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Herring Salad (Sillsalad) with Caraway-Lemon Vinaigrette

By Kari Diehl, About.com

Herring Salad with Caraway-Lemon Vinaigrette

photo ŠKari Diehl, licensed to About.com
A colorful and healthy version of Scandinavian herring salad (Sillsalad), rich in both taste and omega-3 fatty acids. This recipe is also lovely when poached salmon is substituted for the herring (but then, call it Laxsalad!).

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 to 1 1/2 cup wine-pickled herring -or- tinned smoked herring
  • 10 to 12 new potatoes, skins on
  • 3 green onions (scallions)
  • 1 cup pickled beets
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 green apple (like Granny Smith)
  • 1 bunch fresh dill (about 1/2 cup when chopped)
  • 3 to 4 hard-boiled eggs
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges (optional)
  • 1/4 cup light olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
  • juice of one lemon
  • 1/2 tsp. caraway seeds

Preparation:

Scrub the new potatoes well and then boil just until fork-tender, about 30 minutes (depending upon the size of your potatoes). Cool and cut into 1/8” slices.

Place pickled herring in colander and rinse lightly under cold water (omit this step if using tinned smoked herring). Pat gently with paper towel to dry and cut into 1” pieces.

Dice green onions and julienne pickled beet slices into thin strips. Peel, seed, and then chop cucumber into 1/2” pieces. Wash apple well, core, and cut into 1/2” pieces or slices, leaving the skin on. Coarsely chop the fresh dill, leaving a few long stems for garnish. Peel and cut the hard-boiled eggs into wedges.

For Lemon-Caraway Vinaigrette Dressing: Whisk together olive oil, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, and caraway seeds.

Arrange first 7 ingredients on a serving platter, sprinkling with chopped dill and garnishing with hard-boiled egg wedges and lemon, if desired. Serve lemon-caraway vinaigrette dressing on the side.

Yield: 6 servings as a main-dish salad; 15-20 if part of a buffet or smörgåsbord table.

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