Summer is here, and it’s time to feel cool and hydrated while enjoying the gorgeous Mississippi weather.
And there’s no better way to stay refreshed than with Hot Girl Salad, a light and tangy, crunchy sensation that’s taking TikTok by storm. This salad is refreshing, easy to prepare, and it’s super healthy. It simply includes the best vegetables your local fresh farmer’s market has to offer and your chopping skills.
Essentially, it’s summer in a bowl.
The heart of Hot Girl Salad is crisp cucumbers. Next up are crunchy green bell peppers and vibrant red onion.
Add-ins like roasted sunflower seeds and pepperoncini peppers provide tons of flavor. The tangy dressing is a mix of Zesty Italian Dressing, paprika, garlic powder, and fresh ground black pepper.
The original salad calls for hard-boiled eggs, but I opted for Feta Cheese.
And that’s the beauty of this salad-make it according to your taste. Use ingredients you love or already have, and leave out the ones you dislike.
Hot Girl Salad (original recipe)
2 diced and peeled cucumbers
2 diced green bell peppers
1 finely diced red onion
4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
¾ cup Zesty Italian Dressing
½ cup sliced pepperoncini peppers
¼ cup roasted sunflower kernels
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Preparing this salad is extremely simple. Begin by chopping the veggies and eggs. Then add them to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients and toss to combine. Refrigerate leftover salad in an airtight container for up to three days. It gets more flavorful the longer it’s refrigerated.
When I made Hot Girl Salad, I used orange bell peppers because that’s what I had in my refrigerator. I substituted garlic salt for garlic powder because, again, that’s what I had in the pantry.
I added celery and carrots to make it super crunchy and vibrant. I tossed in a small can of black olives, too.
As I mentioned, I left out the hard-boiled eggs and added Feta Cheese to give it a little more tang and a salt component.
I did not peel the cucumbers, but it works either way.
I finely minced a fresh jalapeño pepper because we like it spicy at our house.
And if you’re vegan, just leave out the eggs and cheese otherwise it’s a great vegetarian dish.
Hot Girl Salad works any way you make this refreshingly tasty treat. It’s light enough to be served as a summer picnic side dish and filling enough for an entire dinner while watching a glorious Mississippi sunset. It can even easily fit into trendy meal-prep plans to start your week off right.
Let us know on our Facebook page how you make Hot Girl Salad.
- Photo by Our MS Home
