Viral Bell Pepper and Cucumber Salad
This viral TikTok bell pepper and cucumber salad is made with sweet mini bell peppers, cucumbers, and packed with crunch and flavor. Tossed in a delicious sesame dressing (homemade or store-bought!) with a hint of spice, this fresh cucumber salad is the perfect 5-ingredient summer side dish or healthy snack.
Obsessed with crunchy cucumber salads?? Get 12 more delicious cucumber salad recipes here!
Recipe Ingredients: Sweet Bell Pepper and Cucumber Salad
For the salad:
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Bell peppers: Mini multi-colored bell peppers work best (and are the prettiest, in my opinion!) but you can easily substitute chopped red, yellow, and orange bell peppers, too.
Cucumber: Mini cucumbers (Persian cucumbers) are my favorite for this recipe but again, a regular chopped English cucumber works just as well. This recipe isn’t fussy!
Chili crisp: There are TONS of different chili crisps on the market now. My absolute favorite is Trader Joe’s Crunchy Chili Onion. You can typically find this product in the Asian section of the grocery store, or on Amazon, of course!
Everything Bagel Seasoning: This is a savory blend of sea salt, garlic, onion, sesame seeds, and more! Trader Joe’s carries their version, and it’s also widely available at large chain grocery stores. Again, Amazon has zillions to choose from!
Sesame ginger dressing: You can absolutely make your own sesame ginger dressing. However, there are some really great store-bought ones! This Asian Sesame dressing from Ken’s is great, along with Girard’s Toasted Sesame Ginger dressing. Both can be found at most chain grocery stores.
Expert Tips
- Dressing: Store-bought dressings vary in flavor. Start with a little dressing, then slowly add more as needed. I found the sweet spot is about 1/2 a cup but feel free to add or omit as you see fit.
- Spice factor: Don’t love spice? Omit the chili crisp. OR opt for a “mild” version of chili crisp like this one.
- Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. The cucumbers will start to release water after that and you’ll lose the yummy crunch.
How to serve
Chicken & Fish: In the warmer months, we always love pairing this salad with grilled chicken or fish for a healthy combo.
Asian-inspired meals: Use this salad as a crunchy condiment or side dish for any Asian-inspired meal such as volcano chicken or this chicken apple sausage fried rice!
Lettuce wraps: Fill lettuce cups with ground turkey and use this salad as a nice, crunchy topping.
With cottage cheese: Need a healthy snack? This little salad is DIVINE over cottage cheese for that perfect veggie + protein pick-me-up!
Did you try this recipe?
Let us know your thoughts on this viral bell pepper and cucumber salad by leaving a star rating below or sharing it on Instagram!
Thank you! ~ Casey
Viral Bell Pepper and Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 5-6 mini cucumbers (Persian cucumbers), sliced
- 13-15 mini bell peppers, seeded and sliced
- 2 tbsp chili crisp such Crunchy Chili Onion from Trader Joe's
- 1/4 cup sesame ginger dressing homemade or store-bought (See Notes)
- 1 tbsp Everything Bagel seasoning blend
Instructions
- Assemble the salad: In a large mixing bowl, add the sliced cucumbers, sliced peppers, chili crisp, sesame ginger dressing, and Everything Bagel seasoning.
- Toss: Gently toss until well-combined and serve. Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Notes
- This salad isn’t fussy–if you can’t find mini bell peppers or Persian cucumbers, that’s just fine. Use what you can find!
- You can easily make your own creamy sesame ginger dressing with this recipe: Creamy Asian Dressing.
- Chili Crisp: This can be found in the Asian section of most large grocery stores. At Trader Joe’s, it’s called Crunchy Chili Onion.
- Store-bought dressings vary in flavor. Start with a little dressing, then slowly add more as needed. I found the sweet spot is about 1/2 a cup but feel free to add or omit as you see fit.
This easy 5-ingredient salad is a viral recipe worth the hype. It’s simple yet super flavorful! I know you’ll love it! XO~ Casey