.
Assemble and Serve: Add the ginger sesame dressing to the vegetables and toss to coat. Top with the everything bagel seasoning and a spoonful or two of chili crisp, if desired. Toss again. You may serve it immediately or let the salad sit for 10-15 minutes to allow the flavor to meld before serving.
Alyssa’s Tip
Hold the Dressing (for Now): Adding the dressing too early draws moisture from the cucumbers, making the cucumber salad watery. I recommend adding it 10–15 minutes before serving for maximum flavor and crunch.
Print
Cucumber Bell Pepper Salad
Crispy, crunchy, sweet, and just a little spicy, this viral cucumber bell pepper salad is the healthy snack or side you’ll want to meal prep on repeat.
Course Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American, Asian American
Keyword Asian cucumber salad, cucumber bell pepper salad, cucumber salad, cucumber sweet pepper salad, cucumber sweet pepper salad recipe, pepper cucumber salad, sweet pepper cucumber salad, tiktok cucumber bell pepper salad, tiktok recipe, tiktok viral recipe, viral bell pepper and cucumber salad, viral bell pepper and cucumber salad recipe, viral cucumber salad
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Total Time 15 minutesminutes
Servings 6servings
Calories 215kcal
Author Alyssa Rivers
Equipment
1 blender or food processor
Ingredients
3cupsdiced cucumberabout 1 large English cucumber, or 5-6 Persian cucumbers
1cupdiced red bell pepperabout 1 bell pepper
1cupdiced orange bell pepperabout 1 bell pepper
1cupdiced yellow bell pepperabout 1 bell pepper
½cupdiced red onionabout half a medium onion
1tablespooneverything but the bagel seasoningmore or less to taste
chili crispif desired
Ginger Dressing
1tablespoonpeeled fresh gingerroughly a 1-inch knob
3tablespoonssoy sauce
2tablespoonsrice vinegar
2tablespoonsgranulated sugaror honey
1teaspoonDijon mustard
½cupolive oil
saltto taste
ground black pepperto taste
Instructions
Combine 3 cups diced cucumber, 1 cup diced red bell pepper, 1 cup diced orange bell pepper, 1 cup diced yellow bell pepper, and ½ cup diced red onion in a large bowl.
Prepare the ginger dressing by adding 1 tablespoon peeled fresh ginger, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard to a blender or food processor and blending until smooth.
While the blender is on the lowest speed, slowly drizzle in ½ cup olive oil until combined. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste.
Add the dressing to the vegetables and toss to coat. Top with the 1 tablespoon everything but the bagel seasoning and a spoonful or two of chili crisp, if desired, then toss again. You may serve it immediately or let the salad sit for 10-15 minutes to allow the flavor to meld before serving.
Notes
Storing Leftovers: Store leftover cucumber bell pepper salad in the fridge, tightly wrapped or in an airtight container, for up to 2 days.