Salmon toasts recipe with smoked salmon slices over herbed goat cheese on toasted crostini bread rounds. An easy, crowd pleasing appetizer.
These smoked salmon goat cheese toasts are among my favorite appetizers to prepare as they are so easy to put together, and taste fabulous.
Always a huge hit with guests!
The one ingredient that makes a surprising difference is the sliver of lemon peel on each piece of salmon. The added zing from the lemon peel perks up the salmon and completes each bite.
Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese Toasts Recipe
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 20 minutes
- Yield: Makes about 40 pieces
If you have access to goat cheese that is packaged already mixed with herbs, you can use that instead of the plain goat cheese and herbs called for here.
Ingredients
- 8 oz soft fresh goat cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons of grated lemon peel
- 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 30 thin slices French-bread baguette
- 12 oz thinly sliced smoked salmon
- Thinly peeled lemon peel strips from one lemon, cut into tiny slivers*
*Use a sharp vegetable peeler to peel wide strips from a lemon. Probably the peel from just half of one lemon will do. Take a metal spoon and scoop out and discard any white pith that is under the peels you’ve removed. The pith is bitter. Then slice the peel into tiny slivers. If you do this part in advance, cover with plastic wrap so the strips do not dry out before you put them on the salmon.
Method
1 Mix cheese, herbs, lemon zest, pepper: Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix first goat cheese, herbs, lemon zest, and black pepper in a small bowl to blend. Set aside. (The cheese mixture can be mixed a couple of days ahead of time.)
2 Toast bread slices in oven: Brush oil over both sides of bread slices. Arrange bread in single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake until bread is just crisp, about 5 minutes on each side. (You can prepare the toasts a couple hours in advance.)
3 Assemble salmon, cheese, toasts: Spread cheese mixture over toasts. Top with salmon, trimming to fit. Garnish with lemon peel strips. Arrange on platter and serve.
