This bright and crunchy bell pepper salad with juicy tomatoes, briny olives, and bright fresh dill takes just 10 minutes or less!
I think of this bell pepper salad recipe as a bit of a love letter to those candy-sweet bags of mini peppers that live next to the lettuce at the supermarket. I often snag a bag on a whim with little plan for when I get home.
The crisp peppers become an easy vessel for all sorts of dips, from hummus to toum. I tend to slice any remaining stragglers for this fresh and easy salad.
This version, with its layers of briny and tart flavor to balance the bell pepper’s sweetness, is my favorite. It’s pretty enough for a dinner party, comes together in minutes, and is filled with great texture and freshness. In fact, I love it so much I included it in my my first cookbook!
Table of Contents
Ingredients and Substitutions
This simple bell pepper salad swaps a fancy dressing for a no-whisk lemon vinaigrette. Tart sumac brings a decidedly Mediterranean flair, but you can leave it off if you don’t have it on hand.
- Peppers: Use any bell peppers you’d like, but I love the extra crunch and sweetness from the miniature peppers that come in the big bags at the grocery store.
- Tomatoes: Use the juiciest tomatoes you can get your hands on. Campari tomatoes are easy to find and super sweet, but you could replace them with halved cherry or grape tomatoes.
- Scallions: Substitute with shallot, chives, or red onion.
- Dill: Substitute with parsley or mint.
- Garlic: Adds a spicy kick, but simply leave it out if you don’t like raw garlic.
- Olives: I love both bold Kalamata and briney green Negrinha olives to balance the pepper’s sweetness. If you don’t like olives, capers or pickled onions bring the same effect.
- Kosher salt and black pepper enhance the flavor.
- Sumac: Add a pop of bright, tart flavor that perfectly complements the sweet peppers and tomatoes.
- READ MORE: What is Sumac?
- TRY IT: Find all natural sumac at our shop.
- Lemon: Both the zest and juice add acidity to balance the sweet flavors.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Our Greek Early Harvest’s herbal notes pair well with this fresh salad.
How to Make Bell Pepper Salad
This bell pepper salad comes together in minutes, but benefits greatly when the flavors can get to know each other. Try to allow 20 minutes of resting time if you can. Here’s how you make it:
- Mix the salad. Grab a large mixing bowl to add the veggies to as you go. Stem and thinly slice 1 pound of mini sweet peppers. Quarter 6 Campari tomatoes. Trim and chop 2 scallions (both white and green parts). Chop enough dill fronds to yield 1/2 cup. Mince 1 small garlic clove. Pit and roughly chop 6-8 marinated olives. Toss everything to combine.
- Dress the salad. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sumac (if using) and a large pinch of salt and pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon each). Zest in 1 lemon, then slice it in half and squeeze in the juice. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and give it a good toss. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Rest and serve. If you have time, set the salad aside for 20 minutes or so before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
What to Serve with Bell Pepper Salad
Bell pepper salad goes with just about any savory main, either as a side dish or as part of a bigger mezze spread. It’s very fresh and crunchy, so it goes particularly well with:
- Dips and chips: Whipped feta or hummus with pita chips or a simple crudités platter.
- Spicy, savory mains: Grilled chicken legs with garlic-harissa marinade or spicy salmon.
- Dessert? Sicilian Strawberry Pudding (Gelo di Fragole) keeps the summer vibes going.
More Bell Pepper Salad Recipes
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Ingredients
- 1 pound mini sweet peppers (any color or a mix), stemmed and thinly sliced into rings
- 6 Campari tomatoes, stemmed and quartered
- 2 scallions, trimmed and chopped (both white and green parts)
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill fronds
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 6 to 8 olives, (green or Kalamata), pitted and roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon sumac (optional)
- Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- 1 large lemon, zested and juiced
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Mix the salad. In a large bowl, combine the bell peppers, tomatoes, scallions, dill, garlic, and olives. Sprinkle with the sumac and a large pinch of salt and pepper (about ½ teaspoon each).
- Dress the salad. Add the lemon zest and juice along with the olive oil and give it a good toss. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Rest and serve. If you have time, set aside for 20 minutes or so before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
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Bring the authentic flavors of Greece to your table with Greek Kalamata Olives and Green Chalkidiki Olives Stuffed with Lemon.
*This post has recently been updated with new information for the readers’ benefit.
Delicious my kind of dish