This Sumac Smoked Salmon Dip only takes 10 minutes to make from start to finish, and the ingredients are chopped with a knife (not processed in a food processor) so you can actually taste all the ingredients separately with great texture and flavor!
Sumac adds a lovely citrusy / tangy flavor profile too. Plus it works well as a smoked salmon spread on your bagels and toast for breakfast and brunch!
Quick & easy smoked salmon spread
This sumac smoked salmon dip was actually our dinner two nights in a row, and now I’ve slathered the rest of it on a bagel and having it for brunch!
Usually a recipe for a blog post takes me several days to plan, test/make, photograph, write, edit and publish. But this smoked salmon dip took less than 24 hours from conception to execution, and now it’s on the blog! 🙂 It’s a ridiculously simple recipe, but with bold flavors.
This smoked salmon dip is an EASY APPETIZER to serve a crowd, PLUS it works great as a breakfast spread on your bagels and toast.
It’s packed with so much flavor, no one will know that you put this together in just 10 minutes from start to finish.
What’s unique about this smoked salmon dip
There are so many smoked salmon dips out there, so what’s different about this sumac smoked salmon dip?
This dip doesn’t simply add all the ingredients into a processor and mush everything until you end up with a light pink salmon flavored dip.
Here, I chop the ingredients and just fold them through whipped, creamy cream cheese to get a creamy dip where you can taste actual bits of smoked salmon that enhances the texture.
Plus, the addition of the tangy spice sumac gives it another layer of flavor!
Recipe variations & customizations
What’s even better about this sumac smoked salmon spread is that you can personalize it to suit your tastes.
I added chopped shallots, horseradish, dill, chives, pepper and lemon, in addition to the sumac, smoked salmon, cream cheese and sour cream. But you can also add other ingredients like,
- Some chopped capers (although this dip was perfectly seasoned without any salt, I feel like adding capers would have made it too salty for us).
- Parsley
- Chopped walnuts (for some extra crunch)
- Cayenne pepper or sriracha (to make it spicy)
- Garlic
How to make smoked salmon dip with sumac
Chopping all the ingredients took me all of maybe 5 – 7 minutes. You could use a small food processor (with the chopping function), but I preferred using a knife.
This prevents the shallots from being too watery (so they stay nice and crunchy in the dip), and prevents the smoked salmon from being too “gummy”.
Then I whisked the softened cream cheese with the sour cream until light and fluffy, then simply folded in the chopped ingredients and spices to make the dip.
Recipe highlights and how to serve
What I really enjoy about this smoked salmon spread is that you can really taste all of the ingredients paired together, but also separately. They don’t lose their integrity, especially the smoked salmon, because they are not completely processed until mushy.
Perfect as game day or game night snacks, and to serve guests during the holidays. Or you could make a seafood platter with this dip to serve a crowd for the holidays, and pair it with oysters (learn how to shuck oysters here), mignonette sauce, gravlax, a simple dill mustard sauce for another dip etc.
And if you’re hosting Thanksgiving, Christmas or any kind of brunch, this dip turns into a great smoked salmon spread that’s perfect on bagels and toast.
You can even top it with a poached egg for an impressive brunch. Like, the one I’m having right now! 😉 Honestly, so many breakfast recipes you could pair and elevate with a flavorful smoked salmon spread.
Recipe
Sumac Smoked Salmon Dip (Spread)
Difficulty:
US based cup, teaspoon, tablespoon measurements. Weight measurements are recommended for accurate results whenever available.
Common Measurement ConversionsIngredients:
- 4 oz smoked salmon slices
- 2 tbsp chopped dill
- 2 tbsp chopped chives
- 3 tbsp minced shallots about 1 – 2 shallots, depending on the size
- 1 block cream cheese 226 g / 8 oz. Softened
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp horseradish optional, but recommended
- 1 tsp sumac
- salt to taste
Instructions:
- Finely chop the smoked salmon slices and set aside. Chop and prepare the herbs and shallots as well.4 oz smoked salmon slices, 2 tbsp chopped dill, 2 tbsp chopped chives, 3 tbsp minced shallots
- Using a small whisk, whisk the cream cheese, sour cream, lemon juice, horseradish and sumac together until fluffy and well-mixed.1 block cream cheese, ¼ cup sour cream, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp horseradish, 1 tsp sumac
- Add the herbs and smoked salmon and fold them through. Taste and add salt if needed.4 oz smoked salmon slices, 2 tbsp chopped dill, 2 tbsp chopped chives, 3 tbsp minced shallots, salt to taste
- Place the dip in a serving bowl. Keep refrigerated (covered) until needed.
- Optional – sprinkle extra chopped herbs and sumac before serving.
- Can be served with crackers or bagel chips. Or as a breakfast spread as well.
Nutrition Information:
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
Leave a Reply