Smoked Salmon Creamy Dip (Printable)

Smooth cream cheese and smoked salmon dip with fresh herbs. Ready in 10 minutes for elegant entertaining.

# What You Need:

→ Dairy

01 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
02 - 1/4 cup sour cream

→ Fish

03 - 5 oz smoked salmon, finely chopped

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

04 - 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
05 - 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
06 - 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

→ Condiments & Seasonings

07 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
08 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
09 - 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional, to taste)

→ Garnish

10 - Additional chopped dill or chives
11 - Lemon wedges

# How-To:

01 - In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese and sour cream. Beat with a hand mixer or vigorous whisk until smooth and creamy.
02 - Fold in the smoked salmon, dill, chives, lemon zest, lemon juice, black pepper, and salt until fully incorporated.
03 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
04 - Transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with extra dill or chives and lemon wedges if desired.
05 - Chill for at least 30 minutes for best flavor, or serve immediately with crackers, bagel chips, or vegetable crudités.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen but takes less time than finding a parking spot.
  • The creamy tang of the base plays beautifully against the smoky, delicate salmon.
  • You can make it ahead and let the flavors deepen while you handle everything else.
  • It works for fancy dinner parties and lazy weekend brunches with equal charm.
02 -
  • Softened cream cheese is non negotiable, cold cream cheese will leave you with a lumpy, grainy dip no matter how hard you stir.
  • Chop the salmon finely so it blends into the dip rather than sitting in chunky, uneven pieces.
  • Taste before adding salt because some smoked salmon is saltier than others, and you can always add more but you can't take it back.
03 -
  • Use a microplane to zest the lemon directly over the bowl so you catch all the fragrant oils that spray out.
  • If you don't have a hand mixer, a fork works fine, just mash and stir with some energy until it's smooth.
  • For a beautiful presentation, pipe the dip into endive leaves or onto cucumber slices for individual bites.
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