Check out this cartoon by Gemma Correll. It really made me laugh out loud. I’m not talking about the little LOL you text when you don’t know what else to say, I made a terrible sounding surprised snort-chuckle when I came across this. (I am just oozing attractiveness sometimes).
It’s sadly true, whether we like it or not, us veg are known for hummus. Now don’t get me wrong, I do like a good hummus recipe now and then, but I think it’s time we start to be known as something more than hummus-eaters. Let’s be known as the people who always prepare the prettiest, most delicious treats. I want to hear all BBQ hosts shout “don’t forget to invite those vegans! They always bring the best food!”. It’s time to surprise the crowd by bringing something that is, well, not hummus. Introducing Cucumber Avocado Rolls.
These aren’t hummus! But they have more to offer than just being not hummus. Just look how pretty these little dudes are, they sure look and taste impressive. They are super simple to make too. All you do is whip up this avocado spread and smear it across a slice of cucumber and roll it up. Best yet, these are like little mouth explosions. Seriously, they will catch you off guard by how yummy they are. So save this recipe so you are ready for the next BBQ you are invited to.
Omnomnom…. Avocados…droool… There I go oozing attractiveness again. I made a double batch of the avocado mixture because it’s great to spread on a sandwich.
To make, just toss all the ingredients (except the cucumber and paprika) in a food processor or blender. Or if you would like to do it by hand, finely mince the garlic and basil, and mash all the ingredients together with a fork until smooth and creamy.
Use a mandoline or potato peeler to cut long thin strips from the cucumber.
Take a cucumber strip and spread a thin coat of the avocado mixture along the length of the cucumber. A little goes a long way! Make sure to get some avocado all the way to the end, so it will stick the roll together. Roll it up! No toothpicks needed. Do the same with the rest of your cucumber strips. Sprinkle with a little paprika and serve right away.
Inspired by Pure Ella.
- 1 avocado
- 1/4 cup fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 English cucumber
- Smoked or sweet paprika for garnish
Add the avocado, basil, nutritional yeast, lime juice, garlic and salt in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth stopping to scrape the sides as needed.
Use a mandoline or potato peeler to cut long thin strips from the cucumber. Take a cucumber strip and spread a thin coat of the avocado mixture along the length of the cucumber. A little goes a long way! Make sure to get some avocado all the way to the end, so it will stick the roll together. Roll it up! No toothpicks needed. Do the same with the rest of your cucumber strips. Sprinkle with a little paprika and serve right away.
Cucumber is watery and softens quickly, so if you plan on bringing these to a party, prepare the avocado spread that morning, and store in an air tight container. Bring a whole cucumber and potato peeler and assemble at the party.
Bon Appetegan!
Sam.
Wouldn’t recommend this recipe to broke college students with a rachet potato peeler and definitely would not recommend using a blender; I tried two different blenders to make the avocado mix and all it did was grind up the avocado and left the rest of the ingredients in tact. I had to transfer back and forth between blenders and mix it numerous times in order for it to even come close to mixing. And don’t even get me started on peeling the cucumber– on this part, I feel as though my Wal-Mart peeler just wasn’t doing the job. It wasn’t peeling evenly and after all the effort and a solid hour I put into this simple recipe, I gave up out of frustration. All-in-all, I got one cucumber roll, delicious avocado mix, and so, so many dirty dishes. Overall, this recipe was a nightmare for me. I’m sure it tastes delicious, though, with the right equipment.
R.I.P. my patience.
Sorry you didn’t enjoy it, Kelsey! For future, or anyone else reading, you can always mash the avocado by hand in a bowl with a fork, and if you do not have a mandoline or potato peeler that is working for you, you can always slice the cucumber as thinly as possible with a knife. 🙂
Hi! Forgive me if this was answered above…is the lime juice in this recipe sufficient to keep the avocado from browning if these are made a bit in advance of serving?
Thanks!
Hi Laura, I say this in the recipe but this recipe is not ideal for making in advance as the cucumber quickly softens and goes limp. These are meant to be made fresh and serve right away. Enjoy!
