Easy appetizers will always win for me. And its great to have some choices that include healthy ingredients. Salmon dip is a great example of this!
Heart-healthy salmon combined with simple flavors to make a delicious dip, ready to spread on your favorite crackers!
Using salmon makes it seem a little fancy, and no one needs to know how simple it really was to make.
Perfect for the holidays when you get caught short and have to quickly improvise.
Why I love this Salmon Dip
Many salmon dips use smoked salmon, which is very popular. This one, from saveur.com, uses baked salmon, which I think gives it a fresher taste. (If you love smoked salmon, feel free to give that a try instead!)
I also like the chance to use salmon in different recipes because I’m a member of a salmon CSA (Community supported agriculture). I get deliveries of wild, sustainably caught seafood from Alaska right to my front door every month. In the same way that CSAs bolster small-scale fruit and vegetable farms, the Sitka Salmon seafood CSA I use helps an estimated 20 independent fishermen and women in Alaska who are sustainably harvesting various salmon.
Ingredients
How to make this Salmon Dip
The only real preparation for this is to bake the salmon, which can be done ahead of time since the salmon needs to cool anyway. If you see in the photo above, I also sometimes use a pouch of ready to eat salmon. Very convenient!
The cooled salmon is flaked and then combined with plenty of lemon for a nice bright flavor, plus some shallot, fresh parsley and crème fraiche, similar to sour cream but with a higher fat content making it naturally thicker and giving it a richer flavor. Crème fraiche is less tangy than sour cream.
Plus, it makes you feel fancy to use “crème fraiche,” no?
And really, that’s all there is to it. Mix up the ingredients and serve the salmon dip with your favorite crackers.
A creamy, savory appetizer with a touch of class!
And if you need another idea for using a pouch of salmon, try the salmon bites from running to the kitchen. It makes delicious crispy bite-sized morsels that can just as easily be dinner or an appetizer.
Bon appétit! 👩🏼🎨
📖 Recipe
Salmon Dip
Ingredients
- 8 ounces salmon filet
- 2 TB olive oil
- 3 TB lemon juice
- Zest of one lemon
- 2 TB crème fraiche
- 1 TB fresh parsley chopped
- 1 medium shallot finely chopped (about ¼ cup)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F. Place salmon filet in a 8x8 baking dish and drizzle with olive oil, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and some salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes until cooked through and then set aside to cool.
- Once salmon is cool enough to handle, break up into flakes and combine with the remaining lemon juice, lemon zest, parsley, shallot and crème fraiche. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
If you love Salmon like I do, give this Baked Pineapple Salmon a try!
Dawn
Interesting knowing how you get your salmon, who knew? Could I use leftover salmon from grilling or does it have to be baked?
Sula
Oh, I think leftovers from the grill would be marvelous!