It’s warm, it’s sunny, and with this weather comes the urge for drinks and nibbles! But with swimsuit season around the corner, it’s time to keep things light! No worries – we’ve put together a selection of light appetiser ideas: tuna lettuce wraps, aubergine caviar, fig and prosciutto bites, courgette and fresh goat’s cheese dip, prawn skewers, pintxos ibéricos, smoked salmon rolls and melon gazpacho. You’ll see, light food doesn’t have to be boring. Say goodbye to crisps and peanuts, and hello to nibbles that are both light and delicious!
Tuna lettuce wraps
Ingredients for 4 people
- 2 small cans of tuna in water
- 1 spring onion
- 1 avocado – though you can also use cucumber, radishes, or carrots!
- 1 head of lettuce (or little gem lettuce if unavailable)
- Sesame oil (or olive oil if unavailable), salt, pepper
For the sweet and sour sauce:
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 small piece of fresh ginger, grated
Method
Sauce: whisk together the honey, lemon juice, soy sauce and grated ginger until smooth. Set aside in the fridge.
In a bowl, combine the flaked tuna, finely sliced spring onion, sesame oil, salt and pepper.
Slice the avocado into strips (or prepare your chosen vegetables if you’d like to adapt the recipe to your taste or the season).
Wash large lettuce leaves and pat them dry thoroughly.
Spoon the tuna filling and avocado slices into each lettuce leaf, then roll it up. Secure each wrap with a wooden cocktail stick.
Serve with the sauce.
Feel free to make this light recipe with a chicken or crab filling for a tasty variation!
Light aubergine caviar
Ingredients for 6 people
- 3 aubergines
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp Greek yogurt
- 6 cherry tomatoes
- 4 fresh basil leaves
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Salt, pepper
Method
Wash the aubergines and pat them dry. Cut into large cubes and place in a microwave-safe dish. Cook on full power for about 15 minutes, stirring regularly, until completely soft. Transfer to a blender.
Peel the garlic cloves, remove the germ, and add them to the blender with the aubergines.
Add the lemon juice, yogurt, salt and pepper, then blend until you achieve a smooth, creamy texture.
Pour your aubergine caviar into a bowl and set aside.
Just before serving, drizzle with olive oil, then scatter over the quartered cherry tomatoes and freshly chopped basil.
Serve with pitta bread, crackers or breadsticks.
Fig and Prosciutto appetiser bites
Ingredients for 6 people
- 6 ripe figs
- 3 large slices of Prosciutto (Bayonne ham works just as well if that’s what you have!)
- Honey
- Fresh rosemary
- Pepper
Method
Wash the figs and cut them in half. Cut the prosciutto slices into long strips.
Arrange the fig halves cut-side up on a serving plate and season with a drizzle of honey and a little pepper.
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Wrap each fig half in a strip of prosciutto and garnish with a few sprigs of fresh rosemary. Serve!
Courgette and fresh goat’s cheese dip
Ingredients for 4 people
- 1 courgette
- 100g fresh goat’s cheese
- ½ garlic clove
- Basil, chives, salt, pepper (or any herbs and spices you like)
Method
Wash the courgette and boil it until completely tender. Once cooked, cut into small pieces and leave to cool in the fridge.
Once cold, place the courgette pieces in a blender. Add the peeled and de-germed half garlic clove, the fresh goat’s cheese, and your chosen herbs and spices.
Blend until you get a light, smooth texture.
Pour into a bowl, scatter with chives and serve with toasted bread slices or, even better, vegetable crudités (carrot sticks, cucumber, cauliflower florets).
Light prawn skewers
Ingredients for 4 people
- 20 peeled prawns
- 1 unwaxed lime
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 tbsp sesame oil (or olive oil if unavailable)
- 1 tbsp chopped coriander (parsley also works)
- Wooden skewer sticks, for serving
Method
Peel the garlic cloves, remove the germ and crush them through a garlic press – or simply crush them roughly. Zest the lime and squeeze its juice.
In a bowl, combine the sesame oil, lime juice and zest, and crushed garlic.
Marinate the peeled prawns in the mixture.
Once the prawns have absorbed the marinade, thread them onto the wooden skewers.
In a non-stick frying pan, cook the prawns over high heat for 2 minutes on each side until golden.
Arrange on a plate and sprinkle with freshly chopped coriander.
Pintxos ibéricos
Ingredients for 4 people
- 8 to 12 slices of bread
- 2–3 juicy tomatoes
- 1 red pepper
- 1 small tin of anchovies in oil
- 1 garlic clove
- Olive oil
- Pepper
Method
Open the tin of anchovies and rinse them several times in clean water to remove excess oil and salt. Drain and pat dry gently. Set aside in the fridge.
Roast the red pepper whole in the oven. Once the skin is browned, remove the pepper, peel and deseed it. Cut the flesh into thin strips and set aside in the fridge.
Toast the bread slices until golden and crisp. Rub each slice with the garlic clove, then with a tomato cut in half. Drizzle a few drops of olive oil over each slice and season with pepper.
Top each slice with a few strips of roasted red pepper and one or two desalted anchovies.
Arrange the topped slices on a plate and secure each with a cocktail stick.
Smoked salmon rolls
Ingredients for 4 people
- 4 plain wholegrain or corn tortillas
- A handful of rocket
- 4 slices of smoked salmon (or smoked trout!)
- 4 tbsp fat-free cream cheese
- 1 unwaxed lemon
- Dill, salt, pepper – or any other seasoning you enjoy, such as parsley or horseradish…
Method
Wash the rocket and set aside.
Zest the lemon and squeeze its juice. Set aside.
In a bowl, mix the cream cheese with the lemon juice and zest, and the dill. Season with salt and pepper. Adjust to taste.
Lay a tortilla flat and spread with the cream cheese mixture. Top with a little rocket and a slice of smoked salmon. Roll up like a cigar. Cut into sections and secure each little roll with a cocktail stick. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
Arrange the rolls on a plate and serve.
Melon gazpacho
Ingredients for 4 people
- 1 melon
- 1 small cucumber
- 1 garlic clove
- 50g stale bread (crumb only)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp Sherry vinegar
- Chilli, nutmeg, salt, pepper
Method
Peel the melon and cucumber, remove the seeds. Place the flesh in a blender.
Add the bread, oil, vinegar and spices (to taste).
Blend everything. Pour the gazpacho into shot glasses or small glasses and keep chilled until your guests arrive.
If you like, garnish with a few basil leaves and/or a thin slice of Serrano or Pata Negra ham.
How to put together a spread of light nibbles
For a varied selection of light nibbles, pick a few recipes from this list and mix up the textures. Include something to spread or dip, such as the aubergine caviar or the courgette and fresh goat’s cheese dip. Add some bite-sized finger food: tuna lettuce wraps, prawn skewers, smoked salmon rolls or fig and prosciutto bites. Finish with something fresh served in small glasses, like the melon gazpacho.
On the side, swap crisps and peanuts for raw vegetable sticks: carrot, cucumber or cauliflower florets. Feel free to choose whatever vegetables are in season, just as suggested for the tuna wraps. Several preparations can also be made in advance and kept chilled until your guests arrive.
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