If you’re in search of a sophisticated and impressive appetizer that is guaranteed to satisfy, look no further than this exquisite layered Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese, and Avocado Spread. Cream cheese is elevated by the addition of tangy goat cheese, creating a perfect harmony with smoky salmon. Plus, avocado brings a refreshing touch and adds a nice pop of color. Although this smoked salmon appetizer requires some time for preparation and refrigeration, the resulting taste is absolutely worth the effort. And, you can be confident in achieving perfection by following my detailed instructions. Prepare to receive an abundance of compliments once you serve this elegant appetizer!
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Spread
- Story Behind This Smoked Salmon Appetizer
- Salmon Cream Cheese Spread Ingredients
- How to Make This Smoked Salmon Appetizer
- Tips
- Variations and Substitutions
- Make Ahead
- Storing Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Spread
- Serving Suggestions
- Salmon Spread with Cream Cheese FAQs
- Smoked Salmon Spread with Cream Cheese and Avocado
Why You’ll Love This Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Spread
Here’s why you’re going to agree that this appetizer is well worth the effort:
- Exceptional combination of flavors. The classic pairing of cream cheese and smoked salmon is elevated with the addition of tangy goat cheese, and avocado adds a delightful nutty, earthy element. Crunchy pistachios add contrasting texture and mild sweetness.
- Visually appealing. The vibrant layers of pink salmon, white cheeses, and green avocado create an eye-catching presentation, topped off with the finishing touch of pistachios.
- Sophisticated and impressive. The layered structure of this dish adds a touch of elegance and makes a statement, making it an impressive choice for any occasion.
Story Behind This Smoked Salmon Appetizer
My mom often served a layered appetizer with cheese, basil pesto and sundried tomatoes at her dinner parties, and the contrasting colors made a pretty and enticing presentation. Inspired by her, a few years ago I decided to create my own version of a layered spread.
My husband Robert and I love smoked salmon and cream cheese, so I started with that classic combination. To elevate the flavors and introduce some texture, I added in a few more ingredients. The initial version, named Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese Torte, can be found in my first cookbook, A Well-Seasoned Kitchen®.
Recently, I decided to experiment with the recipe and introduce a contrasting green color to the layers. Avocado seemed like the perfect choice as it pairs wonderfully with salmon. Then, to enhance the overall appearance, I transferred most of the chopped pistachios from inside the torte to the outer layer of the new dish. Thus, this new layered spread came to life!
Salmon Cream Cheese Spread Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this exquisite appetizer (details, including quantities, are in the recipe card below):
- Cream cheese
- Goat cheese
- Fresh lemon juice
- Smoked salmon – I recommend using cold-smoked salmon, not lox, for more flavor and the best texture
- Shelled, roasted and lightly salted pistachios
- Ripe avocado
- Green onion
- Tabasco (or other hot) sauce
- Kosher salt
- Ground pepper
Quick Tip
Oiling a mold before lining with plastic wrap keeps the plastic from moving around while you’re adding the filling, and makes it easier to unmold.
How to Make This Smoked Salmon Appetizer
Here’s a detailed overview of what you need to do to create this pretty smoked salmon spread:
- Prep mold.
Lightly oil a 3- or 4-cup deep bowl or mold. I use a small-ish mixing bowl; a small springform pan also works well. Line the oiled mold with plastic wrap, leaving 4 to 5 inches of plastic wrap overhanging the side. - Blend cheeses.
Place cream cheese, goat cheese, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice in a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. It should be spreadable but not too soft. Remove 1/4 cup; cover and refrigerate ( you’ll use this later to finish the outside once it’s unmolded.) - Create Layer 1.
Spoon 1/3 cup of cheese mixture into bottom of the lined mold. Cover top of cheese with a small piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap, and press down on the paper to smooth the cheese into an even layer. Remove the paper and use a knife or back of a tablespoon to finish smoothing. - Create Layer 2.
Sprinkle salmon evenly over the top. Cover with a small piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap, and press down on the paper to smooth the salmon into an even layer. Remove the paper and use a knife or back of a tablespoon to finish. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon pistachios. - Create Layer 3.
