Scandinavian · salad

Beet and Herring Salad (Sillsallad)

Name: Beet and Herring Salad (Sillsallad)
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Cuisine: Scandinavian
Ingredients: 8 oz pickled herring, chopped; 3 medium cooked beets, diced; 2 medium boiled potatoes, diced; 1 apple, diced; 2 pickled cucumbers, diced; 1/2 red onion, minced; 3 tbsp mayonnaise; 3 tbsp sour cream; 1 tbsp white wine vinegar; 1 tsp sugar; fresh dill for garnish

Beet and Herring Salad (Sillsallad) reads sourness 6.0, sweetness 5.0 and fruity 3.8 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Scandinavian salad, about 1 hr 15 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 3.3 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 6.1 / 10
Sour & Bright — 6.1 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 3.3 / 10
Rich & Fat — 3.1 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 2.7 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Sourness 6.0 · Sweetness 5.0 · Fruity 3.8 · Earthy 3.1 · Richness 2.9 · Salinity 2.9 · Funk & Ferment 2.4 · Herbaceous 2.3 · Floral 2.3 · Allium 1.9 · Umami 1.4 · Bitterness 1.1 · Citrus 0.6 · Nutty 0.5

What's in it (11)

8 oz pickled herring, chopped
3 medium cooked beets, diced
2 medium boiled potatoes, diced
1 apple, diced
2 pickled cucumbers, diced
1/2 red onion, minced
3 tbsp mayonnaise
3 tbsp sour cream
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
fresh dill for garnish

Time & effort: about 1 hr 15 min (15 min active) · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 64.6 kcal, 1 g protein, 1.4 g fat, 12.1 g carbs

Dietary: Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (3 steps)

Dice all the solid ingredients into small uniform cubes and combine in a large bowl.
Stir together mayonnaise, sour cream, a splash of vinegar, and a pinch of sugar for the dressing, then fold gently into the salad.
Refrigerate for an hour to let flavors meld, then garnish with dill and serve cold.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Czernina (Duck Blood Soup) — Polish
Black-Eyed Pea Salad — American
Gazpacho Andaluz — Spanish
Insalata Alla Bourguignonne (Salad W/Bourguignonne Dressing) — French
Rotkohl (Braised Red Cabbage) — German

Keep reading: what sourness, sweetness, fruity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.