I credit Covid-19 with the creation of these delish cucumber orange hummus appetizers! One good thing about being in isolation due to the coronavirus is that we are getting inventive with food. Using only the food available in our pantries can be a challenge, if we don’t want to just eat plain foods.
These appetizers are so fresh, savory, sweet, tangy, crunchy and creamy – they’re perfect! I made them in the middle of the afternoon, just for Mr. Key Lime and myself, and we couldn’t stop eating them. Served at a party (one day . . . in 2021), these will be super popular with your guests. You might have all of the ingredients on hand now – I hope you have a chance to make some to perk yourself up during isolation! You’ll be glad you did. The tasty ingredients needed are cucumber, hummus, spinach or arugula, orange or grapefruit chunks, a drizzle of agave and a topping of black pepper or crush nuts.
Another thing I like about making these is 
that you can use pretty much any “greens” you want instead of the spinach or arugula. You can also use grapefruit instead of the orange chunks, or another tangy fruit, like pineapple. For a sweet topping, I have only used agave, which was actually a perfect mild sweetness. The savory final topping is cracked black pepper, or crushed walnuts or other nuts. The nuts will stick to the agave drizzle, and some will fall onto your serving dish, as will the cracked black pepper.
When assembling these appetizers, first measure the 1/8 teaspoon and 1/4 teaspoon of hummus with a measuring spoon. But after that first measurement (to get an idea of what that amount looks like), it’s easier to use a spoon to put the hummus on, just pushing it off the end of the spoon.
To make these cold appetizers, pre-chill the orange, cucumber, spinach and hummus. Because the hummus might become soft and runny while sitting, these appetizers need to be served immediately after they are made, since there’s no chance for refrigeration. If you would like to try an oil free hummus, which is also thicker, have a look at my recipe. If you are taking these to a picnic or get together, you can take the individual ingredients and assemble them at the party! Just be ready – they might disappear as quickly as you make them.
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Servings |
appetizers
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- 1 English cucumber pre-chilled, washed and sliced into 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices
- 12 leaves fresh spinach pre-chilled, cut chiffonade style (into narrow strips)
- 1/4 cup hummus
- 1 fresh orange or grapefruit pre-chilled, peeled, all membranes removed, wedges cut into 1-inch chunks
- agave syrup or nectar for drizzling
- 6 walnut halves crushed, or any other crushed nuts
- cracked black pepper to taste
Ingredients
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|
- Slice the cucumber into 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices and arrange on a serving platter.
- Smear about 1/8 teaspoon onto the top side of each cucumber.
- Add 3 or 4 spinach leaf slices on top of the hummus, so that the leaves will extend past the edge of the cucumber in all directions. (Or place 2 whole arugula leaves on top of the hummus.)
- Add an additional 1/4 teaspoon dollop of hummus, this time on top of the greens.
- Gently push one orange or grapefruit wedge into each dollop of hummus.
- Carefully drizzle agave syrup or nectar over the top of each appetizer, using one line of agave over the center, running side to side, or front to back.
- Top each appetizer with cracked pepper or crushed nuts, or both. Serve immediately.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! Leave any feedback in comments below. Also, share your comments on Instagram: @key_lime_coconut or on Twitter: @keylime_coconut.
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