Salmon Bagel Dip

Just when you thought I couldn’t come up with any more ways to get the basic flavors of a smoked salmon bagel into something without actually using smoked salmon, you were wrong! Today’s creamy dip takes inspiration from all the components of the classic brunch treat and turns it into a luscious spread perfect for any brunch table.

Our dip starts with the same 3 elements that most creamy dips have: cream cheese, mayonnaise, and sour cream. The cream cheese provides the body of the dip. The mayo provides the richness. And, the sour cream provides the tang to balance it all out. I actually like to use low fat sour cream and cream cheese, and they both work perfectly in this dip.

To season our dip, we’re going to add all the best parts of a salmon bagel. We start with lots of fresh dill. No one will accuse you of skimping on the dill here. In place of red onion, we’re going to use the green parts of a couple scallions because they’re a little more delicate than a sharp red onion. For acidity, we’ll add some lemon juice and chopped capers. And you can’t have bagel dip without bagel seasoning, so we’re going to round it out with a shake of everything bagel seasoning.

For the salmon component of our dip, we’re swapping smoked salmon for canned salmon. You guys know I have a major texture issue with smoked salmon, but I also find the flavor to be a little too aggressive on the salty smoke. Canned salmon, however, is one of my new favorite pantry staples. It’s cheap, protein rich, and delicious. So, we’re going to mix a whole can of salmon right into our dip. Now if seafood doesn’t do it for you, you could actually skip the salmon all together and just serve the herbaceous dip on its own. So, you have options!

From there, we mix it all together and it’s time to serve. For ultimate dipping, I recommend serving this dip with either bagel chips or sliced veggies. This may be the only time in my life that I voluntarily choose a veggie over a carb, but a cool crisp cucumber dipped in this bagel dip is sooooo amazing. Bagel chips are obviously delish too, it is bagel dip after all. But, the cucumber with this is next level.

In my mind, spring equals brunch. And this dip is both spring weather worthy and brunch worthy. It’s light, and refreshing, and herbaceous, and bright, and totally delicious. I’ve been eating this non stop, and I’m not tired of it yet.

Alright, everyone! I hope you guys enjoy! And let’s eat!