Place small dollops of 1/2 cup of the cheese mixture on top of the salmon and nuts, spreading out as evenly as possible. Cover with a small piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap, and press down on the paper to smooth the cheese into an even layer. Remove the paper and use a knife or back of a tablespoon to finish. - Create Layer 4.
Peel, pit and mash avocado. Stir in green onion, remaining 1 teaspoon lemon juice and Tabasco; season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture on top of cheese layer in mold; smooth top with back of spoon. (I find I don’t need to use the paper for smoothing this layer.) Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon pistachios. - Create Layer 5.
Place small dollops of the rest of the cheese mixture on top of the avocado and nuts, spreading out as evenly as possible. Cover with a small piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap, and press down on the paper to smooth the cheese into an even layer. Remove the paper and use a knife or back of a tablespoon to finish. - Refrigerate.
Cover with the overlapping plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours or overnight. - Unmold.
Around 90 minutes before serving, remove the reserved 1/4 cup cheese mixture from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Around one hour before serving, take the mold out of the refrigerator and uncover the top. Place a small plate over the top that is around the same width (or a bit wider) than the mold. Turn mold upside down and gently shake until the torte plops out onto the plate. Remove the plastic wrap. - Finish.
At this point you have two choices:
A. If you want to see the layers, spread some of the reserved cheese mixture just on the top cheese layer, covering over any wrinkles or indentations.
B. Alternatively, for a cleaner look, you can “ice” the entire torte with the cheese, hiding the layers.
Lastly, sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons chopped pistachios over the top and let some fall down the sides.
Tips
Here are few tips to ensure your layered spread comes out perfectly:
- Oil mold before lining with plastic wrap. Oiling the mold keeps the plastic wrap from moving around while you are adding the filling, and the plastic makes it easier to unmold.
- Ensure cheeses are well blended and a spreadable consistency, but don’t overmix. If you do, then you risk it becoming too soft and therefore not setting up when refrigerated.
- Use cold-smoked salmon for the most flavor and best texture; Nova lox would be my second choice.
- Let some of the chopped pistachios to fall down and adhere to the sides of the spread. It’s very difficult to get the layers to all come out exactly even; the pistachios magically give it a more finished look!
Variations and Substitutions
Here are some suggested variations and substitutions you can try:
- Try using a flavored goat cheese, like Truffle Honey
- If you’re not a goat cheese fan, substitute 6 ounces feta + 2 more ounces cream cheese. Note that the texture of the cheese layer may have small lumps in it from the feta.
- Add in capers, dill, basil, sundried tomatoes or red onion
Make Ahead
This smoked salmon spread can be layered earlier in the day, covered and refrigerated, then unmolded and finished around 1 1/2 hours before serving. Or, it can be prepared, unmolded and finished up to 24 hours in advance.
Storing Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Spread
Cover the fully assembled and unmolded spread with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Remove from refrigerator 1 hour before serving.
If transporting for a pot luck, don’t unnmold until you get to your final location. And, take along the chopped pistachios for the topping and the serving dishes (small one to hold the spread, and larger one for the spread and crackers), then unmold and add the nuts once you arrive.
Serving Suggestions
Place the small plate holding the layered spread in the middle of a large serving platter and surround with crackers or crostini. (The small plate keeps the ingredients from spilling out onto the crackers.)
Salmon Spread with Cream Cheese FAQs
I wouldn’t recommend freezing this smoked salmon appetizer, because the flavor of the avocado layer will be significantly diminished.
Lox is salmon that has been cured but not smoked, whereas smoked salmon has been both cured and either cold or hot-smoked. Find a detailed overview of the various kinds of smoked salmon in my post Demystifying Smoked Salmon.
Many different cheeses pair well with salmon. Cream cheese and goat cheese are my favorites to pair with smoked salmon. And, I like to pair wild salmon with hard or semi-hard cheeses, like Parmesan or Asiago. Lastly, feta cheese pairs well with all kinds of salmon!
