Freshen up your appetizer spread with these smoked salmon cucumber bites, loaded with whipped Boursin cheese and colourful pickles. They’re easy, packed with flavour party bites that are always crowd pleasers.
I love a spread of little party bites, but they can sometimes feel a little heavy on the carbs. Which, as a carb lover, is not necessarily a bad thing, BUT, it is nice to have lighter, fresh options on the table. And these smoked salmon bites are exactly that.
Smoked salmon and cream cheese is a classic combination, but I’m jazzing these up by using Boursin, a cream cheese-esque soft cheese that’s a little thicker and flavoured with garlic and herbs. Pickled onion and lemon zest bring a welcome bit of freshness to cut through the rich salmon and cheese, and the crunchy cucumber base provides that texture.
These truly are such a great option for parties of any kind – casual drinks, a dinner party, or as part of a holiday appetizer spread. They’re easy to prep ahead of time too.
Ingredients
- Smoked salmon. You can either chop up your smoked salmon or keep it in longer strips. I actually like using smoked salmon trimmings for these bites – they’re cheaper and they’re absolutely fine to use for a little bite like this.
- Cucumber. Try to find a long, thin, cucumber that’s reasonably even in size, for more uniform bites.
- Boursin. This lovely, soft cheese, packed with garlicky herbs is similar to cream cheese, but a bit thicker. If you can’t find it, cream cheese is absolutely fine.
- Pickled onions. These add a zingy, fresh flavour that pairs perfectly with the rich salmon and cream cheese. I also love the colour they bring, but you could use capers or gherkins if you like.
- Nigella seeds. Use black sesame seeds if you can’t find nigella seeds, or you could use everything bagel seasoning or dukkah.
How to make them
Whip the Boursin cheese – you can do this in a small food chopper or processor, or just mix it up with a fork. This is just to aerate it and make it easier to spread. Slice your cucumbers into rounds, roughly 1/3″ or so in thickness (you don’t want them too thin as they need to be able to support the topping).
I like to pat dry the cucumber slices with a kitchen towel, just to remove any excess water.
Spoon a heaped teaspoon of the whipped Boursin onto each cucumber round, then top with the smoked salmon. Arrange chopped pickled onions on top, then scatter over the nigella seeds, chives and lemon zest.
Got a question?
Once assembled, they’ll be fine stored for a few hours in the fridge until you’re ready to serve them. The individual elements can also all be prepared in advance, and then all you have to do is assemble the bites when you’re ready. The whipped Boursin will be fine for 5 days in the fridge and you can slice the cucumber up to 3 days in advance.
Yes! Cream cheese is perfect here. If you can find a garlic and herb flavoured cream cheese, that’s even better.
You can use either, so just go with whatever you prefer.
Like this recipe? You might enjoy these easy appetizers too
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can leave me a comment below.
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Smoked Salmon Cucumber Bites
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 40 bites 1x
- Diet: Low Calorie
Description
Freshen up your appetizer spread with these smoked salmon cucumber bites, loaded with whipped Boursin cheese and colourful pickles. They’re easy, packed with flavour party bites that are always crowd pleasers.
If you can’t find Boursin cheese, regular cream cheese works great.
Ingredients
- 1 cucumber
- 150g/5oz smoked salmon, chopped
- 150g/5oz Boursin cheese (1 box)
- ¼ cup pickled red onions, chopped
- A handful of chives, finely chopped
- 1 lemon, zested
Instructions
- Slice your cucumber. Cut your cucumber into slices, roughly 1/3″ thick. You want to make sure they’re reasonably thick slices as anything too thin won’t be able to support the topping. Use a kitchen towel and pat dry the cucumber slices, to absorb any excess water.
- Whip the Boursin. You can either do this in a small food chopper or processor, or just by hand in a bowl. Whipping the cheese will aerate it and make it smoother, so it’s easier to spread. Blitz the Boursin for a couple of minutes, until light and smooth (or mix and break up with a fork until smooth).
- Assemble the bites. Spoon a heaped teaspoon of the Boursin onto each cucumber slice, then top with the smoked salmon. Divide the chopped pickled onions on top, then finish with the nigella seeds, chives and the lemon zest.
Notes
PREP AHEAD: The assembled bites will keep well for a couple of hours in the fridge, so you can prep them in the morning and then serve them later in the day. Or, you can slice the cucumber and whip the Boursin ahead of time (the cucumber will be fine for 3 days and the Boursin for at least 5), and then just assemble the bites when you’re ready.
INGREDIENT NOTES: Boursin is a soft, herby cream cheese. If you can’t find it, use regular cream cheese, or a garlic and herb-flavoured cream cheese. I often use smoked salmon trimming with this recipe. They’re cheaper and perfect for piling onto something small like this. Swap nigella seeds for sesame seeds, everything bagel seasoning or dukkah. You could use dill, basil, mint, thyme or flat-leaf parsley instead of chives if you like.
- Prep Time: 10
- Category: party food
- Method: no cook
- Cuisine: american
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5 bites
- Calories: 133
- Sugar: 1.3g
- Sodium: 413mg
- Fat: 11.5g
- Saturated Fat: 5.9g
- Carbohydrates: 7g
- Fiber: 0.2g
- Protein: 4.7g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
Keywords: smoked salmon,
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