Salmon Cucumber Bites with Avocado Pea Smash

Smoked salmon cucumber bites with avocado pea smash make the perfect healthy appetizer. Paleo, Whole30, Keto, gluten, and dairy free these make an easy little appetizer to take to nearly any occasion.

I love easy-to-make healthy appetizers that don’t require a lot of time in the kitchen. These healthy bites are so simple to prepare……

There is no baking required. Simply pop them in the fridge until you are ready to serve them….

These salmon cucumber bites make a healthy refreshing appetizer that is perfect to serve for a BBQ or party or take along as a plate to a pot luck or picnic.

The smoked salmon goes so well with the creamy mix of the fresh avocado and pea smash topping the crisp crunchy cucumber nicely.

How to make Salmon Cucumber Bites

1. First make the avocado and pea smash. If you are using frozen peas then place in a bowl of hot water for 20 minutes to defrost, and drain off any excess water.
2. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, crushed garlic, salt, and pepper, and mash with a fork until the peas are crushed fairly well. 3. Add the avocado and further mash with a fork until the mixture is the consistency you desire. I like mine a little bit lumpy. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired.
4. Cut the cucumber into rounds. Place a spoonful of the avocado and pea smash onto each cucumber round.
5. Chop the smoked salmon or pull it apart into small pieces. Place a small amount on top of the pea and avocado smash.
6. Top each bite with fresh chives and a tiny squeeze of lemon and freshly ground black pepper as desired.
7. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.

Additional Tips

• If you don’t like peas then these cucumber bites will still work really well with just avocado.
• Tuna, chorizo, or chopped salami could be another alternative to salmon that you could use, or simply place some feta on top.

Are peas considered to be Paleo?

If you are following a Paleo diet you may be confused about whether you can eat peas or not……

Peas are generally thought to be fine to eat if you are following a Paleo diet. Peas are lower in phytates and lectins than other legumes and are generally thought to have a lower affinity for binding to the gut wall, therefore, can cause fewer digestive issues. Also as they are consumed fresh not dried and are often cooked so they are easier to digest and not so hard on the digestive system.

I personally don’t like rigid diets as there is no one size fits all when it comes to health and believe there should always be a degree of flexibility and individuality when following any way of eating.

Labels however have their place and certainly make it easier to see at a glance if a recipe is suitable for you.

If you are extremely sensitive to legumes then it may be better to omit peas from this recipe and use avocado only. Or for another alternative that can be easier on the digestive system you might like to cook the peas for this recipe instead of just soaking. Cover them in water in a saucepan and cook for at least 15 minutes then rinse and drain them thoroughly.

With all that being said, avocado and pea smash is a really tasty combo so I hope you give it a try!

Other recipes you may like to try:

• Healthy Broccoli Salad with Creamy Dressing (No Mayo – Paleo)
• Creamy Lemon Coconut Bliss Balls (Paleo)
• Paleo Fish Salad (Greek Style)
• Chicken, Avocado & Asparagus Salad with Creamy Lemon Cashew Dressing (Paleo)

I hope you enjoyed this recipe. For more tasty recipes and to see what I’ve been getting up to you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter.

Have a lovely week!

Hope

(This recipe for salmon cucumber bites was originally published here January 2018).