Recipes › Fresh bowls & lunches› Smoked salmon cucumber bites
Fresh bowls & lunches · Easy · Serves 4

Smoked salmon cucumber bites

Cool cucumber rounds topped with a lemony cream cheese, smoked salmon, and dill. A no-cook, low-carb, high-protein snack that looks like a party and takes ten minutes.

Anna Lind Harper
by Anna Lind Harper
Tested twice · Published 2026-06-20
A cream-speckled plate of smoked salmon cucumber bites on a white marble counter: thick cucumber rounds each topped with a swipe of cream cheese, a curl of orange-pink smoked salmon, a few green capers, a frond of fresh dill, and a crack of black pepper. A lemon wedge and a small bunch of dill rest beside the plate. Cool, bright natural light from the kitchen window.
Prep
10 min
Cook
0 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
easy

These are the snack I make when I want something that feels a little special but asks almost nothing of me. Cucumber rounds, a swipe of lemony whipped cream cheese, a curl of smoked salmon, a few capers, and a frond of dill. No cooking, ten minutes, and they look like I tried much harder than I did.

It is a very Nordic little bite, cool and fresh and bright, and it carries real protein from the salmon. I make them for myself on a slow afternoon and for people when they come over.

“Cucumber, lemony cream cheese, smoked salmon, dill. A cool Nordic bite that looks like a party and takes ten minutes.”
Why this one earns a weeknight

What you'll love about it

  • 01About 14 grams of protein a serving, cool and fresh, with no cooking at all.
  • 02Naturally low-carb and gluten-free, and they feel far fancier than the ten minutes they take.
  • 03Smoked salmon, dill, and cucumber is a classic Nordic trio for a reason.
  • 04Equally good as a solo afternoon snack or a plate set out for friends.
Anna, in a navy and white striped top, assembling smoked salmon cucumber bites on a wooden board at her marble island, laying a curl of salmon onto a cream-cheese-topped cucumber round. A plate of smoked salmon, a bowl of lemony cream cheese, capers, dill, and a halved lemon sit in front of her, with her bright kitchen behind.
Cut the cucumber rounds thick so they are sturdy little platforms, then build.
Ingredients

For the bites

  • 1large English cucumber, cut into ⅓-inch rounds
  • 4 ozcream cheese, softened
  • 2 Tbspfull-fat Greek yogurt or skyr
  • 1 tspfresh lemon juice
  • 4 ozsmoked salmon, torn into bite-size pieces
  • 1 Tbspcapers, drained
  • 2 Tbspfresh dill
  • optionalthinly sliced red onion
  • flaky salt and black pepper
Method

How I make it

  1. 01
    Make the lemony cream cheese.
    Stir the softened cream cheese with the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth and spreadable. The yogurt lightens it and adds a little tang and protein. Taste and add a pinch of salt.
  2. 02
    Prep the cucumber.
    Cut the cucumber into rounds about a third of an inch thick so they are sturdy enough to hold a topping. If they look watery, pat the tops dry with a paper towel so the cream cheese sticks.
  3. 03
    Assemble the bites.
    Swipe or pipe a little of the lemony cream cheese onto each cucumber round. Top with a curl of smoked salmon, a few capers, a frond of dill, a little red onion if using, and a crack of black pepper. Finish with a tiny pinch of flaky salt.
    A pair of hands in a navy striped sleeve placing a frond of fresh dill onto a finished smoked salmon cucumber bite on a plate, on a marble counter.
    Finish each bite with capers, dill, and a crack of pepper, and serve them cool.
  4. 04
    Serve cool.
    Arrange on a plate and serve right away, or chill for up to an hour. They are best cold and fresh, while the cucumber is still crisp.
A close macro of a finished smoked salmon cucumber bite: a ruffled curl of salmon over lemony cream cheese on a cucumber round, topped with green capers, a frond of dill, and cracked pepper.
A note from Anna

Cut the cucumber rounds on the thicker side, about a third of an inch, so they are sturdy little platforms and not floppy. If your cucumbers are very watery, blot the cut tops dry so the cream cheese has something to grip. The Greek yogurt stirred into the cream cheese is a small move that does two things: it lightens the richness and sneaks in a bit more protein. Assemble these close to when you will eat them; made too far ahead, the cucumber weeps and the bases go slippery.

What to serve with it

Round out the table.

  • ·01
    A few rye crisps on the side
    For anyone who wants a little more crunch and heft.
  • ·02
    Sparkling water with lemon
    Or a cold glass of something crisp if it is that kind of afternoon.
  • ·03
    A soft-boiled egg
    If you want to build it into a light, protein-forward lunch plate.
Storage & reheating

Keeping the leftovers good.

Fridge: The lemony cream cheese keeps for 3 days sealed. Assembled bites are best the day they are made; the cucumber softens overnight.

Make ahead: Make the cream cheese ahead and tear the salmon, but assemble within an hour or two of serving for the crispest cucumber.

Freezer: Not suitable. Cucumber and cream cheese do not freeze well.

Recipe card

Smoked salmon cucumber bites

Cool cucumber rounds topped with a lemony cream cheese, smoked salmon, and dill. A no-cook, low-carb, high-protein snack that looks like a party and takes ten minutes.

Prep
10 min
Cook
0 min
Serves
4
Total
10 min
Ingredients
  • 1 large English cucumber, cut into ⅓-inch rounds
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 2 Tbsp full-fat Greek yogurt or skyr
  • 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 4 oz smoked salmon, torn into bite-size pieces
  • 1 Tbsp capers, drained
  • 2 Tbsp fresh dill
  • optional thinly sliced red onion
  • flaky salt and black pepper
Method (short version)
  1. 01Make the lemony cream cheese.
  2. 02Prep the cucumber.
  3. 03Assemble the bites.
  4. 04Serve cool.

Nutrition information is an estimate. See full nutrition disclaimer.

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