I saved this recipe probably a year ago, and finally made them today, WOW. They are delicious, crispy, and the avocado is delicately creamy and light, tastes so fresh and clean. I used smoked paprika, will be making again and again!
Yay! So happy you loved them, Angie 😀
Wonderful easy to make and it is delicious. Thanx for sharing
So happy you enjoyed them!
I think burpless cucumbers would work best for this recipe. Regular cucumbers have too soft of a center where all the seeds are.
Never heard of burpless cucumbers! I used English cucumbers.
I think “burpless” is an old-fashioned word for “seedless”. In fact, English cucumbers are seedless–‘burpless’ ! ;-). I can imagine they would work better for this recipe. I’ll try again with them.
Haha ok good to know!
Soooooo…..I am new to all of this but this recipe looks awesome but I am not a big fan of regular cucumbers. I however do like English cucumbers, they don’t seem to be as cucumber-y, would that work instead of a regular cucumber?
Thanks!!
Hi Brittany, yes I think any cucumber should work just fine 🙂
I made them, but used cilantro instead of basil, lemon instead of lime and I omitted the nutritional yeast. Soo good! My whole family loved them. (We’re all kind of avocado crazy.)
I just have one question; how did you get yours looking all pretty? I had a hard time peeling them – I used a potato peeler. Especially once I got to the middle where all the seeds are. It made a watery mess and I ended up wasting a bunch of the cucumber.
But besides the difficulty peeling, this is a wonderful delicious recipe. I will definitely be making them on a regular basis if I can figure out an easier way to peel the cucumber perhaps… 🙂
Sounds lovely!! I think my potato peeler was just very sharp, and the cucumber was very firm. I was also careful to press down as I was peeling to make sure the peeler didn’t slip up. This peeler is a similar peeler to the one I use. Hope that helps! Glad you enjoy the recipe 🙂
What is the purpose of the yeast?
No worries.. saw it answered below.
No problem! Hope you enjoy 🙂
I just made these & OH MY GOODNESS! New appetizer idea. Do you by chance know any of the nutritional values? Thank you for sharing! Now I need to practice presentation.
Yay! So happy you loved them Laura. Good idea, I added the nutritional information for you below the recipe 🙂
Could you use zucchini instead of cucumber? It does not have as much water as cucumber so it might be possible to make ahead.
Welcome Randi!
I’m not sure, I have never tried it, but if you give it a go, let us know how it turns out for you 😀
I am DEFINITELY trying these next week! 🙂
I hope you enjoy them!
FANTASTIC! I didn’t have any basil on hand so I foraged for some dandelion greens which did the trick. I also added a pinch of cayenne pepper. Thanks for such a delicious recipe — can’t wait to try it with the basil!
Thank you Lindy! So happy you loved it! Dandelion greens sound like a neat idea here! 😀
Hi! Just wondering what the purpose is for adding basil instead of cilantro? My guacamole usually has cilantro… thanks!
Hi Jennifer,
This is not guacamole, it’s just an avocado spread to fill the cucumbers. I love the taste of basil, but if you want to try cilantro, that sounds delicious too! Go for it.
Enjoy!
Sam.
made these for my husbands surprise birthday party yesterday…and i wasn’t so surprised when they vanished…they re so fresh, healthy and so tasty…i did add a few slices of sundried tomatoes to each roll, to have an extra kick of flavor…maybe the only draw back of this recipe is getting the cucumber slices right aint that easy and you may be left with some torn slices and extra ends
So happy you loved them Archana! I love the idea of adding sundried tomatoes. Yum! Thanks for coming back and leaving your review 🙂
Shared on my blog! 19 Outside the Box School Lunch Entrees http://www.ohmynosh.net/blog/packinglunch2
Thank you!
Thank you for sharing Michelle!
Hi, I have a question. If taking these to go to a party, how do I make it so that Avocado spread doesn’t turn brown?
Hi CrisAscunce,
I actually wouldn’t make them too far in advance, more for the cucumbers sake than the avocado. I find it best if you prepare the avocado spread just before leaving and store it in an air tight container. Bring a cucumber and potato peeler with you and roll them up on site. People will be even more wowed when you create them live!
