Cucumber Sushi

These little cucumber boats are ridiculously simple to make, but they look impressive enough to serve at a dinner party.

The crunch of the cucumber plays perfectly against the creamy avocado and spicy mayo, and you get all that sushi flavor without feeling overly full afterward.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

No rice cooking, no rolling mats, no special skills required.

The cucumber base keeps everything light and refreshing, which makes these perfect for warm weather or when you want something satisfying but not heavy. Plus, they’re naturally gluten-free and low-carb if that matters to you.

Kids love helping make these too. There’s something fun about scooping out the cucumber centers and then building your own little sushi cups.

They hold up well in the fridge for a few hours, so you can prep them ahead if you’re having people over. Just keep them covered so the cucumber doesn’t dry out.

Ingredients

For the Cucumber Boats:

• 2 large English cucumbers
• 1 ripe avocado, diced
• 6 oz imitation crab (or real crab meat)
• 3 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise (or regular mayo)
• 1-2 teaspoons sriracha (adjust to taste)
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (white or mixed)
• 2 sheets nori, cut into thin strips
• Soy sauce, for serving
• Pickled ginger, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Wash the cucumbers and pat them dry. Cut each cucumber into thick rounds, about 1.5 inches tall.

Using a small spoon or melon baller, carefully scoop out the center of each cucumber round, leaving about a quarter-inch of cucumber at the bottom to create a stable base. Don’t scoop all the way through.

Pat the inside of each cucumber cup dry with a paper towel. This helps the filling stick better.

In a small bowl, mix the Japanese mayo with sriracha until well combined. Adjust the heat level to your preference.

Chop the imitation crab into small pieces. If you’re using real crab, shred it into bite-sized chunks.

Start assembling your cucumber boats by adding a small amount of diced avocado to the bottom of each cup.

Add a layer of crab on top of the avocado.

Drizzle the spicy mayo over the crab and avocado filling.

Sprinkle sesame seeds generously over the top of each cucumber boat.

Garnish with thin strips of nori placed across the top or tucked into the sides.

Arrange the cucumber sushi boats on a serving platter. Serve immediately with soy sauce and pickled ginger on the side.

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