Description
These elegant spring bites with smoked salmon and asparagus are perfect for brunch or a spring party, featuring a creamy caper-dill spread and a burst of lemon freshness.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 cup plain cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup finely chopped capers
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped dill
- 10 spears of fresh asparagus, ends trimmed
- 1 large package of smoked salmon, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Lemon zest, for garnish
- Crackers or small toast slices, for serving
Instructions
- Fill a large saucepan with water, add 1 tsp of salt, and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the cream cheese, capers, lemon juice and dill. Set aside for later.
- Add ice to a large bowl of cold water, and place it next to your stove. You will need this to blanch the
- asparagus.
- Add the asparagus to the boiling water. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until bright green and tender.
- Use tongs to take the asparagus out of the boiling water and into the bowl of ice water. The asparagus will take about a minute to cool down, and then you can drain them. Once they are cool enough to handle, cut each spear into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
- Find the serving tray or dish that you want to use, you will be assembling the canapés directly onto this
- dish.
- Set out the toasts, and spread some of the cream cheese mixture on each one. Next, wrap a piece of smoked salmon around each piece of asparagus. I just ripped the smoked salmon with my fingers, it doesn’t have to be neat.
- Place each salmon/asparagus bundle on top of the toasts, and top with the lemon zest and black pepper.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
To prevent overcooking, blanch the asparagus for only 2-3 minutes. Prepare the components ahead of time and assemble just before serving to maintain freshness. These bites are delicate, so avoid moving them too much once assembled.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 2 grams
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 12 grams
- Carbohydrates: 5 grams
- Fiber: 1 gram
- Protein: 8 grams
- Cholesterol: 35 mg