Crispy cucumber and creamy avocado come together on this little crisp for a delightful bite. I love the combination in sushi and grain salads, but wanted another way of enjoying it, especially as a snack or appetizer for a party. The edamame and goat cheese spread does two things for this crisp. One, it helps the cucumber and avocado adhere to the base, and two, it offers a perfect tang and a little touch of protein to make this even more satisfying.
I grate a hard-boiled egg on top because I happen to love avocado and egg, and it leaves a pretty cool color blast, but if you are not in an egg mood, leave it off! I used the mini Persian cucumbers because they are small, crisp, and thin-skinned. If using regular American cucumbers, you may want to peel, halve, and de-seed before thinly slicing, and if using a seedless English cucumber could be halved before thinly slicing. I also used crisp breads that I had on hand, but crackers, crostini, toasted pita or any sturdy, toasted bread would work beautifully. The quantities needed for these will vary by which type of bread you use and how big your vegetables are, but this gives a general idea of what worked for me.
Cucumber and Avocado Crisps with Edamame and Goat Cheese Spread
1-2 Persian (mini) cucumbers, thinly sliced
1/2 avocado, peeled, pitted and thinly sliced
6 long flatbreads, 12 slices baguette toasted, or 12 small-medium size crackers
Edamame and Goat Cheese Spread (recipe here)
salt, for sprinkling
1 hard-boiled egg*, grated, for sprinkling (optional)
Spread the bread or cracker of choice with a layer of the edamame and goat cheese spread. Alternate slices of cucumber and avocado on top. Sprinkle with salt, and grated hard-boiled egg, if using. Enjoy! Makes 6-12 pieces, depending on the bread used.
* To hard-boil eggs: Place eggs in a pot and cover with water. Place over high heat until water just starts to boil. Remove pot from the heat, cover with the lid, and set the timer for 9 minutes. Immediately remove the eggs from the water, and place in a bowl of ice water. Allow to cool before peeling. For an easier way to peel eggs, check out this recipe.
