Kale Cucumber Cups From Vegan Finger Foods

Vegan Finger Foods by Celine Steen and Tamasin Noyes is my latest favorite. It’s cocktail party season in my world and I’m always looking for easy and fun recipes that can translate into a mini three course meal. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post to enter and win a copy of your own!

The recipes are divvied up into Veggie-centric Finger Feasts, Stuffed and Dipped, Bread Based Bites, and Sweet Little Somethings. The first chapter, Mind Your Manners: Eating with Your Hands, leads off with the best sub-title ever – “A little preliminary info to get this finger food party started…”. They also mark the recipes with icons for ‘make ahead’, ‘quick and easy’, and ‘gluten-free potential’.

Spinach Swirls (Photo by Celine Steen)

If you have any of Celine Steen and Tamasin Noyes previous cookbooks, you already know how innovative they both are and you can see Celine’s gorgeous photos for just a few of the goodies they have in store for you like spinach swirls, better buckeyes and my favorite lunch for summer – cucumber kale cups.

Fig and Nut Canapes (Photo by Celine Steen)

I still have a ton of recipes that I want to try and they are:

• Brewpub Cauliflower Dip
• Nacho Potato Skins
• Corn Fritters with Tomato-Thyme Gravy
• Kimchi-Stuffed Sausages
• Green Crackers
• Mini Rum Raisin Cupcakes

Kale Cucumber Cups (Photo by Celine Steen)

Kale Cucumber Cups from Vegan Finger Foods by Celine Steen and Tamasin Noyes

Hurray, kale! The most super of the superfoods! We love the crisp cucumber slices with the seasoned (to-your-taste) kale, but if pressed, we’ll admit to eating this simply as a kale salad.

For prettier presentation, score the cucumber with a fork before cutting into rounds. The kale salad can be made ahead of time and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours, but it will continue to reduce in amount, so make extra.

Print Recipe

4 from 1 vote

Kale Cucumber Cups From Vegan Finger Foods

Servings: 14 cups

Calories: 8kcal

Author: Kathy Hester

Ingredients

• 2 cups 120 g packed very finely chopped kale leaves (stems discarded)
• 2 teaspoons tamari
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 ⁄2 teaspoon Sriracha or more to taste
• 1 ⁄2 teaspoon white sesame seeds more to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 141 ⁄2-inch 1.3 cm thick round slices organic cucumber (see headnote)

Instructions

• Stir together the kale, tamari, and lemon juice in a medium-size bowl.
• Using your hands, rub it together for a few minutes, or until the kale wilts and softens.
• Stir in the sesame oil, Sriracha, and sesame seeds.
• Let sit for 15 minutes for the flavors to meld. The kale will reduce in amount.
• Using a 1⁄2-teaspoon measuring spoon or a melon baller, carefully scoop out the center of the cucumbers to create a bowl. (Do not scoop all the way through the cucumber).
• Taste the salad and adjust the seasonings.
• Fill each cucumber with 1 teaspoon kale salad.

Notes

Serving Suggestions & Variations
Serve these with Pantry Raid Ranch Dip (page 57) for even more flavor. Recipe Note
Although we prefer organic cucumbers, if they aren’t available (or are too pricy), be sure to peel them instead of scoring them.

Nutrition

Calories: 8kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Sodium: 56mg