Little bit of lemon juice will stop the avocado from browning
Good tip!
One of my favorite tips is that if you make avocado spread (i.e. this recipe or guacamole) you can prevent leftovers from going brown by covering the surface with water. It keeps it truly “airtight” and when you’re ready to serve, just pour the water off, mix up the spread and serve – perfectly green!
I had no idea! Thanks for sharing Lyndsay, that’s an awesome tip!
What a great tip!! Thank you
Excellent snack for my kids too. Thanks. As for browning heres my tricks at home….Keep it in a tall narrower type container, so less air is browning the exposed avocado. Give it a countertop tap to get out bubbles…. Also use plastic wrap on the top layer to reduce browning. Scrape off any brown and you are all good.
So happy you enjoyed the recipe Jennie, and thanks for the tips! 😀
Love the recipe, but the ads with a videos are really annoying. They both played at the same time. I had to turn down my volume to 0 to read your article.
Oh no! That’s terrible. Thanks for telling me Kristina. They don’t show up when I load the site so I had no idea. I will try to get rid of them.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Sometimes there is a virus on Chrome if your audience is using Chrome. I switched to firefox because Chrome has a lot of video bugs.
That’s good to know Jennie!
I do try to earn some money from my blog, but the last thing I want is to annoy anyone!
Hi I’m also vegan. This looks good. I’ll have to try it, just not at a barbecue. I can’t stomach the smell of burning flesh.
Haha, a vegan barbecue! The smell bothers me too, but I love barbecued veggies. Oh and pineapple! Yum.
Is the yeast necessary? Or is there something I can substitute it with? I can’t have it due to allergies :/
Hi Amy,
Nope, it’s not necessary it’s just for added flavour. I would just skip it and the recipe should be scrumptious without it. Enjoy!
I’m not vegan but love new and easy recipes….can’t wait to try them
Hi Janice,
You will find lots of those here! I try to keep them pretty healthy, with easy to find ingredients, and of course, super delicious 🙂
I think I’ve found my new favourite snack. 🙂 I few guests will go to my house tomorrow, I’m sure they will love this.
How did you cut the cucumbers thin enough to get them to roll without snapping in half? And the smooth edges? I used a cheese cutter. For one, it tore the edges to pieces, leaving them jagged and ugly. For two, when I tried to roll them they just snapped in multiple places. I got so frustrated I ended up chopping up the cucumber to save for later and am just sitting here eating the filling. At least this part is delicious.
Oh bummer! I used a potato peeler which is designed for slicing veggies, so it will probably work better and get thinner slices than a cheese cutter. You could also used a mandoline. I’m glad you enjoyed the filling at least!
What is Nutritional Yeast. Is it necessary in this recipe. It’s a beautiful dish!
Nutritional Yeast is a non-active yeast used for flavour. I like it because it has a cheesy nutty flavour. You can find it at any health food store or in the health food section of your grocery store. If you want to skip it, I’m sure the recipe would still be delicious.
Looking for a recipe to take on a boat with a bunch of people as an appetizer, especially since my date is a vegetarian. When you say, don’t store well…can you give me some hints to make these last if I make them before we leave. Thanks.
Hi 209Pyrate! Aaar! 😉
You definitely don’t want to make these ahead of time. Cucumber is mainly water so it will quickly get limp. Nothing less attractive than limp cucumber! Haha! What you could do is make the avocado spread earlier that day and store in an airtight container, then bring a whole cucumber, a vegetable peeler and a knife for spreading and assemble them on the spot. Could make for a good show too! Enjoy your trip!
