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Perfect to enjoy for a tasty breakfast or a lazy Sunday brunch, this cream cheese and smoked salmon bagel is all kinds of delicious! With fresh flavors of lemon and dill, this is one tasty bite!
Ingredients & substitutions
- Bagel: You can use your favorite bagels for this recipe. Plain works well or you can try sesame seed bagels.
- Smoked Salmon: Look for high quality smoked salmon from the Norwegian area. Most importantly, make sure it has no coloring and opt for natural smoked salmon for the best flavor. You can substitute with cooked salmon, but it would be very different taste.
- Cream cheese: Use full fat cream cheese for these bagels for the best flavor, but you can use a low fat one if you prefer.
- Lemon juice: Lemon juice adds a wonderful zing and freshness and works perfectly with the flavor of salmon.
- Seasoning: Keep it simple with salt and pepper especially with the fresh dill and the need to have the smoke salmon flavor shine through.
- Dill: Dill is such a star herb to pair with seafood because it has a fresh citrus-like flavor. You can use fresh parsley if you prefer.
- Toppings: Use any toppings like, cucumbers, red onions, capers as pictured blow. Or you even add avocado, eggs, tomatoes or even olives!
How to make smoked salmon bagel
- Add the cream cheese, lemon juice, dill and salt and pepper to a bowl.
- Mix well to combine.
- Spread the cheese mixture on to half of a toasted bagel.
- Top with cucumber, smoked salmon, capers and red onions and close the bagel.
Tips for making the bagel sandwich
- Toast your bagels. Toasting them adds another texture and really adds to the deliciousness! You can have them un-toasted, but they are so much better this way!
- Soften the cream cheese before combining. This will allow the ingredients to mix in more evenly and easily. It’s a good idea to take the cheese out of the fridge 30 minutes before making these.
- Use fresh lemon juice rather than bottled. It’s so much fresher and zingier and also contains more vitamins.
- Use the freshest ingredients. This simple bagel is all about the freshest ingredients. Use the best quality ingredients you can for the best sandwich.
Frequently asked questions
These bagels are best built right before serving so that everything is nice and fresh. You can mix the cream cheese a day or two ahead of time and keep it covered in the fridge. If you want to make these as part of a packed lunch, you can make them up to 24 hours ahead of time and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and keep them refrigerated.
Where possible, use a natural or organic smoked salmon for the best flavor and quality. Norwegian is definitely preferable. Chose one that has no added flavorings or preservatives.
Any toppings you like! Because the smoked salmon and cream cheese are both soft in texture, trying adding some crunchy toppings, like the red onion and cucumber. Saying that, you really can’t go wrong with a poached egg or avocado!
This cream cheese and smoked salmon bagel is so simple, but so satisfying and delicious. It’s one of my go to brunch recipes that’s full of fresh flavor and feels like a special meal. Go on, treat yourself!
More sandwich ideas:
- Veggie and Hummus Sandwich
- Avocado White Bean Sandwich
- Grilled Mozzarella Sandwich
- Roasted Vegetable Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Avocado Egg Salad
- Avocado Chicken Salad
If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Smoke Salmon Bagel recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
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Smoked Salmon Bagel
Video
Ingredients
- 2 bagels halved
- 4 ounces smoked salmon thinly sliced
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill plus more for serving
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1-2 Persian cucumbers peeled in ribbons
- Red onion slices for serving
- Capers to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, lemon juice, fresh dill and salt and pepper, to taste.
- Toast the bagels, then spread the cream cheese mixture on both sides of the bagel. Add the cucumbers, smoked salmon, capers and red onions on the bottom of the toasted bagels. Top with the top of the bagels.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
We have Christmas guests at the house (6 adults, 2 kids). I made a 4X version and followed the ratios exactly. It was so great on the toasted bagel early in the week, that I decided to mix it up yesterday, and served it open faced on silver dollar buckwheat pancakes. Not gonna brag, but yes I am… It was even better served on the pancakes.
Thank you for posting.
Ahh thanks so much for sharing this!
So darn good! Love the lemon dill cream cheese!
Thanks so much, Bebe!
Perfect balance of flavors. I left off the cucumbers because I don’t care for them.
Glad you enjoyed it!
So delicious!!! The flavors are amazing together! The cream cheese is perfect. I added the lemon zest. This is a keeper!
Thank you! I am so happy to hear it!
I will never use another recipe again! I’ve made it so many times now that I know it by heart!
Wow, I am so glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe so much! Thank you!!
Love this recipe, for a change we use hashbrown potato cakes, yummmm
Thank you so much! That’s such a fun way to switch it up!
My favorite! Smoked Salmon on a bagel! Do you recommend where to get good capers?
This was by far the best and easiest salmon bagel ever!!! Such a fresh taste and plate to eat for breakfast or brunch.
Best Bagel ever, it’s delicious, filling and so tasty.i love the capers, which I hated as a child.
That’s amazing! I’m glad to hear it!!
Thanks for the easy recipe! Sounds delicious, I will try to make this tomorrow
You’re so welcome! Hope you enjoy!