This is a no-cook, 25-minute salad built around pickled herring, boiled potato, apple, and a sour cream-mayo dressing spiked with horseradish. Itโs substantial enough to eat as a proper lunch โ the potato and fish together carry real staying power. If youโve never cooked with pickled herring before, this is a low-risk place to start.
Before you start
The one thing that makes or breaks this salad is how you handle the potatoes. They need to be fully cooled before they go in โ warm potato absorbs the dressing unevenly and turns the whole bowl gluey. Boil them ahead and refrigerate until cold. The second thing worth knowing: pickled herring varies a lot by brand. Some jars are aggressively briny, others are mild and sweet. Taste yours before you season the dressing, and hold back on added salt until youโve tasted the finished mix.
About the ingredients
- Pickled herring: Sold in jars in the refrigerated section, often near smoked salmon or in the international foods aisle. Matjes-style (mild, wine-marinated) works well here. Avoid herring packed in cream sauce โ it will make the dressing too rich and muddy the flavor.
- Horseradish: The recipe marks this optional, but it genuinely earns its place โ it cuts through the creaminess and keeps the dressing from tasting flat. Prepared horseradish from a jar works fine; just blot off excess liquid before measuring.
- Apple: Granny Smith is called for because its tartness pushes back against the rich dressing. A sweeter apple like Fuji will tip the balance toward sweet โ not wrong, just different.
- Sour cream: Full-fat clings better than low-fat and holds up during the rest time in the fridge. Greek yogurt is a workable swap if thatโs what you have.
What can go wrong
- The apple turns brown: Dice the apple last, right before you assemble. Tossing the cut pieces briefly in the lemon juice before adding them to the bowl also slows oxidation.
- The dressing is too loose and pools at the bottom: This usually means the herring or potatoes brought extra liquid into the bowl. Pat the herring pieces dry with a paper towel before adding them, and make sure the potatoes are fully dry and cold.
- The salad tastes flat: Pickled herring already contains acid, so the lemon juice can get lost. Taste after the rest period and add a small extra squeeze if needed โ the 15 minutes in the fridge can dull brightness.
- The red onion is too sharp: Raw red onion can overpower everything else. Soak the slices in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry before adding. The bite softens considerably without losing the flavor.
- Everything breaks apart when folding: Use a wide bowl and a silicone spatula. Fold from the bottom up rather than stirring โ the potato cubes and herring pieces are fragile once dressed.
Make-ahead notes
This salad actually improves after 15โ30 minutes in the fridge, as the recipe notes โ the dressing works into the potato and the flavors settle. You can push that to 2 hours without any problem. Beyond that, the apple starts to soften and the dressing thins out as the vegetables release more moisture. If you want to prep further ahead, keep the dressing separate and the apple undiced, then combine everything up to an hour before serving โ dress it at the table rather than hours in advance, and the texture stays noticeably better. Leftovers keep for one day covered in the refrigerator; after that the potato gets waterlogged and the herring flavor dominates in a less pleasant way.
Danish Pickled Herring Salad
Ingredients
- 200 g pickled herring fillets chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 medium red onion thinly sliced
- 1 large apple like Granny Smith, diced
- 2 small potatoes boiled and cooled, diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill chopped
- 4 tablespoons sour cream
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 teaspoon horseradish grated, optional
- 1 pinch salt to taste
- 1 pinch ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the pickled herring pieces, sliced red onion, diced apple, and boiled potato cubes. Mix gently to avoid breaking the ingredients.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and horseradish. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to your taste.
- Pour the dressing over the herring mixture. Add the fresh dill and carefully fold everything together until all ingredients are well-coated.
- Cover the salad and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together. Serve chilled.
Notes
Nutrition
Your questions, answered
Where do I find pickled herring in the grocery store?
Check the refrigerated section near smoked fish and lox, or in the international foods aisle. Major supermarkets typically stock it; if yours doesnโt, a Scandinavian or Eastern European specialty store will.
Can I use canned herring instead of jarred pickled herring?
No โ canned herring is usually packed in oil or tomato sauce and isnโt pickled, so the flavor profile is completely different. You need the brine-cured, vinegar-pickled kind for this recipe to work.
Is this salad filling enough to eat on its own for lunch?
Yes, for most people a single serving is a complete meal. The combination of potato, fish protein, and a fat-based dressing adds up to 255 calories per bowl with 11g of protein โ serve it with a slice of dense rye bread and itโs genuinely satisfying.
Can I make this without the horseradish?
Yes, the recipe lists it as optional. Without it the dressing is milder and creamier, which some people prefer. If you want a little heat without the horseradish flavor, a small pinch of white pepper in the dressing does a similar job.