The winter holiday season means parties with friends, family gatherings, and lots and lots of yummy food! Here’s a simple appetizer that you can throw together in no time flat, the perfect “introduction” to your holiday celebration. These dainty Smoked Salmon Crostini are inspired by my love of bagels, lox, and cream cheese. They capture that awesome lox and cream cheese flavor, lightened up with a bit of Greek yogurt, served on crunchy little crostinis… a delectable bite-sized treat. I use smoked salmon here because I love the flavor, but feel free to use brined lox if you prefer.
Crostini, which translates to “little toasts” in Italian, are small, thin slices of toasted bread, brushed with olive oil. They originated in Italy during the Middle Ages as a peasant food. Those who could not afford expensive ceramic plates would use bread as a substitute (also known as a trencher). Now they are a popular tapas choice all over the world, likely because they can be topped with anything from cheese and roasted veggies, to honey and seasonal fruit… or, in this case, smoked salmon!
I’ve added Greek yogurt to the spread to cut down on fat and calories, while maintaining a creamy flavor. You can top the crostini with fresh dill or capers, or just stick with the smoked salmon to keep things simple. These little treats are packed with flavor, and they’re so easy to make… I can throw together a batch in 20 minutes (even less if I have somebody helping me assemble). These would be a fun opener for a holiday meal or a New Year’s celebration, or anytime you need a quick bite before the “main event.” Love them!
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Smoked Salmon Crostini
Ingredients
- 1 thin baguette
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 6 tablespoons cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Salt to taste
- 4 ounces smoked salmon
- Capers or fresh dill for garnish
NOTES
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Slice the baguette along a diagonal into 1/4 inch slices using a serrated knife. Do not slice them thicker than 1/4 inch, or they will be difficult to bite through when toasted.
- Place the slices on a cookie sheet. Stir together the melted butter and olive oil. If using unsalted butter, add a small pinch of salt to the mixture and stir to combine. If using salted butter, no need to add any additional salt. Brush the tops of the bread pieces with the oil and butter mixture.
- Place the bread into the oven and let it toast for 8-10 minutes till the bottoms of the bread slices are golden brown and toasted. Flip the slices to check for doneness-- they will brown more on the bottom than they will on the top.
- While baguette slices are toasting, place 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, cream cheese, dill, and lemon juice into a food processor. Process for about 30 seconds, scraping the sides of the processor periodically, till ingredients are well combined. Continue to add Greek yogurt till the mixture is soft and spreadable, but not overly liquid. I usually add about 3/4 cup of Greek yogurt, but the consistencies vary from yogurt brand to yogurt brand, so best to add slowly till the texture is right. Add salt to taste and process again to combine.
- Cut the smoked salmon into pieces large enough to top the baguette slices.
- When the baguette slices have cooled, top each slice with 1 tsp of the Greek yogurt mixture. Top the Greek yogurt mixture with a slice of smoked salmon. Place another small dollop of Greek yogurt mixture in the center of the smoked salmon slice. Top the small dollop with a couple of capers...
- or a small sprig of dill.
- Serve Smoked Salmon Crostini as a bite-sized appetizer.
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
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Mike Janning says
YUM! In Spades!
Mike Janning says
Larry: With maybe a tiny bit of caviar to top it off.
Larry Heyman says
I’m not a caviar person, Mike..
Annmarie Lopez says
Yumm !!
Karen Elstrøm-Parsons says
UHMmmmmmmmmmmmm !!!
Maraia Bleu says
Yummmmm
Susan Martin says
I want that right NOW!
Dan Goldberg says
Yummmmm!!!!
Patricia Pritchett Cooke says
luv it–anytime
Sara Vail Miedema says
Thanks for reminding me I have smoked salmon somewhere in my fridge.
Nancy Henderson says
Heaven!
John Kellner says
Drooling
Ray Miller says
Lox….Lox….and more Lox…lol
Larry Heyman says
If I had to choose a “final meal” it would be a nice soft onion bagel, cream cheese with chives, nova scotia lox, a slice of bermuda onion and a slice of tomato.
Ellen Tabor says
Same here, except I’d choose belly lox, cucumber and no tomato. Last meal, next meal, every meal in between.
AlmaRead Solis-Barrera Longoria-Peña says
I would take ANY type of Lox. 😉
Susan Martin says
Me too!
Carol Asin says
I’m right there with you Larry!
Jane Smith says
Thank heavens dairy and fish are allowed to be consumed together. YUM!
rita b says
Can i make this in the evening but serve the next day? I’d like to serve this at an office potluck but am worried that the bread will become hard and/or the spread become soggy. Any suggestions? Thanks
Tori Avey says
Hi Rita, I would worry that the bread slices might become stale. You could try storing them in an airtight container overnight, as long as they are sliced very thin, but know that they won’t have that fresh crostini flavor. The topping can definitely be made ahead, so another alternative might be to buy some crispy crackers and serve the topping that way!
Emily says
I just made these and feel like I might have done something wrong. They were delicious. However the sauce was very runny and ran all over. Not able to put a “dollop” on. Instead had to pretty much pour it on lol. Maybe I mixed it too long in the food processor? Any advice would be appreciated. As i said, it was delicious, just not very pretty due to the runny sauce.
Tori Avey says
Hi Emily– by chance did you use regular yogurt instead of Greek? Greek yogurt is quite a bit thicker and less watery, which is why I’m thinking the topping might have gone runny on you.
Emily says
Hi, thanks for the thought but I used greek yogurt. I appreciate the feed back any way. -Emily
Tori Avey says
Hi Emily, that is strange. Perhaps your Greek yogurt was more liquid than the one I normally use. Next time, try adding 1/4 cup of Greek yogurt to the mix first, then adding more, a little at a time, till the texture is spreadable. I’ll change the recipe to reflect this, so that others don’t face the same issue. Thank you for reporting back!
jessica says
hi there, I made this for my boyfriend and I and we absolutely LOVED it! great recipe!
Tori Avey says
Love hearing that! Thanks for writing Jessica!
Jennie says
Looks lovely, I think this would be great with a bit of white horseradish sauce mixed in with the cream cheese too! I just discovered this blog and I love it, I think it’s so great that you adopted the religion that fits you best and that you are exploring the history of your chosen path! Welcome to Am Yisrael. 🙂
Lois J Levy Smith says
I love the idea of the crostini and the greek yogurt.When I toasted (when I was growing up Bagels always went in the oven to warm) a bagel I always took the bread out of the middle so……….this is so perfect and looks so delicious.
Debbie says
I love bagels and lox so I’m sure I’d love this. Thanks for the recipe. I pinned it so I could easily find it when I’m ready to make it myself.