Pepper Cucumber Salad – The clever meal
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This colorful Italian-style pepper cucumber salad is so flavorful and quick to make. It’s the perfect summer salad and side dish, that is simple, fresh, and healthy.
Published in May 2024/Updated in June 2026
After making this cucumber dill salad countless times (my son is a huge fan of cucumber salads!), I want to share another version made with fresh, juicy bell peppers, perfect for celebrating summer produce.
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Thus, this pepper cucumber salad was born!
This time, I drew inspiration from a traditional Calabrian farmer’s salad that is simple, rustic, and full of flavors. A no-frills dish, popular in the countryside of this lovely and sunny region in Southern Italy.
Simply toss together peppers, cucumbers, sweet red onions from Tropea, a touch of Calabrian chili for heat, herbs, and juicy black olives with their briny flavor. Finally, let the fruity olive oil vinaigrette bring this concoction of summertime fresh vegetables to life.
Your cucumber and pepper salad is ready and tastes amazing!
Serve it with some crispy Italian bread or warm focaccia on the side, making a terrific vegetarian side dish. But it also goes so well with just about anything, and it can be made in minutes, especially if you use a mandoline!
It’s also healthy, low-calorie, and refreshing. Make it today. It’s just so good!
List of the ingredients
- English cucumber
- Bell peppers
- Black olives
- Red onions & garlic
- Chili pepper or flakes
- Extra virgin olive oil
- White vinegar
- Parsley & oregano
- Honey or maple syrup
- Salt & pepper
How to make cucumber pepper salad
(Note: this is a quick description; the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)
- Slice the cucumber, bell peppers, and red onion and add them to a salad bowl with the chopped parsley. I recommend using a mandoline for more uniform slices ready in seconds, but a sharp knife will work, too.
- When you’re ready, make the dressing, actually a light vinaigrette made with olive oil and vinegar.
- Toss everything until well combined, taste, adjust the seasoning if needed, and serve immediately. We enjoy this cucumber and bell pepper salad with focaccia, crisp breadsticks, or these flavorful Italian crostini. But, honestly, by the spoonful is another great option, too!
HELPFUL TIPS
1. Slice the cucumber and peppers into slices around ¼” thick, and not thinner, as you want to keep their bite and crispy texture.
2. Add dressing just before serving to maintain the crispness and prevent excess moisture from the cucumber.
3. Taste and make sure you’re happy with the seasoning before serving.
Recipe Notes
Ingredients & substitution
Cucumbers: I use English/Telegraph cucumbers. They’re good all-around cucumbers for a salad; there’s no need to peel them. Persian/Lebanese cucumbers work fine, too, but I use 2 or even 3 as they are smaller. You need about 10 oz (300 g) for the recipe.
Sweet bell peppers: I prefer yellow and red peppers, but any color you like works here as long as they are fresh, firm, and have smooth skin. Go for green bell peppers if you like.
Black olives: I used a mix of Greek olives, but juicy and savory pitted Kalamata olives are just great for this recipe.
Chili: For this recipe, I used a mild red chili, which adds a slightly sweet flavor and a gentle warmth. You don’t want a hot chili pepper in this salad, but just a little heat. A red banana pepper should work just fine, or, for convenience, you can sub a pinch of red chili flakes for fresh chili pepper.
Red onion & garlic: You can substitute fresh red onion with green onion.
Herbs: Fresh parsley and oregano are the most popular combination for this hearty salad, but you can use fresh basil instead of parsley, or use simple dried oregano, which is a typical herb used in sunny Southern Italy.
Vinaigrette: Traditionally, this salad recipe calls for extra-virgin olive oil, red vinegar, salt, and pepper. That’s it. But I used white vinegar and added a little bit of sweetness with maple syrup, which is absolutely not traditional, but I love the combination of sweet and spicy. Honey is another option if you wish, or you can skip the sweetener altogether.
variations & add-ins
I’m sure you’ll love it as it is, but if you fancy adding a twist, here are some of my favorite add-ins for this recipe!
- Produce: Tomatoes, roasted aubergines, boiled potatoes.
- Plant-based protein: Chickpeas or white beans.
- Cheese: Feta cheese and mozzarella.
- Extra boost of protein: If you’re not a vegetarian, rotisserie or grilled chicken, or canned tuna.
Storage tips/make ahead
- You can keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, but they will become more watery over time. Before serving, you might want to remove the excess water from the bottom of the bowl/container and drizzle with more extra-virgin olive oil to wake up the flavors.
- If you’d like to prep the salad in advance for a picnic, BBQ, or potluck, both the dressing and the salad keep well in airtight containers in the fridge for up to two days. However, to prevent sogginess, add the dressing when it’s time to serve it.
Fresh and easy salad recipes you’ll love!
If you’re looking for simple, fresh salads, get all my vegan salads here and gorgeous holiday salads here. Below are a few of my family favorites:
If you make this pepper cucumber salad or have a question, let me know by leaving a comment. I would love to hear from you! x
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Pepper Cucumber Salad
Servings: 4
Calories: 92kcal
- 1 (300 gram) English cucumber, sliced*
- 2 Bell peppers, deseed and sliced
- ¼ cup Kalamata olive, pitted
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 small chilli pepper, deseeded and sliced or chopped (optional) or ¼ tsp dried flakes
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley or basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Mustard honey dressing
- 1 ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoom honey or maple syrup (optional)
- ¾ to 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
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Cut the cucumber into half, and slice it into around ¼ inch slices. Keep the same thickness for the pepper slices. Place the sliced cucumber, bell peppers, onion, pitted olives, chilli, and herbs in a large salad bowl.
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Add the dressing ingredients to a glass jar with a lid. Shake well until emulsified, and pour over the salad just before serving.
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Toss until well combined and feel free to taste and adjust the dressing as needed. Serve immediately.
Calories: 92kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 703mg | Potassium: 267mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1980IU | Vitamin C: 79mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg
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