Smoked Salmon Bagel Spread
Something Lemony & Fresh for Summer
This Smoked Salmon Bagel Spread takes everything people love about a classic bagel and lox platter and turns it into an easy appetizer that looks beautiful on a brunch table. The whipped cream cheese base is light and fluffy, topped with smoky salmon, capers, red onion, and a fresh lemon dill oil that makes every bite taste rich and bright.
I originally planned on creating a whole Mother’s Day bagel board spread with a few different flavored cream cheese creations. That would have felt a little fancier than just mixing everything together in a bowl. Our prime rib dinner ended up taking over the menu.
This Smoked Salmon Bagel Spread was one of the ideas I had and after making it for a little girls night get together, I knew I wanted to continue the series because it turned out even better than I expected, especially with the bright lemon dill oil I decided to add at the very last minute.
Beau Monde, The Most Dapper Of Seasonings
Beau Monde seasoning is one of those old school spice blends that fancies up creamy dips, spreads, and salads. This Beau Monde makes things taste extra good without people being able to figure out exactly why. It has a savory, slightly oniony celery flavor that works especially well with smoked salmon, cream cheese, mayonnaise, and dill. It gives this spread that classic “bagel shop” type flavor.
Don’t Want To Buy It? No Problem!
If you do not want to buy Beaumonde seasoning just for this recipe, you can substitute a mix of celery salt, onion powder, and a tiny pinch of garlic powder. It will still taste delicious. If you do want to grab a bottle, I get mine on Amazon because I use it constantly. Especially in recipes like my Spring Sweet Corn Salad, which I’ll also link because it’s another recipe where this seasoning really shines.
The Drizzle
For the lemon dill oil, you want to use a clean and light tasting oil so the fresh lemon flavor and dill really shine through without tasting heavy or overpowering. I used avocado oil, but other great options would be grapeseed oil, vegetable oil, or a light olive oil, just make sure it specifically says “light tasting” or “mild” because some olive oils can have a very strong peppery flavor that can overpower the smoked salmon and cream cheese.
In The Club
I served this with Club crackers because I always seem to have a ridiculous assortment of crackers on hand at my house, but this spread works with so many different things depending on the vibe you’re going for. If you want something a little sturdier and fancier, those crostini style crackers like the ones I used for my barrel cheese dip would be perfect, or you can lean fully into the brunch angle and serve it with mini bagels, bagel chips, or even toasted baguette slices.
Smoked Salmon Bagel Spread
This creamy smoked salmon spread is one of those recipes that feels fancy enough for a brunch table but is secretly very easy to throw together. It has all the flavors of a classic smoked salmon bagel with cream cheese, capers, dill, and red onion, but served as an easy spread for crackers or mini bagels. The whipped cream cheese base stays light and fluffy, while the lemon dill oil drizzled over the top makes the whole thing taste bright and fresh.
Ingredients
- For the Cream Cheese Base:
- 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons Beaumonde seasoning *more information in the post
- Black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons caper brine
- 1/2 tablespoon dried dill
- For the Topping:
- 4 to 6 ounces smoked salmon, finely chopped
- 2 to 4 tablespoons red onion, very finely minced
- Capers, as much or as little as you like
- For the Lemon Dill Oil:
- 2 to 3 tablespoons avocado oil or other clean tasting oil
- 3 teaspoons lemon zest
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Pinch or two of salt
- Black pepper, to taste
- Dried dill or fresh dill, to taste
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add the softened cream cheese, mayonnaise, Beaumonde seasoning, black pepper, caper brine, and dill. Using a hand mixer, whip the mixture until it becomes very light and fluffy.
- Spread the whipped cream cheese mixture onto a dinner plate or shallow serving platter. Make sure to spread it in soft swoops so it stays fluffy and airy looking. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- While the cream cheese chills, make the lemon dill oil. In a small bowl, combine the avocado oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, dill, salt, and black pepper. Stir well and let sit for at least 15 minutes so the flavors can blend together. This can also be made ahead of time and refrigerated.
- Right before serving, let the cream cheese spread sit out for a few minutes to soften slightly for easier spreading.
- Top the cream cheese with the finely chopped smoked salmon, minced red onion, and capers. Be sure to chop the salmon and onion small so guests get a little bit of everything in each bite instead of large chunks.
- Drizzle the lemon dill oil all over the top just before serving.
- Serve with buttery crackers, crostini, or mini bagels for brunch.