Smoked Salmon Toast

Smoked Salmon Toast makes a great brunch, easy lunch, or party appetizer! This simple idea is a study in taste and texture contrasts.

Here’s an idea that works for breakfast, lunch, brunch, and a party appetizer all at once: Toast with smoked salmon! Here we favor simplicity, especially low-effort, high-impact recipes. The Salmon Toast is just that: a simple bread toast loaded with fluffy whipped ricotta, smoked salmon, capers and fresh dill. Electric pink salmon is gorgeous against the delicate green fronds of dill. Every bite is an explosion of smoky, creamy, rich, brackish, salty and fresh flavors! It’s more of an idea than a formal concept: that’s even more fun.

Ingredients for smoked salmon toast

Smoked Salmon Toast is a flexible concept, so feel free to get creative! Here are the basic ingredients you will need:

• Smoked salmon: We prefer cold smoked (which has a smooth texture) to hard smoked (which is flaky and looks more like cooked salmon)
• Whipped ricotta or whipped cottage cheese: This results in a creamy and fluffy filling that forms the ideal contrast to the salmon! See more below.
• capers: Capers are often served with salmon; they are the caper berry native to the Mediterranean and have a salty, brackish flavor.
• Red onion: The onion adds just the right zesty freshness. Substitute the shallots or spring onions if you prefer.
• Fresh dill: It is essential for the taste and appearance of this salmon toast: grab it if you can!
• Artisanal bread or crostini: Use the best artisanal bread you can find, but any bread will do. For a festive appetizer, use store-bought or homemade crostini or mini celebratory bread (the rye gives a nice Scandinavian vibe).

Whipped Ricotta vs. Cottage Cheese (And Some Variations)

The topping for this smoked salmon toast is whipped ricotta or cottage cheese, but you can use a few substitutes as well. We love the whipped toppings because they’re deliciously moist, a great contrast to crusty bread and chewy salmon. Here are some notes on each:

• whipped cottage cheese The easiest way is to simply beat the cottage cheese in a food processor until fluffy and season with salt. You can also find packaged whipped cottage cheese at grocery stores.
• whipped ricotta requires olive oil and milk to achieve an ultra-chewy texture, and it’s our favorite pick here. You can also use plain ricotta and season it with a little salt and pepper.
• Variations across the spread? Try it with goat cheese (chevre) or cream cheese. There are also herb cheese spreads that are easy to find at the grocery store.

Serve with smoked salmon toast

Another thing we love about smoked salmon toast? It’s endlessly versatile. Here are some ways to serve it:

More salmon recipes

Salmon is a healthy and versatile fish, perfect for any meal of the day! Here are some other popular smoked salmon recipes and salmon recipes: