Cucumber Canapes are fabulous finger food and fast to make for two or in larger quantities. In this version we will make a mousse for a spread rather than the usual assembly required to individually layer ingredients. I love the freshness of the cucumber with the richness of a smoked salmon or sun-dried tomato mousse! (Which is just a fancy name for pureed smoked salmon or sun-dried tomato).
By far the most popular finger food I’ve served – perfect as an opening act to a picnic for two and so easy to scale up for a larger gathering. And the best part is it just happens to be healthy.
JUMP TO THE SECTION TO LEARN:
- THE SECRET TO MAKING A MOUSSE FOR CANAPES?
- INGREDIENTS IN THIS CUCUMBER CANAPE RECIPE
- WHAT TO SERVE WITH CUCUMBER CANAPES?
- FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT CANAPES
- RECIPE VIDEO
- RATE THE RECIPE
THE SECRET TO MAKING A MOUSSE FOR CANAPES
Making mousse can be intimidating, for this recipe it simply means we will use a blender to puree our canape mousse ingredients.
Simply place mousse ingredients in a blender, blend until completely smooth, scraping down sides as needed.
The secret to making this really good mousse for canapes is to make it ahead. The mousse needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours until firm. Place in a piping bag or zip lock, so it is ready to pipe, avoiding excess handling and “heating up” the mousse with our hands when you are ready to assemble. The mousse will keep up to 3 days in the fridge.
Watch the Cucumber Canapes video in the recipe card below. Try this recipe, rate and comment. I want to know what you think!
INGREDIENTS IN THIS CUCUMBER CANAPE RECIPE
Here is what you will need to make this quiche:
- Cucumber – Look for long cucumbers often labeled as English, they are less watery, so they don’t dilute the mousse when eating. But in a pinch you can use standard cucumbers
Scooping a well out of the center of the cucumber slice gives the best ratio of cucumber to mousse, and also removes the watery center. If you are short on time or scooping out the center is not your jam, a trick is to thinly slice the cucumber to achieve a similar ratio of cucumber to mousse.
SMOKED SALMON MOUSSE INGREDIENTS
- Smoked Salmon – salmon can be substituted for smoked trout or other smoked fish (even if not thin slices like the smoked salmon)
- Cream Cheese - A soft cheese like Neufchatel cheese, brie, or cream cheese pair well with the smoked salmon
- Sour Cream
- Mayonnaise
- Fresh Dill
- Garlic
- Lemon juice and zest
- Salt and pepper, to taste
SUN-DRIED TOMATO MOUSSE INGREDIENTS
Switch out the smoked salmon, dill, garlic, and lemon with sun dried tomato strips in oil, hot sauce and scallions.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH CUCUMBER CANAPES?
This is a wonderful finger food appetizer that is a nice warm up act to the main course of pasta, seafood, or even steak.
Here are a few nice main courses to consider:
- Flank Steak
- Pasta Dishes: Prosciutto Pasta For Two , Shrimp Pasta, Orecchiette Pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and broccoli
- Baked Halibut
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT CANAPES
1. Cucumbers
2. Cheese Spread or Mousse made with soft cheeses
3. Garnishes such as dill, chives, scallions
Getting soft cheeses like Neufchatel cheese, brie, and cream cheese is an amazing way to pair them with the smoked salmon!
This is a fancy word for pureed smoked salmon.
Cucumber Canapes For Two (2 ways)
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 long cucumber (English)
For Smoked Salmon Mousse:
- 3 oz Smoked Salmon
- 3 oz Cream Cheese
- 1 Tablespoon Sour Cream
- 1 Tablespoon Mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh Dill
- ½ garlic clove ,minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (½ lemon)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
For the Mousse:
- Place Salmon Mousse ingredients in a food processer fitted with a metal blade. Blend until completely smooth, scraping down sides as needed.
- Using a resealable plastic storage bag (Ziplock or similar) or a piping bag with wide star tip nozzle, transfer Mousse into the bag. Refrigerate for 5 hours until firm.
Cucumbers
- Cut the cucumbers into ½ inch slices. Using a small melon baller or a teaspoon, scoop out the center making a shallow well.
Assemble:
- Snip the corner of the plastic storage bag, if using. Pipe mousse into cucumbers. Top with dill and serve immediately
Video
Notes
Sun-Dried Tomato Variation
Switch out the smoked salmon, dill, garlic and lemon with 2.5 ounces sun dried tomato strips in oil a dash of hot sauce and 1 scallion, thinly sliced (white and green parts).Puree the tomatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise and hot red pepper sauce, salt, and pepper in blender or food processor. Add the scallions and pulse twice. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and assemble.
Make Ahead
Store mousse in resealable plastic storage bag or piping bag until ready to pipe. The Mousse can be kept up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Cut and prepare cucumber store separately. But assemble just before serving. Once assembled, the cucumbers start sweating at around 30 - 45 minutes – they will still taste amazing, but will begin to slouch.Your Notes, Tips and Tricks
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #ourtable42.
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