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This Easy Cucumber Appetizer is perfect to serve at any party since it’s colorful, delicious, and festive! It’s super easy to assemble and is a healthy option. In addition, it is gluten-free, vegetarian, low-carb and can easily be modified to be vegan or paleo.
My dad and I love cucumbers but my mother and husband do not care for them. My mom does love making her recipe for homemade sweet pickles and that’s why she grows them in her garden. In order to make her sweet pickles, she picks the pickles while they are still fairly small. The pickles that are allowed to grow eventually turn into cucumbers.
Her favorite variety of cucumber is Burpless. The pictures above show stages of a Burpless cucumber growing in mom’s garden. Each little yellow blossom will eventually turn into a pickle or cucumber.
When selecting a cucumber you’ll want to look for one that is firm, on the long and skinny side and not overly ripe. Fat cucumbers are usually not crisp and contain large seeds. English cucumbers work well too. Both the English and Burpless varieties are seedless or have less noticeable seeds. They also typically grow longer, have thin skin and have a nice mild flavor.
The first step to creating this Easy Cucumber Appetizer is to thoroughly rinse and dry a cucumber. Next, cut off the tips of both ends and discard them. Using a vegetable peeler, alternate shaving strips down the entire length of the cucumber while leaving strips of the cucumber peel intact. Cut the cucumber into approximately 1 1/2-inch segments and place them onto a white serving platter. I prefer serving food on white plates because the colors of the food show up well.
Top each cucumber segment with a dollop of flavored cream cheese or place the cream cheese into a piping bag to make fancy designs.
Feel free to make your own by adding your favorite seasonings to softened plain cream cheese or buy a variety of premade Philadelphia cream cheeses such as:
- Garden Vegetable
- Chive & Onion
- Jalapenos
- Chipotle
- Salmon & Dill
- Mediterranean Herbs
Almost every plain cream cheese is naturally gluten-free and vegetarian, however, always be sure to check the ingredients. I prefer Philadelphia cream cheese and you can read about them HERE. When in doubt, I suggest you call the company or check their website for more information.
Find dairy-free and vegan cream cheese options by clicking on the links below.
Dairy-free Paleo Cream Cheese Substitutes
5 Vegan Alternatives for Cream Cheese Lovers
The next step is to top the cream cheese mixture with sun-dried tomatoes.
Organic sun-dried tomatoes that are wholesomely grown without pesticides and are CCOF certified organic can be found at Nuts.com
Interested in making your own dried tomatoes in the oven? Check out Meghan Splawn’s tutorial on The Kitchn HERE.
Finally, garnish each sun-dried tomato with a sprig of fresh thyme and refrigerate the cucumbers until ready to serve.
Yields Approximately 20 - 30 servings depending on size of cucumbers 15 minPrep Time 15 minTotal Time Ingredients Instructions Notes A quick, easy and healthy appetizer that's perfect for any party, event or occasion.
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Seems like it doesn’t get much easier than this Easy Cucumber Appetizer!
Enjoy!
Linda
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