Smoked Salmon Spread
This Smoked Salmon Spread is creamy and delicious, with a smoky flavor and saltiness from smoked salmon, and lots of fresh dill. It’s perfect for entertaining, and only takes 5 minutes to make!
Whenever I host a party or get-together, smoked salmon always makes an appearance in some form, and this creamy salmon spread is one of my favorite appetizers.
If I’m feeling up for the prep, Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs are my favorite thing to serve because people go gaga over them, but deviled eggs can be a bit tedious to make. And I’m almost always making several things for entertaining, so I need to limit the prep-heavy foods.
That’s where this recipe comes in. It only takes about 5 minutes to make, it can be made a day ahead, and it feels so much like party food.
The smoked salmon is definitely the star flavor, but you get brightness from fresh lemon, the classic complimentary herb flavor from fresh dill, a little bite from fresh scallions, and creaminess that comes mostly from cream cheese, with a touch of Greek yogurt and sour cream for tang. It’s a flavor powerhouse.
As you can see with the cracker above, this is definitely more of a spread than a dip, but if you wanted to, you could definitely thin this recipe out for a more dip-like consistency. Both sour cream and buttermilk are great options for that.
How to Make Smoked Salmon Spread:
In a food processor, combine smoked salmon, cream cheese, sour cream, greek yogurt, fresh dill, scallion, minced garlic, and black pepper:
I don’t usually add salt because of all the salt in the smoked salmon.
Put the lid on and blend it all together, until smooth. I like to stop when there are no longer any big chunks of smoked salmon, but you can still see little bits of orange and green, showing the salmon and fresh dill.
Use a spatula to scrape the smoked salmon spread into a bowl for serving, or if you’re making it ahead, into a storage container up to 1 day in advance.
What to Serve with Salmon Spread:
I recommend a mix of fresh sliced bread, fancy crackers, sliced cucumbers, sliced radishes, and even endive cups. That way you have a good mix of fresh vegetables that anyone eating grain-free can enjoy, but of course, eating this spread with crackers or crostini is more traditional.
This Salmon Salad is also a delicious dish to serve with crackers for a party, or to pack on a picnic. Enjoy!
Smoked Salmon Spread
Ingredients
- 8 oz block cream cheese at room temperature
- 4 oz smoked salmon chopped
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 2 tbsp greek yogurt
- 1 scallion sliced
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 3 tbsp packed fresh dill
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Place the cream cheese, smoked salmon, sour cream, greek yogurt, scallion, lemon juice, garlic, dill, and black pepper in a food processor.
- Blend until smooth.
- Taste the mixture and add salt if you’d like (I didn’t add any, since the smoked salmon is fairly salty).
- Serve with crackers or crostini. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
Post updated with new photos, writing, and tips in July 2018. Originally published July 2013.
29 Comments on “Smoked Salmon Spread”
We’ve been traveling with our travel trailer since I retired last year, visiting friends & relatives. When we are invited to “happy hour” or dinner, we bring this dip with some local artisain bread and sliced vegetables. Everyone from Philidelphia to Ft. Lauderdale and Dallas to Lincoln to Seattle to Fresno to Sedona loved it. It’s a nationwide hit.
That’s so cool, Craig. I love that you’ve been seeing the country! And making this spread!
So glad you did and that we met! 🙂 You’re a great friend and an inspiration! Thank you!
What a great post! Blogging is indeed a weird career, but I find I use skills from past jobs all the time in this one! Sales, marketing, writing ability, social media, creativity. It’s all there! Plus, this dip looks fantastic!
I so agree Amy. And I think sometimes people think we just cook and bake but there are so many business skills like the ones you mentioned that we use every day.
I just made this, and it’s sooooo yummy! This one is definitely going into my recipe box!
How wonderful! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe Jennifer. Happy cooking!
So pinning this one. I’m glad you became a blogger too!
Joanne—- I was moved so much with your personal words leading up to your reciept for the post. I live alone ( after the passing away of my wife of 47 years) for more than two years now. I pass a lot of my time sitting at my kitchen table with my i-pad reviewing many blogs ( mostly food blogs). Your’s is one of the most professional, well put togeather of all that I look at.
Today though, your personal words and thoughts are what reallly made me feel good. You and many of your fellow food bloggers, have the ability to reach a lot of people and influence their lives ( not just with the food you share with them ) in ways that go far beyond what you might think. Please keep adding your personal thoughts to the things you share by means of your blog.