Aaaahhhhh!! Knew you would have an inspirational idea. I’ll take note of your thoughts on needing this firm as possible when it comes to presentation. Any thoughts on adding other citrus in combination to the lime, need to keep the scurvy away… 😉
Hahah! I haven’t tried it, but I am sure it would be nice. Just don’t add too much liquid or the avocado spread might get too watery and not stick to the cucumber! Other yummy treats that would pack well are the Cashew Ricotta, Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas (make sure to seal tight so they stay crunchy!), Quick Pickled Beans, Cannellini Beans and Artichoke Dip, 3 Quick, Fun, Yummy Hummuses… If thats a word… which I don’t think it is. 🙂
may sound silly but why the need for the Nutritional Yeast ?
I was wondering this as well.
Not a silly question at all! Nutritional yeast isn’t an active yeast (like the yeast found in bread), it’s only used for flavour. You will often see it in vegan recipes because it has a rich cheesy/ nutty type flavour. If you don’t want to use it, I am sure the recipe would still be delicious without it. If you do want to use it, you can find it in the health food section of most grocery stores, or health food stores. I love just sprinkling it on popcorn too, like in my Cheezy Vegan Popcorn Recipe: https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/2013/10/14/cheezy-vegan-popcorn/
Hope that helps!
I’m drooling. This looks so scrumptious! :] // itsCarmen.com ☼
Thanks Carmen!! I fully encourage drooling. Just be careful of your keyboard.
haha
I just made these and they were amazing. So very good!!! thanks for sharing
I’m so glad you liked them Mindy! Always nice to hear when people have tested out the recipe for themselves. Aren’t they just like little mouth explosions? 🙂
absolutely! I’ll be bringing these to parties 🙂
Haha! Great! Just make sure that you serve them right away. They don’t store well.
weirdly the picture has me salivating, wtf? Repressed avocado addiction?
Haha! Yes. Now you know my weakness.
I was completely salivating too even though I JUST had some avocado. In my case, it must be the Mexican in me.
I love that a drool-off has started with this recipe! Your saliva is under my spell! Haha!
ohhhhhh I cannot wait to try this! I’ve recently developed an avocado addiction and this recipe is right up my ally!
Welcome to the wonderful world of avocado addiction. It’s a delicious place to be. 🙂
What a cute idea! These are so pretty 😀
Thanks Melissa! I love finger foods 🙂
Mmmm, that looks super tasty! 🙂
Thanks Andie!
I am totally making these babies for lunch tomorrow!
Haha! Do it! I hope you like them as much as I do 🙂
I’m sure I will. Any excuse to eat more avacodo 😉
Haha! I’m the same! Love avocados! I sometimes just eat one with a spoon!
Me too ^.^ And maybe a little herb salt og a few drops of lemon juice if I wanna be fancy haha.
Haha! Worst part of avocados is I always feel like I am waiting for them to get ripe, and it feels like they are ripe for an hour before they are overripe! Haha
Ah yes! The dreaded “avocado second” we call it haha. I have heard tales of putting unripened avocados in a paperbag with an apple and the gasses from the apple (or some chemistry thing ) from the apple will help it ripen but I have never tried it.
Yes! I have tried that. It works. You can use a banana too. Problem is I only remembered what was in that mysterious brown paper bag, when it was too late!
Haha I can totally see that happening.
Haha! Avocado fail.
I realised I didn’t have a peeler to make the cucumber slices (just an old fashioned potato peeler that wasn’t wide enough for a cucumber) so I ended up just eating cucumber and celery sticks with avocado dip but it was still really good! And I added some onion powder to the avocado for more a more savoury taste.
Any sort of dip is always a good idea in my opinion! Haha. Glad you enjoyed 🙂 I also enjoy the avocado mixture as a spread on sandwiches and wraps. Kind of like mayonnaise… But avocado awesomeness.
I used to be allergic to avocado but after I cleaned my system out by becoming vegan I can eat avacados no problem… so I am definitely going to try this recipe much thanks to U…
Wow! I didn’t even know you could loose allergies when becoming vegan. That’s very cool! I’m so glad you lost that allergy! Avocado is one of my favourites.
Ooh, gorgeous! How long do they stay crisp? I always have trouble with cucumbers getting sort of soggy when I do anything like this with them
Yeah, these are definitely a serve right away dish. But you could make the avocado spread a few hours in advance and store it in the fridge until you want to use it.