Cucumber Smoked Salmon Appetizer Bites {Low Carb, Gluten-Free}

Crisp cucumbers are topped with garlic and herb cream cheese, smoked salmon and other garnishes that you might see on your Sunday bagel, for a light, flavor-packed appetizer that pairs beautifully with a fragrant white wine.

There are many joys of life in Southern California, among them weather that cooperates most of the year, allowing for outdoor get-togethers on a whim, and watching and playing sports all year long.

We’re big fans of soccer here, and we often pair game-watching with nibbles and drinks, whether the game is at a local field, an away-tournament, or on our TV screen. It always goes better with appetizers and wine.

I was thinking of what to serve that would be low-carb, wouldn’t aggravate gluten-free friends, and would pair nicely with a new-to-me bottle of deliciously fragrant white wine, and it struck me — what about classic bagel toppings, but without the bagel? Let’s put them on crisp cucumber slices, for an irresistible nibble.

Easy to make Cucumber Smoked Salmon Appetizer Bites

These are among the easiest appetizers I have ever made.

Assemble all the ingredients and peel the cucumbers decoratively (don’t they sort of look like soccer balls?). I peel alternate stripes, but suit yourself. You could peel them entirely if you like, or don’t peel them at all.

Cut crosswise slices about 1/4-inch thick. Spread each slice with some softened Boursin Garlic and Herb Cheese. You could also use whipped cream cheese if you like. This acts as the glue to hold the rest of the toppings on snugly.

Top each with a thin piece of smoked salmon. Place a few slivers of purple onion, a couple of drained capers, and even a sprinkle of black or white sesame seeds (this pays homage to the sesame seeds that are often on a bagel).

That’s it! See how easy it is? You can even arrange them on a plate in the shape of a soccer ball!

What wine to drink with your Cucumber Smoked Salmon Appetizer Bites

The logical wine to choose is Trivento White Orchid Reserve Torrontes. Trivento Wine is the Official Wine of MLS (Major League Soccer), so it’s a natural for soccer-themed parties and potlucks. I was very impressed by the characteristics of the Trivento White Orchid Reserve Torrontes. My go-to wine is generally a Pinot Grigio, and this is an innovative blend of Torrontes (the dominant white grape of Argentina) and Pinot Grigio grapes, whose marriage makes them both better. Breathe in, and you smell a garden of flowers, pineapple, chamomile and white pepper from the Torrontes grapes, wafting with the golden apple and citrus of Pinot Grigio. Your first sniff might cause you to think it will be sweet, but it isn’t. It’s an off-dry, light wine with a refreshing flavor that pairs remarkably well with summer foods. At about $11 a bottle, it’s a perfect everyday wine, as well. Take a look at the Trivento-MLS Loyalty program, as well, where you can sign in on a mobile device, buy Trivento, earn credit and get MLS gear. Score!

It really complements these Cucumber Smoked Salmon Appetizer Bites — the floral wine is a nice counterpoint to the crisp and slightly sweet cucumber, creamy/garlic-y cheese, salty salmon, sharp onion flavors.

These appetizers paired with that wine….it makes a worthy goal! (See what I did there?  😎 )

Cheers to a fun season of soccer, whether you play, you watch, or you do both!

Pin the image below to your Pinterest board to save both the recipe and the reminder of the wine to pair with it.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Trivento Wine.

Tagged as: appetizer, Boursin, cucumber, smoked salmon, sponsored, wine