Smoked Salmon Cucumber Appetizer

Tis the season for a fun easy appetizer. 

The holidays might not be like the past years as far as large group gatherings but we can still have a beautiful, delicious spread of food to celebrate the holidays.

Today’s Smoked Salmon Cucumber Appetizer is the perfect addition to your meal or dinner party. Smoked salmon is paired with creamy goat cheese and chives and rolled up in a thinly sliced english cucumber.

You guys loved my Cucumber Hummus Bites that I shared a few years ago so I thought this might be a nice recipe to share for those that like smoked salmon. 

My family loves salmon. We eat it weekly, especially this Mediterranean Salmon. Smoked salmon is a nice twist on the salmon we usually eat at my house and a healthy appetizer.

You often see smoked salmon on Lox. If you are looking for a different way to use smoked salmon than using it on lox, today’s appetizer is one for you. 

You also should try my Beef Crostini with Caramelized Onions, Smoked Salmon Cucumber Appetizer, Goat Cheese and Roasted Tomato Dip, Honey Goat Cheese Balls or this Goat Cheese Apricot Pizza.

I love using cucumber in appetizers and in salads.

Some of my favorite salads that use cucumber are this Tomato Cucumber Feta Quinoa Salad, Israeli Salad and Easy Lebanese Salad. 

When I serve a spread of appetizers I like to offer a variety to my guests. Today’s Salmon Roll-ups are one thing I will serve along with this White Bean Artichoke Dip and this Lebanese Hummus Recipe. 

Recipe Ingredients You’ll Need

• Smoked Salmon: This recipes uses smoked salmon. You can find this in the seafood section of your grocery store. 
• Cucumber: For this recipe is works best to use a seedless english cucumber. You will want to thinly slice the cucumber into about 8 slices in order to be able to roll the appetizer up. I use a vegetable peeler to do this.
• Goat Cheese: Creamy goat cheese works so well in this appetizer. If goat cheese isn’t your thing you could try using cream cheese instead. I would let the cream cheese come to room temperature a bit before using it so it spreads easier. 
• Chives: Chives are a great addition to these smoked salmon bites. You could also other fresh herbs like fresh parsley or dill in place of the chives or in addition. 

Please see the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and instructions. 

How do you Make this Smoked Salmon Appetizer

You can have this appetizer on the table in a few simple steps:

Step 1: Prepare Cucumber: Use a slicer or a sharp knife to thinly slice cucumber into long strips.

Step 2: Prepare Salmon: Chop salmon into small chunks. Save a 8 chunks of salmon to use on top of the cucumber rolls.

Step 3: Create Cheese Stuffing: Mix the goat cheese, chopped salmon, Greek yogurt, and 1/2 teaspoon chives. 

Step 4: Assemble Cucumber Roll-ups: Lay out a slice of cucumber and spread a thin layer of cheese mixture down the middle.

Roll up cucumber and secure with a toothpick.

Step 5: Add Salmon on Top: Place a small piece of salmon on top. Sprinkle the cucumber salmon bites with a few chives and arrange on a serving plate.

Ways to Modify these Smoked Salmon Cucumber Roll-Ups

• Cheese: If you don’t like goat cheese you can use a different spreadable cheese. Try a flavored cream cheese or try creating a whipped feta cheese. 
• Cucumber: Instead of the long slices of cucumber you could do small cucumber slices or cucumber rounds that are round instead and just spread with goat cheese and top with the smoked salmon.
• Herbs: This recipe uses chives. You can also use parsley or fresh dill as a nice addition.
• Vegetables: Veggies would be a nice addition to these. You can use matchstick carrots or thinly sliced radishes. 
• Spices: You can easily add spices to these smoked salmon cucumber appetizers. I would suggest either mixing it in the goat cheese or sprinkling it on the finished recipe. I think Italian seasoning, sesame seeds, bagel seasoning, cayenne red pepper, crushed red pepper or dried dill would be great. 
• Citrus: Add a zingy freshness by grating some lemon zest or lime zest over the smoked salmon. The citrus pairs wonderfully with the smoky flavor.
• Avocado: Mash ripe avocado with a bit of lemon juice, salt, and pepper, then spread it onto the cucumber before topping with smoked salmon. The creaminess of the avocado complements the smoky fish.
• Pickled Onion: Thinly slice red onions and pickle them in a mixture of vinegar, sugar, and salt. I use this Pickled Red Onion recipe. The tangy sweetness of the pickled onions contrasts nicely with the rich flavor of the salmon. I also have this Quick Pickled Vegetable Recipe that is a nice addition.