Salmon Dip

Making things you love — and that your friends love to eat — holds a special place in my heart. This is one of those time-tested recipes that I have adjusted over the years.. 

Sometimes I use leftovers of salmon that I had baked for dinner. It’s not smoked, like the thin slices you get pre-packaged in the deli section of your market, but tasty and a well-suited substitute in this dip. Originally, it called for using the smoked salmon.

Horseradish is a big variable in this recipe also. The strength of it depends on freshness, which diminishes over time after it has been opened. This calls for a couple of tablespoons, but you may want to use a little less and then add more after tasting. You can’t take it out!

Feel free to adjust quantities to suit your taste. Sometimes, I also add a few dashes of (your favorite) hot sauce. The ingredients are the basics – make it YOUR own. Have fun and enjoy!

Ingredients 

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (or more, to taste)
• 1/3 cup fresh dill, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons prepared horseradish, drained (to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 pound (8 ounces) smoked salmon, minced (vacuum packed smoked salmon from the deli section, canned or substitute your own cooked salmon leftovers)
• Optional: 1 Tbsp. chopped chives or grated onion
• Optional: 1 Tbsp. chopped capers

Method

Cream the cheese in a bowl by using a hand mixer; by hand with a fork or whisk; or in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, until smooth. Use room temperature cream cheese because it’s much easier to incorporate with the other ingredients. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, dill, horseradish, salt and pepper, and mix. Add the smoked salmon and mix well. Chill and serve with vegetables and/or crackers for dipping.