AIP Friendly Crab Cocktail Bites with Avocado & Herb Sauce
These elegant little bites are bright, fresh, and genuinely impressive — the kind of appetizer that disappears from the platter before you even sit down. Lump crab meat is tossed with olive oil, lemon, chives, parsley, and a hint of ground ginger, then piled onto crisp cucumber rounds for a naturally grain-free, no-fuss base. The real star is the creamy avocado herb sauce blended with cilantro, garlic, and a splash of lemon — it's silky, vibrant, and holds its shape beautifully as a little cushion beneath the crab. Following an autoimmune protocol means navigating a long list of off-limits ingredients, and party food is often the hardest category to crack, but every single component here is clean and compliant without any substitutions or workarounds. There's no dairy, no grains, no nightshades, and no eggs — just whole, recognizable ingredients doing exactly what they should. The recipe serves four and comes together in well under an hour, with most of that time being a quick 15-minute chill in the fridge. Whether you're hosting or just treating yourself to something that feels a little special, this one delivers serious flavor without a single compromise.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the crab salad
- 8 oz lump crab meat, picked over for shells
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
For the avocado herb sauce
- 1 large ripe avocado, pitted and peeled
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 2–3 tbsp cold water
For assembly
- 1 large english cucumber (about 12 inches), sliced into ¼-inch rounds
For serving
- fresh chives or micro herbs, for garnish (optional)
- lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
In a mixing bowl, combine the crab meat, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, lemon zest, chives, parsley, ground ginger, and 1/4 tsp salt. Fold gently until just combined, keeping the crab in large pieces. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes to let the flavors come together.
- 2
While the crab chills, make the avocado herb sauce: add the avocado, cilantro, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp olive oil, garlic, and 1/4 tsp salt to a small food processor or blender. Blend until smooth, adding cold water 1 tbsp at a time until the sauce is pourable but still thick enough to hold a small mound — about the consistency of a loose hummus.
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