Cucumber Sweet Pepper Salad

Craving a hearty salad full of flavour, protein, and crunchy vegetables? This Cucumber Sweet Pepper Salad recipe combines crisp, colourful vegetables with juicy grilled chicken in a zesty honey ginger dressing. It has the perfect balance of sweet and savoury with a little kick, making it an ideal main dish for lunch, dinner, or as a weekly meal prep option.

Salad for dinner? Yes please! When the temperature soars, there’s no need to heat up the kitchen. Break out the Instant Pot to make Mexican Salpicon Salad with tender and tasty shredded beef. Or skip dinner altogether and grill up some fruit! A Grilled Peach Burrata Fruit Salad is just as satisfying as any savoury salad.

Cucumber Sweet Pepper Salad

I can never resist a hearty, protein packed salad for dinner and this cucumber pepper salad has it all. Bright crunchy vegetables, fresh herbs, briny feta cheese, tender marinated chicken, and an irresistible dressing that ties all the flavours together.

Anytime is a great time to make this Cucumber Sweet Pepper Salad recipe because both sweet mini bell peppers and cucumbers are available year-round. However, we’ve had this salad a few times this month alone. The recipe makes a large amount, enough to satisfy 4 – 6 hungry adults.

Pro tip: Allow extra time when using the buttermilk marinade in this post. I highly recommend marinating a double batch of chicken breasts, one for Dill Pickle Chicken Egg Salad and the other for this salad.

Ingredients for Cucumber Sweet Bell Pepper Salad

Even though there are plenty of fresh vegetables in this pepper cucumber salad recipe, the prep time is still minimal. You can shorten the marinating time on the chicken by giving it a quick marinade right in the salad dressing.

• Chicken
• Mini Sweet Peppers
• Mini English Cucumbers
• Green Onions
• Red Onion
• White Sesame Seeds
• Black Sesame Seeds
• Feta Cheese
• Cilantro
• Soy Sauce
• Miso Sesame Salad Dressing or Honey Lime Salad Dressing
• Limes
• Chili Crunch

Use either chicken breasts or chicken thighs for this recipe. Pick your choice of marinade (buttermilk or marinate in salad dressing) or simply grill the chicken with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Feel free to substitute your favourite animal or plant-based protein.

Mini Sweet Peppers are easy to de-seed and slice into attractive rings. However, you can use regular yellow, orange, or red bell peppers too. Not a cilantro lover? Feel free to leave out the cilantro or use fresh chopped Italian or curly parsley instead.

If you don’t like feta cheese, you can swap it for goat cheese or crumbled blue cheese for a different twist.

Feel free to use Everything Bagel seasoning in place of the white and black sesame seeds. To make your own, combine equal parts sesame seeds, poppy seeds, garlic powder, onion flakes, and salt.

Always use fresh limes. The zest adds flavour to the salad dressing and the juice tastes so much better.

If you’re looking for a lower-sodium option, try using tamari sauce as a soy sauce substitute. Note: Tamari sauce is also gluten free.

To add more texture, top the salad with toasted sesame seeds or even a handful of crispy fried onions for some added crunch.

Kick up the heat by adding more chili crunch, chili oil, or red pepper flakes.

How to Make Cucumber Sweet Pepper Salad

To begin, marinate the chicken in buttermilk for at least four hours or 30 minutes in Miso salad dressing or honey lime salad dressing. Remove chicken from marinade (discard the marinade).

Next, cook the chicken as preferred: I either grill it or cook it in the air fryer for 8-10 minutes at 350F. Always cook chicken to an internal temperature of 165 F.

Meanwhile, de-seed and slice sweet mini peppers, chop mini cucumbers, slice red and green onions. Pro tip: If the red onions are strong, place cut onions in cold water for 10 minutes, drain well before adding to the salad.

Add next 7 ingredients to a large bowl, toss to combine. Slice the cooked chicken and allow it to cool to room temperature before adding it to the salad bowl.

Meanwhile, mix Miso dressing (or Honey Lime dressing), soy sauce, lime zest, fresh lime juice, and chili crunch together in a small bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad ingredients and toss well to coat the chicken and vegetables.

Suggested: Chill salad for 30 minutes before serving to make sure the vegetables are marinated in the dressing.

Salad Tips, Tricks, and Variations

• Marinate the Chicken: To make the chicken more flavourful, marinate it in soy sauce, garlic, and a bit of lime juice for 15-30 minutes before cooking. This will enhance the taste.
• Grill the Chicken: For extra flavour, grill the chicken breasts instead of cooking them in a skillet. The smokiness will add a nice touch to the salad.
• Customize the Veggies: Add or substitute other vegetables like cherry tomatoes, avocado slices, radishes, or even shredded carrots for extra crunch and colour.
• Adjust the Heat: If you like more spice, increase the amount of chili crisp or add a little sliced jalapeño, red pepper flakes, or chili oil to the salad.
• Chill for Extra Flavour: Allow the salad to chill in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes before serving to let the flavours blend.
• Change the Dressing: Instead of honey ginger dressing, substitute a sesame ginger dressing, a balsamic vinaigrette, or even a homemade lime-based dressing with honey and olive oil. Just keep the balance of sweetness and acidity in mind.
• Use up Leftovers: If you have leftover chicken or prefer to use rotisserie chicken, both will work perfectly in this salad. Just be sure to slice the chicken thinly for even distribution.
• Make it Vegetarian: Add grilled tofu, chickpeas, or a variety of other plant-based proteins
  like tempeh or seitan instead of chicken.
• Make it Gluten Free: Tamari sauce is also gluten free but double-check the other dressing ingredients to ensure they are also gluten-free.

Leftovers and Storage

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. The salad is best eaten within 1-2 days, especially since the cucumbers and peppers can lose their crunch over time.

To make this salad in advance, prep the veggies and chicken ahead of time and store them in separate containers. Keep the dressing in a jar or bottle to add just before serving for the freshest result.

Hi! I’m Bernice Hill, the sole recipe developer, photographer, and writer at Dish ‘n’ the Kitchen. It is my pleasure to share easy to follow recipes that are delicious, nutritious, and approachable for the whole family.

If you make this Cucumber Sweet Pepper Salad recipe, I’d love to hear about it in the comments section or in a recipe rating. Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Pinterest for my latest recipes. Also, if you do make this recipe please share your photos and tag me on Instagram. I hope you like this recipe!