Ring in the new year with elegant, affordable smoked trout dip
New Year’s Eve is a time for celebration, with festive nibbles and drinks to ring in the new year. Traditionally, the menu is a splurge and leans toward high-end seafood items such as crab, caviar and oysters. But with grocery prices rising and affordability top of mind for many households, entertaining this year calls for a more practical approach. Kick off 2026 with this recipe for Smoked Trout Dip, which is budget-friendly and sustainable, too.
Trout is a lean protein and, when smoked, it has a natural sweetness. Combined with a reduced-fat creamy base and packed with bold, bright ingredients, it delivers on flavor. And, since smoked trout costs about $10 a package, this recipe can be made for a fraction of a shrimp platter’s price.
Rainbow trout, the trout most commonly used for commercially smoked trout, is farmed in indoor recirculating tanks, which are less invasive and intrusive on our waterways. I’m a member of the Blue Ribbon Task Force, a group of chefs who advocate for sustainable seafood as part of the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch. I believe choosing sustainable seafood, like farmed rainbow trout, is the single most powerful action you can take to help the health of our oceans.
Celebrate the New Year with this Smoked Trout Dip. It’s good and good for you, our planet and your wallet.
Smoked Trout Dip
Smoked trout is available in the refrigerated section near the seafood department, usually near the smoked salmon, at many large grocery stores.
This recipe doubles easily for larger gatherings.
- 4 ounces Neufchatel cheese, room temperature
- ¼ cup reduced-fat sour cream
- ¼ cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
- 2 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, dill or chives
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 (8-ounce) package boneless smoked trout fillets
- Celery sticks, for serving
- Cucumber rounds, for serving
- Baby carrots, for serving
- Radish rounds, for serving
- Crackers, for serving
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the S-blade attachment, puree the Neufchatel cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise and horseradish until very smooth.
- Add the green onions, parsley or other herbs, lemon zest and lemon juice. Season with salt, ground black pepper and cayenne pepper. Quickly pulse to combine.
- Remove and discard the skin and any small, overlooked pin bones from the trout fillet. Tear the fish into 2-inch pieces and add to the pureed mixture. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then pulse until the dip is combined, but the fish remains slightly chunky. Do not overprocess.
- Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Serve with vegetables and crackers.
- Store dip in a refrigerated, sealable container for up to 4 days.
Makes 2 cups.
Per ¼-cup serving: 116 calories (percent of calories from fat, 62), 9 grams protein, 2 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram total sugars, trace fiber, 8 grams total fat (3 grams saturated), 25 milligrams cholesterol, 482 milligrams sodium.
