Description
Crisp cucumber and bell pepper salad emerges as summer’s freshest culinary sensation, delivering a zesty Mediterranean-inspired crunch. Colorful ingredients dance together, promising cool refreshment that will make you crave another delightful bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Vegetables:
- 1 English cucumber (or 2 Persian cucumbers), sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 0.25 red onion, thinly sliced (optional)
Seasoning and Dressing Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons (29.6 milliliters) soy sauce (or coconut aminos for gluten-free)
- 1 tablespoon (14.8 milliliters) rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) honey (or maple syrup for vegan option)
- 0.5 teaspoon (2.5 milliliters) garlic powder
- 0.5 teaspoon (2.5 milliliters) red pepper flakes (adjust for spice)
- 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) sriracha (optional for extra heat)
- 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) sesame oil
Garnish Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 0.5 teaspoon everything bagel seasoning (or sesame seeds & sea salt mix)
Instructions
- Meticulously slice cucumbers and bell peppers into delicate, translucent rounds or elegant thin strips, ensuring uniform thickness for balanced texture and visual appeal.
- Finely mince the red onion into gossamer-thin slivers to integrate seamlessly with the vegetable medley.
- Craft a vibrant dressing by whisking together an aromatic blend of soy sauce, rice vinegar, golden honey, and pungent garlic powder in a ceramic mixing bowl.
- Intensify the dressing’s complexity by incorporating fiery red pepper flakes, everything bagel seasoning, zesty sriracha, and nutty sesame oil, creating a harmonious flavor profile.
- Transfer the sliced vegetables into a spacious mixing vessel, allowing ample room for thorough coating.
- Cascade the meticulously prepared dressing over the vegetable ensemble, using gentle circular motions to ensure each morsel is lavishly coated with the dynamic marinade.
- Sprinkle a generous handful of toasted sesame seeds across the salad, adding a delightful crunch and subtle nuttiness.
- Allow the salad to rest for 5-10 minutes, permitting the vegetables to absorb the intricate flavor notes and develop a more profound taste experience.
- Serve the salad chilled or at ambient temperature, presenting a refreshing and tantalizing culinary creation.
Notes
- Slice vegetables uniformly to ensure even flavor distribution and attractive presentation.
- Use a mandoline slicer for perfectly thin and consistent vegetable cuts if available.
- Adjust spice levels by reducing or increasing red pepper flakes and sriracha according to personal heat tolerance.
- Allow salad to marinate briefly before serving to enhance flavor absorption and develop deeper taste profile.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Snacks
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 60
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 3g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 0mg