Smoked Salmon Dip Without Cream Cheese (Dairy Free)
A healthy smoked salmon dip recipe made without cream cheese. This savory dip is a delicious appetizer or snack and has only a few simple ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon cold filtered water plus more for soaking
- zest of 1 small lemon
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or the juice from 1 small lemon
- 3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion green part only
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 8 ounces hot-smoked salmon skin and bones removed
- freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Place the cashews in a heatproof bowl and pour over boiling water until completely covered. Let them soak for 20 minutes to soften (if you don't have a powerful blender, you'll need to soak them longer). Drain and rinse the cashews before adding them to the base of your blender along with the fresh water and a tiny pinch of salt.
- Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Depending on the power of your blender, you may need to scrape down the sides or use the tamper (if your blender has one) to get it completely smooth.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the cashew cream, lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, thinly sliced green onions, fresh dill, and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Flake the salmon and fold it into the cashew cream mixture, along with the capers. For the best flavor and texture, let sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
Hot smoked salmon is already salted, so you likely won't need additional salt.
Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations
No raw cashews? - use mayonnaise, a dairy-free Greek yogurt, or store-bought dairy-free sour cream in its place.
No hot-smoked salmon? - you can also use fresh salmon fillets, but you'll need to cook them first. Use my BBQ salmon bites recipe for the method, using any seasoning you'd like.
No green onion? - use chives or thinly sliced red onion.
Add-ins - hot sauce if you like it a little spicy, more fresh herbs such as fresh parsley, or a drizzle of good quality olive oil over the top just before serving.
Make trout dip - use smoked trout in place of smoked salmon.