Hi Paul, thank you for your incredibly kind comment! It means so much to me. I am so sorry to hear about your wife passing away. My husband is my best friend and I can’t imagine how hard it would be to lose your spouse. But I am happy that you enjoy spending time coming to this blog and I appreciate your support!!
Joanne I am always thrilled to see you reveal more of yourself here. It gives the rest of us hope we can follow our own dreams and be successful. You know you’ve been my guru as well as my friend. I am so happy you didn’t give in to your fears and am incredibly proud of you. So glad you came away from blogher inspired.
And this recipe, wow. It’s gorgeous
Thank you Kim!
It is a curvy road at times to the places our passions take us. Here’s to doing what we love in a life that is all too short. 🙂
Cheers Judy! I agree!
My family still thinks I’m crazy. Although I still do my in-home culinary classes but they don’t understand why I spend so much time on this. I find that my culinary classes and blog compliment each other. I’ve also found that all my clients now find me from my blog.
I use to advertise my business in the local papers sometimes paying quite a bit. Then when people would contact me about classes and I asked how they heard about me, it was always from my blog or searching online.
Blogging becomes a part of your life, almost an obsession that I do have to pull myself away from at times. Do you feel that way as well Joanne?
I’m happy to hear that the blog helps bring you clients! It is clear that you love what you do, and that’s so important.
I ask myself at least once a day, what on earth am I doing?? Sometimes all I can think is, I have no idea, probably making a huge mistake! Other days I think I’m just forging along, trying to make something of a dream. It’s frightening and sometimes I really wonder if I have lost my mind and think that in the shadows of such great bloggers, maybe I should bow out now. But I keep going because I know deep down that if I don’t give it all I’ve got, I’ll never forgive myself. You’re so inspiring Joanne, thank you for all you do and all you are!!
Hi Tiffany, I completely understand what you are saying. One thing that Sheryl Sandberg says is that sometimes we are our own worst enemies, and I think often that is true. I think it is great to practice having faith in yourself and what you’re doing, because if you love it, that’s what truly matters.
Joanne, You have described the pleasures and pain of blogging very accurately. Those of us who are in it for the long haul must feel deep passion for the food we love and for the readers we hope to reach. Let’s not forget that we love connecting with fellow bloggers, too. ONWARD!
Three cheers to that, Liz!
Joanne, I truly admire people like you who go after what you really want and love to do, instead of just following what everyone else does. This post was really inspiring to me, because I’ve decided that I’m not going to attend college because I don’t believe it is the key to getting a “good job”. I’m inspired to be an entrepreneur, and I love seeing others who do the same. 🙂
This dip looks fabulous, too! Salmon and dill belong together, don’t they? And lemon. Mustn’t forget the lemon. 😉 Pinning this!
I’m glad to hear that you are inspired, Abbie! I really enjoyed college, but I think it should be something that each person decides to do on their own, and not just because it’s expected in societal norms. I’m sure you are passionate and have a bright future ahead!
Wow, this dip sounds amazing! I’ve had salmon with dill on it before, and they just go together so well. Can’t wait to try this!
Joanne – I think it’s scary for so many of us who jump from one track and into blogging, an area that is scary when you first begin. But, it is so rewarding to be doing something that I am passionate about, and I have learned so many new skills that I would never dream of being able to do. I feel there is still so much more I want to learn and share. I think your passion shows through so clearly in your blog and I’m so glad I’ve gotten to know you a bit. Looking to sharing our journey together and getting to know you better.
Hi Jeanette, I know that you definitely understand this!! It is nice to know we have a lot in common, and I have loved getting to know you more as well. Hopefully we get to meet sometime!
Thanks for sharing, Joanne! I too left behind a career in a field I went to school for to try and find my feet doing something I love and have true passion for. I have been procrastinating over starting a food blog for two years now (!!!). You are an inspiration and it has been wonderful to watch Fifteen Spatulas grow over the years. I hope I can be where you are at now some day in the near future. Kudos to you 🙂
Thank you Jennifer! I hope you are inspired to do something you truly love!
It definitely takes courage to do what we do! Especially when we initially started down what might look like a clearer path (but, in fact, turned out not to be quite the right one for us). When I first started blogging, I felt like people kind of looked down on that decision as frivolous and a distraction from a “real career”. These days, they’re asking me how they can start one. 🙂
I agree Kathy! And yeah, I think people can now see that it’s possible to be successful while doing something you love! Cheers girl!