Smoked Salmon Spread with Cream Cheese and Avocado
This sophisticated and impressive appetizer is guaranteed to satisfy. Creamy cheese is elevated by the addition of tangy goat cheese, creating a perfect harmony with smoky salmon. Avocado brings a refreshing touch and adds a nice pop of color. Although this smoked salmon appetizer requires some time for preparation and refrigeration, the resulting taste is absolutely worth the effort. And, you can be confident in achieving perfection by following my detailed instructions. Prepare to receive an abundance of compliments once you serve this elegant appetizer!
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Refrigeration Time:: 120 mins
- Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: Around 3 cups 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 8 ounces goat cheese, softened and cut into 1-inch slices
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided use
- 4 ounces smoked salmon, chopped – see Note
- 1/4 cup chopped toasted and salted pistachios, divided use
- 1 large ripe avocado
- 1 large green onion, chopped (white, light green and some of the dark green portions)
- Dash Tabasco sauce
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prep mold. Lightly oil a 3- or 4-cup deep bowl or mold. I use a small-ish mixing bowl. Line the mold with plastic wrap, leaving 4 to 5 inches of plastic wrap overhanging the side. (Oiling the mold keeps the plastic wrap from moving around while you are adding the filling, and also makes it easy to unmold.)
- Blend cheeses. Place cream cheese, goat cheese, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice in a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. It should be spreadable but not too soft. Remove 1/4 cup; cover and refrigerate ( you’ll use this later to finish the outside once it’s unmolded.)
- Create Layer 1. Spoon 1/3 cup of cheese mixture into bottom of the lined mold. Cover top of cheese with a small piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap, and press down on the paper to smooth the cheese into an even layer. Remove the paper and use a knife or back of a tablespoon to finish smoothing.
- Create Layer 2. Sprinkle salmon evenly over the top. Cover with a small piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap, and press down on the paper to smooth the salmon into an even layer. Remove the paper and use a knife or back of a tablespoon to finish. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon pistachios.
- Create Layer 3. Place small dollops of 1/2 cup of the cheese mixture on top of the salmon and nuts, spreading out as evenly as possible. Cover with a small piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap, and press down on the paper to smooth the cheese into an even layer. Remove the paper and use a knife or back of a tablespoon to finish.
- Create Layer 4. Peel, pit and mash avocado. Stir in green onion, remaining 1 teaspoon lemon juice and Tabasco; season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture on top of cheese layer in mold; smooth top with back of spoon. (I find I don’t need to use the paper for smoothing this layer.) Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon pistachios.
- Create Layer 5. Place small dollops of the rest of the cheese mixture on top of the avocado and nuts. spreading out as evenly as possible. Cover with a small piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap, and press down on the paper to smooth the cheese into an even layer. Remove the paper and use a knife or back of a tablespoon to finish.
- Refrigerate. Cover with the overlapping plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Unmold. Around 90 minutes before serving, remove the reserved 1/4 cup cheese mixture from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Around one hour before serving, take the mold out of the refrigerator and uncover the top. Place a small plate over the top that is around the same width (or a bit wider) than the mold. Turn mold upside down and gently shake until the torte plops out onto the plate. Remove the plastic wrap.
- Finish. At this point you have two choices:
A. If you want to see the layers, spread some of the reserved cheese mixture just on the top cheese layer, covering over any wrinkles or indentations.
B. Alternatively, for a cleaner look, you can “ice” the entire torte with the cheese, hiding the layers.
Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons chopped pistachios over the top and let some fall down the sides. - Serve with crackers or crostini.
Notes
Gluten free: Serve with gluten-free crackers or crostini.
Smoked salmon: I recommend using cold-smoked salmon for this recipe. It resembles lox but has more flavor, and looks prettier than hot-smoked salmon (which is lighter in color and flaky in texture).
Make ahead: Can be prepared completely up to 24 hours in advance, covered well with plastic wrap and refrigerated. Remove from refrigerator 1 hour before serving.
- Category: Appetizers, no bake
- Method: No bake
- Cuisine: American
