Smoked Salmon Crostini with Dill Ricotta

This gluten free Smoked Salmon Crostini is an easy appetizer recipe! It's made with lemon dill ricotta spread on toasted garlic baguette.

One of the best overall herbs has to be dill. It's a fantastic addition to any dish from salads to seafood to sides. I love it in this Smoked Salmon Crostini.

Summer is the best time for fresh herbs. I must be officially adulting because this year I've got my own dedicated herb garden (as opposed to a mish-mash of herbs thrown into pots strewn across the back yard).

I've got the basics like basil, tarragon, mint, and oregano in addition to more 'exotic' herbs like Thai basil, lemon balm, French lavender, and pineapple sage.

Nowadays, fresh dill is at the top of my list! In this recipe, it's added to a ricotta cheese spread along with lemon zest and lemon juice. Gluten free baguette is cut into slices, toasted in the oven, and rubbed with garlic then topped with rich, flavorful smoked salmon.

These Smoked Salmon appetizer bites are seriously tasty!

Jump to:

• What Goes With Smoked Salmon?
• Ingredients For Smoked Salmon Crostini
• How To Make Dill Ricotta Spread
• How To Make Crostini
• How Do You Keep Crostini From Getting Soggy?
• How To Add Flavor To Crostini
• What Is Smoked Salmon?
• Does Smoked Salmon Need To Be Cooked?
• How To Make Smoked Salmon Ricotta Crostini
• What To Serve With Smoked Salmon Appetizer Bites
• How Long Does Smoked Salmon Last In The Fridge?
• Can It Be Frozen?
• Smoked Salmon Crostini with Dill Ricotta

What Goes With Smoked Salmon?

Smoked salmon is super versatile in that it goes with so many ingredients in tons of different dishes. You can add it to scrambled eggs, quiche, dips, pasta, sushi, eggs benedict, and salads.

The flavor is smoky, salty, and decadent. It tastes like a lightened-up version of bacon. To be honest, I prefer it to bacon because it contains every bit of flavor without all of the extra grease and calories.

It pairs well with anything you would normally serve with fish - Lemon, fresh herbs like dill, vegetables, quality cheeses, and spreads.

This recipe pairs smoked salmon with ricotta cheese, lemon, dill, garlic, and toasted slices of bread. The combination is light yet flavorful and a little rich all at the same time. It makes a great appetizer any time of the year!

Ingredients For Smoked Salmon Crostini

All you need are a few simple things to pull these appetizer bites together.

Here's what you'll need to make it.

• 2 3 oz. packages Smoked Salmon
• 1-2 Gluten Free Baguettes (or regular baguettes if not gluten free)
• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1 cup Ricotta Cheese
• Zest of 2 Lemons
• 2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
• 3 Tbsp. Fresh Dill plus more for garnish
• ¼ tsp. each Kosher Salt and Pepper

If you love dill be sure to check out this Lemon Dill Egg Salad, Dill Pickle Pasta Salad, and Fresh Dill Tartar Sauce!

How To Make Dill Ricotta Spread

As far as appetizer spreads go this is one of the easiest out there. This recipe uses ricotta instead of cream cheese which I feel lightens the dish up and complements the smoked salmon instead of overpowering it.

Ricotta is a soft, delicate, spreadable Italian cheese made from the tiny bits of curds that are left in the whey during the cheesemaking process. The whey is boiled down and the bits of protein that remain are called ricotta, which means re-cooked in Italian.

It might sound fancy and complicated but you can grab a tub of ricotta in the dairy section of just about any supermarket out there. It's cheap and can be used in anything from pizza to lasagna to desserts like cakes.

It's similar to cottage cheese in taste and the two are often interchangeable in recipes.

1. To make the ricotta spread simply add 1 cup of full-fat ricotta cheese into a mixing bowl along with the zest of 2 lemons (I love to use a Microplane to zest lemons but a small grater will work as well), 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, and ¼ tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper.
2. Mince 3 Tbsp. fresh dill and add it to the mixture.
3. Stir until completely combined. The mixture will be thick but easily spreadable.

For more recipes that use ricotta cheese check out this Roasted Vegetable Pasta Bake, Vegetable Lasagna with Eggplant, and One Pot Vegetable Lasagna!

How To Make Crostini

The word crostini means 'little crusts' in Italian. Crostini are great because they're sort of a blank canvas for flavor.

