Ooo, this is a great combo 🥒🧅🫑—crunchy, tangy, and genuinely anti-inflammatory. Here’s a simple, gut-friendly pickled cucumber, onion & bell pepper salad you can keep in the fridge and throw on everything.
🥗 Anti-Inflammatory Pickled Cucumber, Onion & Bell Pepper Salad
🌿 Why it’s anti-inflammatory
- Cucumbers: hydrating + cooling
- Red onion: rich in quercetin (anti-inflammatory antioxidant)
- Bell peppers: vitamin C + carotenoids
- Turmeric & ginger: inflammation fighters
- Apple cider vinegar: gut and blood sugar support
- Olive oil: healthy fats
🛒 Ingredients
- 2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
- 1 bell pepper (red or yellow), thinly sliced
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup filtered water
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1–2 tsp raw honey or maple syrup (optional, balances acidity)
- ¾ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp ground ginger (or 1 tsp fresh grated)
- ¼ tsp black pepper (activates turmeric)
- Optional:
- 1 small garlic clove, smashed
- Fresh dill or parsley
- Pinch of red chili flakes
👩🍳 Instructions
- Prep veggies
Add cucumber, onion, and bell pepper to a glass bowl or jar. - Make the pickling liquid
Whisk vinegar, water, olive oil, honey (if using), salt, turmeric, ginger, and black pepper. - Combine
Pour liquid over vegetables. Toss well so everything’s coated. - Pickle
Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (best after 2–4 hours). - Serve or store
Keeps well in the fridge for 4–5 days.
🥄 How to use it
- As a side salad
- On grilled fish or chicken
- In grain bowls
- On sandwiches or wraps
- Straight out of the jar at midnight (no judgment)
🔥 Flavor boosts (optional)
- Add lemon zest for extra brightness
- Swap water for green tea (extra antioxidants)
- Add fennel seeds for digestion support
If you want, I can tweak this for low-histamine, no-sweetener, or fermented (probiotic) versions.