This Sumac Smoked Salmon Dip really is the BEST smoked salmon dip that I’ve ever tasted! It takes all of 10 minutes to put together from start to finish, and the ingredients are chopped with a knife (not processed in a food processor) so that you can actually taste all of 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/brunch!
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 sumac 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.
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.
What’s even better about this sumac smoked salmon dip (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
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 sumac smoked salmon dip.
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. It’s a great dip to serve guests during the holidays. 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 could even top it up with a poached egg for an impressive brunch. Like, the one I’m having right now! 😉
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Sumac Smoked Salmon Dip / Spread
Ingredients:
- 4 oz of smoked salmon slices
- 2 tbsp chopped dill
- 2 tbsp chopped chives
- 3 tbsp minced shallots about 1 - 2 shallots, depending on the size
- 8 oz cream cheese
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp horseradish
- 1 tsp sumac
Instructions:
- Finely chop the smoked salmon slices. Set aside. Chop and prepare the herbs and shallots as well.
- Using a small whisk - whisk the cream cheese, sour cream, lemon juice, horseradish and sumac together until fluffy and well-mixed.
- Add the herbs and smoked salmon and fold them through. 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.
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Sue says
Thank you so much!! I’m anxious to try it!!
Sue says
I’m not familiar with sumac. What is it, exactly?
Dini says
Hi Sue,
Sumac spice is made with ground up dried sumac fruit, from the Sumac shrub. It’s a spice that’s popular in middle eastern cuisine. It has a very tangy / lemony taste 🙂 You can find the dark red / reddish purple spice in spice stores and it’s delicious on grilled meat, toast or in drinks too!