You can top them with just about anything - Cheese, meats, vegetables, dips, spreads, marinated goodies like olives or artichokes. The list goes on and on. They're basically little flavor vehicles.

This recipe is gluten free and calls for gluten free baguette but feel free to use regular baguette if gluten is not an issue for you.

1. To make the crostini heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, cut 1-2 baguettes (depending on the size of the baguette) into slices, and place them on one or two baking sheets (depending on the size of the baking sheet).
2. Drizzle 1 Tbsp. over the slices of bread, turn them over, and drizzle another Tbsp. over the other side.
3. Pop the pan(s) in the oven and toast for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip the bread slices over, and pop the pan back in the oven for another 2 minutes.
4. Remove the pan(s) from the oven.

How Do You Keep Crostini From Getting Soggy?

The distinguishing feature of crostini is that it's crispy. It's best to keep crostini dry and crispy once removed from the oven and not allow it to become soggy or stale.

The best way to accomplish this is to top it right before serving. The bread may get slightly stale if you add the toppings a few days ahead of time and store in the refrigerator.

If you do make the crostini a few days in advance allow it to cool and then place in an airtight Ziploc bag so that it remains in a dry environment. Add the toppings right before serving.

The crostini should be golden brown when toasted.

How To Add Flavor To Crostini

This is one of my favorite little tricks.

I love to cut a few cloves of garlic in half and then rub the garlic onto each crostini before adding the ricotta spread.

Rubbing the warm bread will release the oils in the garlic and give them a nice pop of garlicky flavor. This is a great trick to have on hand when making garlic bread.

1. Cut a few cloves of garlic in half and then rub the garlic on each crostini as soon as it is cool enough to handle safely.
2. Repeat with the remainder of the crostini.

What Is Smoked Salmon?

Smoked salmon is salmon that has been brined or cured in salt and then smoked. Smoked salmon may be cold-smoked or hot-smoked. Cold-smoked salmon isn't technically 'cooked' - It's smoked. Hot-smoked salmon gets cooked through and is a bit firmer in texture.

Does Smoked Salmon Need To Be Cooked?

Smoked salmon is cooked in the smoking process and requires no further cooking.

You can grab a package of smoked salmon in the specialty meat and cheese or deli section of your local grocery store.

I recommend a variety of thinly sliced smoked salmon as it is easy to work with and generally pretty economical.

1. The next step is to cut the salmon into bite size pieces. Separate the pieces of salmon and cut them into small strips. Make them roughly the same size as the crostini.
2. Repeat until all of the salmon has been sliced into strips.

How To Make Smoked Salmon Ricotta Crostini

All that's left is to assemble!

1. Spread a healthy spoonful of the lemon dill ricotta mixture onto each crostini and then top with a piece of the sliced salmon.
2. Repeat with the remainder of the crostini (you should have between 30-35 crostini when finished).
3. Garnish each crostini with a dill sprig to make it pretty.

What To Serve With Smoked Salmon Appetizer Bites

This is a fantastic addition to any party or get-together. It's great served with any variety of flavorful appetizers like dips, cheese boards, and crudité platters.

It's perfect during the summer months because this appetizer is made with fresh herbs and light ingredients but it's equally as tasty during the holiday Christmas season.

Looking for more appetizer bites? Don't miss these!

• Slow Cooker BBQ Turkey Meatballs
• Spiced Maple Roasted Nuts
• Mushroom Gruyere Tartlets
• Roasted Asparagus with Prosciutto
• Gruyere Prosciutto Tartlets
• Rosemary Toasted Almonds
• Prosciutto Whipped Feta Stuffed Dates

How Long Does Smoked Salmon Last In The Fridge?

These Smoked Salmon Crostini Bites should last 3-4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge. The crostini may get a bit softer as it sits in the fridge for a few days.

Can It Be Frozen?

I would not recommend freezing this crostini appetizer as it is best enjoyed fresh or within a few days.

Love smoked salmon? Check out these Smoked Salmon Rice Bowls!

Love appetizers? Check out these recipes!

• Mediterranean Kalamata Olive Tapenade
• Roasted Mushroom Tapenade
• Light Spinach Artichoke Dip
• Smoky Baba Ghanoush

Looking For More Smoked Salmon Appetizers? Don't Miss These!

Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs

Smoked Salmon Spring Rolls

Smoked Salmon Dip