These salmon roll-ups are the perfect weeknight meal.
Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD
Key Points
- These smoked salmon roll-ups come together in just 15 minutes.
- A whole wrap has 15 grams of protein and 312 calories.
- The no-cook wraps keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
If you ask me, salmon is one of the best things to come out of the ocean. It’s great on its own, but smoking it makes it even better. It elevates an already delicious piece of fish into a silky, buttery delicacy.
My love for smoked salmon can primarily be attributed to my mom, who may be an even bigger fan than I am. I really fell in love with it on a trip to the coastal town of St. Andrews in Scotland, where my sister was attending university. After trying a bite of my mom’s smoked salmon salad, I was hooked. We all loved the slow-smoked, slightly woody flavor of the Scottish-style variety and immediately stocked up on some to bring home. It’s safe to say the trip took an unfortunate turn when we left our fish behind in the hotel fridge.
When I got home, I sought out salmon at my local grocery store and ate it almost exclusively on bagels, right on top of plain cream cheese—or layered on a piece of whole-wheat or sourdough toast when I didn’t have bagels on hand. Honestly, I hadn’t quite figured out how to eat it for anything other than breakfast.
That all changed when I tried our Salmon Roll-Ups. I made the dish, which is technically an appetizer recipe, on a night when I had limited time to make dinner but plenty of smoked salmon in my fridge. It turned out to be an instant favorite. Light but satisfying, it was an easy recipe that I immediately saved to MyRecipes to make again and again.
Sounds like something up your alley? Save it to your own MyRecipes account and come back to it whenever and wherever you want.
How To Make It
One of the best things about this recipe is how easy it is to put together. Once you have your ingredients set out, the first step is to make the herby cheese spread.
Start by stirring mayo, lemon zest, pepper and chopped herbs into softened cream cheese (it’ss a lot easier to work with if it’s room-temperature). Once your ingredients are fully combined, it’s already time to assemble your wrap.
If you’re serving this dish as an appetizer, the recipe calls for two whole wraps to be cut into 12 total pieces. If you’re like me and want to eat it for lunch or dinner, however, I find that one wrap paired with a small side salad or a handful of nuts or berries is perfectly satisfying—but two whole wraps when I’m hungrier than usual hit the spot. Don’t fret about making too much, because the wraps keep well in the fridge for up to two days.
Once you’ve decided how many you’re making, you can spread your cream cheese into an even layer on your wraps. Next, layer the rest of your ingredients on top. I prefer to go in the order of spinach, cucumber, then salmon, as the spinach acts as a nice protective layer between the cucumbers and salmon and prevents the wrap from getting soggy.
Finally, you can slice, or not slice! If you’re making it for a crowd, you can cut up the wraps into even pieces and stick a toothpick through to help the pieces stay together. When I make a wrap for myself, I tend to just dive in—but you can always cut it in half for presentation or storage purposes.
Why I Love It
Now that I’ve figured out how to enjoy smoked salmon for dinner—in a much easier way than recreating the restaurant salad that introduced me to it—this recipe has been a staple in my weeknight rotation.
For one, it takes just 15 minutes from start to finish, which is perfect for when I need a quick meal. It’s also no-cook, something that has come in handy many times when my AC is already doing its best to fight the heat outside. Plus, if you eat the whole wrap, you get 15 grams of protein and only 312 calories, making this meal a light but nutrient-dense option for dinner. Just be mindful of sodium levels, as smoked salmon relies heavily on salt during the smoking process.
Finally and most importantly, this recipe has given me a new and delicious way to enjoy one of my favorite foods. The simple ingredients allow the fish to shine, but the subtle freshness from the herbs and the tang from the cream cheese work seamlessly together to create a perfectly balanced bite.
The Bottom Line
This meal is everything I look for in a weeknight dinner. Quick, easy, delicious and effortlessly versatile. It’s a cooling dish that’s especially satisfying in hot weather, but this wrap works no matter the time of year. The spinach and cucumber cut through the rich flavors of the fish and the cream cheese, but any fresh veggie will work if you want to switch it up. Whether you serve it as an appetizer, pack it for lunch or enjoy it as a quick dinner, this dish is sure to become one you’ll love, maybe as much as I do.