Smoked Salmon Starters with Honeyed Avocado (GF)
Happy Friday, people! I’m stopping by with a quick and easy fall snack! So, behold these smoked salmon starters with honeyed avocado in honor of the weekend! We accidentally discovered this combination over the summer while cleaning out the fridge, and now these are our go-to appetizers. I mean, who doesn’t love honeyed avocado, smoked salmon, and baguettes? We think they’re the perfect fall snack because they’re really hearty and comforting, but still light and flavorful enough to get your palate ready for the larger meal to come.
These pretty little appetizers are so simple to whip up before a party, for a picnic, or even as a meal by themselves (we’ve been known to do that occasionally!). And, they’re always a crowd-pleaser because they’re savory, light, and dusted with just a hint of sweetness, too. Yum!
The ingredients:
First things first: the baguettes! To make these gluten-free, I use Against the Grain’s plain baguettes. These are becoming readily available in most mainstream grocery stores, and each package comes with two baguettes in case you want to double your recipe. Their site (linked above) also has a store locator so you can easily find where they are sold. I also vastly prefer these over Udi’s brand baguettes because they are flaky, fluffy, buttery, and very accurate when compared to non-GF baguettes.
Next, the smoked salmon. It’s important not to overwhelm these hors d’oeuvres with a huge amount of smoked salmon. Smoked salmon can be quite fishy depending on the variety and the quality, and that will have an effect on how much you use on each baguette slice. I find sockeye salmon to be fishier than Atlantic salmon, but both taste great in this dish. For reference, we try our best to patronize local seafood sources, so we use Atlantic salmon most often. The great news about smoked salmon is that it’s easy to find in most grocery stores no matter where you live, and it’s a GREAT source of Omega-3s!
The rest is pretty easy! Find yourself some nice raw honey and some semi-firm avocados, and get to assembling!
To serve these smoked salmon starters:
It’s simple! Just layer some avocado and smoked salmon on top of each baguette slice, drizzle with a bit of good olive oil, and then lightly spoon some honey on top to finish them! Tip: you might have to put your honey in the microwave for 15-30 seconds so that you can pour it. You can also finish with a couple grinds of fresh black pepper if you feel like it.
And there you have it! These take about 15 minutes to pull together, and they’re the perfect, light appetizer to get you ready for some Crispy Chicken Salad with Sweet Chili Drizzle or some Curried Chicken Meatball Salad, or really anything for that matter!
So, try out these smoked salmon starters, and let me know what you think! Happy weekend everyone! <3
Ingredients
- 7.5 oz. gluten-free baguette *sliced in 1/2 inch slices
- 1 hass avocado *semi-firm, sliced thinly
- 4 oz. smoked salmon *ripped into bite sized pieces
- 3 tbsp. raw honey *warm up if the texture is not pourable
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Toast baguette slices on a baking sheet in the oven for about 2 minutes, or until light golden brown and crisp around the edges.
- Place 1-2 pieces of sliced avocado on top of each toasted baguette slice.
- Layer bite-sized pieces of smoked salmon on top of the avocado.
- Drizzle very carefully with extra virgin olive oil over each slice.
- Drizzle with warmed honey evenly over each slice.
- Add a couple of grinds of fresh black pepper over the hors d'oeuvres to taste. Serve.