The recipe and photography for this post was provided by Carolyn Hodges of The Dinner Shift.
As someone who focuses heavily on dishes for the main course of a meal, my philosophy when it comes to appetizers is to keep it simple. These Blackened Shrimp and Cucumber Bites fit the bill because they come together in about 15 minutes with just a handful of ingredients, but they look super fancy and taste fresh and delicious).
To add big flavor fast, I’m tossing jumbo peeled shrimp in a Cajun-style seasoning blend. This saves me the step of measuring out multiple spices. Adding a garnish of Vigeo Gardens Microgreens is an easy way to make these apps look elegant, and did you know they’re packed with beneficial nutrients and antioxidants? It’s a win, win.
While these are best assembled just before serving, you can cook the shrimp up to a day in advance and serve chilled atop the cucumber and avocado.
Interested in making this recipe? Order the ingredients online for Curbside Grocery Pickup or Delivery.

- Cook time:
- 5min
- Prep time:
- 10min
- Total time:
- 15min
- Servings:
- 16
Ingredients
- 1 lb. fresh jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 Tbsp. Cajun-style seasoning
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 English cucumber, cut at an angle into 16 slices
- 1 English cucumber, cut at an angle into 16 slices
- 1 cup Vigeo Gardens Microgreens Blend
- ½ cup Stonewall Kitchen Sriracha Aioli
Instructions
- In a bowl, gently toss the shrimp in the seasoning.
- Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add shrimp and cook for 4-5 minutes or until cooked through, flipping once. Set aside.
- Arrange cucumber slices on a serving platter. Top each with a slice of avocado, one shrimp and garnish with microgreens.
- Serve aioli in a small dish for topping.