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! 😉
