Vegan Cucumber Roll Ups (Avocado + Pistachio Filling)

These vegan cucumber roll ups (cucumber rolls) are made with a refreshing mixture of pistachio, mint, lime and creamy avocado. They make for a perfect appetizer or snack, especially in warmer months.

While rolls take some time to prepare, I’ll also provide a very quick and simple way to assemble this recipe. They are truly a delicious snack with the freshest flavor you could imagine!

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Ingredients to Make Cucumber Roll Ups

This recipe has a fairly short ingredient list that’s filled with incredibly flavorful ingredients. They all pair together perfectly to make a refreshing appetizer or snack.

There are lots of substitution options you can try out for endless possibilities with this recipe. However, I find these ingredients make an amazing cucumber roll:

• Cucumbers: Of course, you’ll need to start with a couple cucumbers to make roll ups. Select a cucumber with minimal seeds for this recipe; seedy cucumber slices tend to fall apart. English cucumbers are the best option (unless you make cucumber bites with round slices of cucumber).
• Avocado: I use avocado to add some delicious creaminess. Its flavor balances the ultra-fresh pistachio filling perfectly. You can also use vegan cream cheese or vegan ricotta cheese in place of the avocado.
• Pistachios: These tasty nuts offer a distinct, mild flavor in the recipe’s filling. As tasty as pistachios are, they’re also very expensive. Pretty much any other type of nut (and some seeds) can work in place of pistachios. Sunflower seeds are my second choice since they’re fairly inexpensive where I live.
• Onion: Some raw onion adds slightly sharp flavor to the pistachio filling. If you want a milder onion flavor, use green/spring onions. You could also add a clove of minced garlic for an even more pungent flavor!
• Fresh mint leaves: Nothing tastes like summer the way fresh mint does. It’s a spectacular herb that’s best enjoyed fresh. Any fresh herb can work wonders to enhance the flavor of this recipe; basil, cilantro, parsley or dill are all great choices.
• Lime juice: Bright, fresh citrus is the ultimate way to enhance any recipe. I use lime juice because it pairs especially well with mint, but you can use any citrus.
• Salt: Bring the recipe together and add plenty of flavor with some salt. Any type of salt should work for the recipe, and you can adjust the amount to your taste preferences.

How to Make Cucumber Rolls

This recipe is simple enough to make but there’s some work involved to thinly slice long strips of cucumber, then roll them up. Read below for an alterative way to serve this recipe that saves lots of time, energy and possible frustration.

Step 1: Prepare Cucumber

The first (and most difficult) step is to thinly slice cucumber into long, thin strips.

I’m lucky to have a mandolin slicer that makes the process fairly easy. You’ll just need to make a few passes along the cucumber before you get to a point where the strips are wide enough to fill and roll.

Without a mandolin slicer, a vegetable peeler is your next best option. Carefully “peel” along the cucumber with even pressure to create a thin slice.

If you have good knife skills, slice the cucumber by hand - but method typically creates uneven slices.

If you want to skip the hassle of thinly slicing then rolling cucumber, just cut into round slices and pile filling on top. These slices can be as thick or thin as you like, but I’d aim for about ¼ - ½ inch (½ – 1 centimeter).

Step 2: Prepare Filling

Once you cut the cucumber, prepare some pistachio filling. This is easiest to do in a small food processor; larger ones likely won’t work because there isn’t enough filling.

Simply add all the filling ingredients into your food processor and pulse until everything is evenly combined. With such a small amount of filling, it’s best to pre-chop the onion and mint so you don’t end up with any large pieces in the final filling.

If you don’t have a food processor, finely chop all the ingredients then stir them together. Pistachios are quite soft and you can chop them somewhat easily with a knife.

Just before you assemble the rollups, mash some avocado (after removing the pit and peel).

Step 3: Assemble and Serve

To create the roll ups, take one slice of cucumber. At one end, add about 1 teaspoon of mashed avocado and 1-2 teaspoons of the pistachio mixture – don’t add much more than 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) of filling.

Carefully pick up the end of your cucumber where the filing is, then roll it tightly over the filling to secure it in place. Try to tuck the end of the cucumber slice under the filling and press it in so the filling is nicely secured.

Finish rolling the cucumber, then secure the roll with a toothpick.

Alternatively, if you use round cucumber slices instead of the thin strips, simply top each slice with 1 teaspoon of mashed avocado and 1-2 teaspoons of pistachio filling.

Serve the prepared rolls right away. They are best served cold!

How to Serve Cucumber Roll Ups

I consider a balanced meal one that contains a good source of plant-based protein, carbohydrates, fats and lots of vegetables or fruits.

Since this is an appetizer, it’s not meant to be a balanced meal on its own. It’s assumed that you’ll eat other foods alongside these cucumber roll ups, or a main meal is to follow.

Cucumber rolls are often eaten as a lower carb recipe, and this version of cucumber rolls is no exception. These rolls mainly provide vegetables and healthy fats (from pistachios and avocado).

While this is a tasty combo with lots of nutritional value, if you want a main meal, add some protein to the recipe. Mashing cooked white beans with the avocado is a simple way to do this, or use hummus (or another bean dip) in place of the avocado.

Cucumber Roll Up Variations

You can get very creative with how you fill your cucumber rolls. Replacing avocado for vegan cream cheese or ricotta cheese creates tasty variations.

One common non-vegan cucumber rollup recipe is to use cream cheese, turkey or deli slices, mustard and lettuce or tomato. This can be made vegan if you have access to vegan deli slices and cream cheese (or use avocado).

You could also use chickpea mash in your cucumber rolls for a fully vegan option.

This recipe is often enjoyed as a lower carbohydrate appetizer, snack or lunch.

How to Store Leftovers

It’s best to eat these roll ups the day they’re made because mashed avocado is likely to brown. While you can still eat them with browned avocado, most people prefer not to.

I recommend only making as many rolls/ bites as you plan to eat, then assemble more the next day(s) if needed.

To do this, simply keep the sliced cucumber in a container covered with water and keep the pistachio mixture in a separate, airtight container. Mash the avocado as needed (or use vegan cream cheese/ ricotta cheese which you can store separately).

Even when storing all the ingredients apart, you should eat this recipe within 3 days.

If you make this recipe, please rate and comment below to help others benefit from your experience!

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