This easy smoked salmon dip makes a simple but elegant appetizer! Serve it as a salmon spread on toast or inside refreshing cucumber cups.
Smoked salmon will always have a place in my heart.
Maybe it's the nostalgia: my west coast, seafood-lovin' roots calling out to me way out here in the middle of the midwest.
Maybe it's the same type of nostalgic love that will keep every N'SYNC album on my iPod until the end of time, or the kind of love that drives me to watch The Swan Princess in my pjs instead of doing anything real with my life. Or Anastasia. Or Beauty and the Beast. Or The Little Mermaid. Or all of them back to back. Whatever.
Bottom line: I could put smoked salmon in pretty much everything I make for the rest of forever (see: my favorite smoked salmon corn chowder or these smoked salmon scrambled eggs).
And be TOTALLY HAPPY.
For the REST of FOREVER.
This is a slightly adapted version of one of my mom's classic appetizer recipes.
It's super simple and OH-so-delicious, with the perfect amount of crunch.
I'm going to show you how to stuff it in little cucumber cups for party appetizers, although I often just throw it together and slather it on some toast for lunch. Both methods are pretty darn delicious.
To make the cucumber cups is pretty simple. Peel your cucumber...
And then slice it up in 1-2 inch slices.
Use a spoon or a melon baller to scoop out the innards of each slice, being careful not to pierce through the bottom.
Ta-da!
Spoon a bit of dip into each cucumber cup and top them with a bit of parsley. Then take any extra dip and make yourself some smoked salmon toast. You deserve it.
This is a great make-ahead dip - you can store it on its own in the fridge for a few days before you even cut the cucumber cups.
If the cups are too cucumber-y for you, it works well atop plain ol' slices of cucumber as well. Not a cucumber fan at all? Serve the dip with toast points, bagel chips, pita chips, or crostini.
Smoked Salmon Dip in Cucumber Cups
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Makes 10-12 cucumber cups 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: American
Description
Easy-yet-elegant smoked salmon appetizers!
Ingredients
For the Smoked Salmon Dip:
- ¼ lb. smoked salmon
- ⅓ cup finely chopped red onion
- ⅓ cup finely chopped celery
- 1 Tbsp. chopped parsley, plus extra for garnishing
- 2 tsp. lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp. mayonnaise
- 3 Tbsp. sour cream
- Hot sauce (I use between ⅛ teaspoon and ¼ tsp) to taste
- Salt and Pepper to taste
For the Cucumber Cups:
- 2-3 cucumbers, depending on length
Instructions
For the Smoked Salmon Dip:
- Gently separate smoked salmon into small chunks with your hands. Place in medium-sized bowl.
- Add remaining ingredients to salmon and stir gently until just combined.
- Spoon mixture into cucumber cups and top with a fresh sprig of parsley. Serve cold.
For the Cucumber Cups:
- Peel cucumber and slice into 1-2 inch pieces.
- Use a melon baller or a spoon to scrape the seeds out of each slice, taking care not to pierce through the bottom of the cup. The sides of the cucumber cup can be relatively thin to allow a larger amount of smoked salmon dip.
- Place cups in the fridge until ready for use or immediately fill with salmon dip. Top with a fresh sprig of parsley. Serve cold.
Notes
- Use plain Greek Yogurt in place of the sour cream for a lighter option.
- No good smoked salmon at your store? Never fear - you can find a good selection of wild smoked salmon online
- You could also serve this dip on toast or atop thick cucumber slices instead of the cucumber cups.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 47
- Sugar: 0.8 g
- Sodium: 189.1 mg
- Fat: 3.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 1.7 g
- Protein: 2.1 g
- Cholesterol: 5.4 mg
Keywords: seafood, appetizer, entertaining
Tim
One of my favorites, a great bit-sized ball of flavor even without the cool spoon to serve it on.
★★★★★
Team Life As A Strawberry
YAY! We're so happy to hear you loved these flavors!
Jessie
Looks awesome! I'm so glad you liked it. This is one of my absolute favorite recipes!
amyhspot
great recipe. made it for dinner tonight, very delic & fresh!
★★★★★
Rhonda
You are making me hungry! Mom!
Jessie
GOOD! Thanks mama 🙂