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A loaded smoked salmon bagel sandwich with cream cheese, vegetables, and an everything bagel on a slate board.
Maryam

Smoked Salmon Bagel Sandwich

A classic New York-style bagel loaded with silky smoked salmon, tangy cream cheese, and all the fixings for the ultimate weekend brunch.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings: 2 sandwiches
Course: Breakfast, Brunch
Cuisine: American, Jewish-American
Calories: 485
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Bagels
  • 2 everything bagels or plain, sesame, or poppy seed
For the Spread
  • 4 oz cream cheese full-fat, softened
  • 1 tbsp fresh dill chopped, plus more for garnish
  • 0.5 tsp lemon zest finely grated
For the Toppings
  • 4 oz cold-smoked salmon thinly sliced
  • 0.25 cucumber thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp red onion thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp capers drained
  • 0.5 fresh lemon cut into wedges
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste

Equipment

  • Toaster or toaster oven
  • Small knife
  • Cutting board

Method
 

Prep
  1. Split the bagels and toast until golden and crisp on the cut sides, about 3-4 minutes. You want the exterior to stay chewy while the inside gets warm and slightly crunchy.
  2. In a small bowl, mix the softened cream cheese with chopped dill and lemon zest until well combined. This brightens up the flavor and cuts through the richness of the salmon.
Assemble
  1. Spread a generous layer of the herbed cream cheese on both cut sides of each warm bagel. Don't be shy - the cream cheese is the glue that holds everything together.
  2. Arrange the smoked salmon in loose folds over the bottom half of each bagel. Top with cucumber slices, red onion, and capers. The folds create texture and make the sandwich easier to bite through.
  3. Add a generous grind of black pepper, squeeze a little lemon juice over the top, and cap with the other bagel half. Serve immediately with extra lemon wedges on the side.

Notes

For the best texture, take the cream cheese out 30 minutes before you start so it spreads easily without tearing the bagel. Cold-smoked salmon is silky and raw-like; do not substitute hot-smoked salmon which is flaky and cooked - the texture is completely different. If making ahead, prep all components separately and assemble just before eating to prevent the bagel from getting soggy.