This is a cold, no-cook salad built around jarred pickled herring, diced beets, waxy potatoes, green apple, and a sour cream-mayo dressing — all folded together and chilled. It takes 25 minutes of prep and nothing more. The honest reason to make it: it’s a genuinely satisfying lunch or starter that costs very little and uses ingredients most people can find at a regular grocery store or already have on hand.
The technique that matters
The only real technique here is how you cut and fold. Uniform, small dice — roughly half an inch — means every forkful gets a bit of everything, and it keeps the salad from turning into mush. The second part is folding, not stirring. Once the dressing goes in, use a wide spoon and turn the mixture over gently two or three times. Pickled herring breaks apart easily, and overworked beets will bleed into everything and turn the whole bowl a flat purple-grey. A few streaks of pink are fine and expected — a completely uniform dark stain means it got mixed too hard.
Shopping notes
- Pickled herring: Look for it in the refrigerated deli section or near smoked fish — Vita and Acme are common US brands. Herring in wine sauce works well here; avoid herring in cream sauce, which will throw off the dressing balance.
- Beetroot: The recipe calls for beets in brine, not vinegar. Plain jarred or canned beets (not the pickled kind) are the right call. If you only find pickled beets, rinse them and reduce the white wine vinegar in the dressing by half.
- Waxy potatoes: Yukon Golds are ideal, but any small waxy potato holds its shape after boiling. Russets will fall apart and make the salad gluey — skip them.
- Capers: If you don’t have capers, a few finely chopped cornichons or a small amount of dill pickle works as a stand-in. Skip the garnish of extra dill sprigs on top — not worth the extra prep for a salad that’s going straight into the fridge anyway.
- Dijon mustard: Regular yellow mustard is a workable swap in a pinch; use a little less since it’s sharper and sweeter.
Storage and reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. After that, the apple softens significantly and the texture suffers. Do not freeze this salad — the sour cream dressing will separate and the potatoes will turn grainy. There is no reheating; this is served cold straight from the fridge. If the dressing looks a little tight after overnight storage, stir in a teaspoon of sour cream before serving to loosen it back up.
What can go wrong
- Salad tastes flat or bland: Pickled herring varies a lot in saltiness by brand. Taste the herring before you start and, if it’s mild, add a small pinch of salt to the dressing rather than salting the finished salad, which can make it watery.
- Dressing turns runny: This usually happens if the potatoes or beets are still warm when you mix everything together. Both need to be fully cooled — room temperature at minimum, cold from the fridge is better — before the dressing goes in.
- Apple browns before serving: Dice the apple last, right before you assemble the salad. The acidity in the dressing slows browning once everything is mixed, but pre-cut apple sitting on the board will oxidize quickly.
- Everything tastes too sharp or vinegary: The herring already carries acidity. If your beets were packed in vinegar brine rather than plain brine, the whole salad can tip sour. Rinse the beets, and hold back some of the white wine vinegar in the dressing — add it gradually and taste as you go.
- Salad is watery at the bottom of the bowl: Beets release liquid as they sit. Pat diced beets dry with a paper towel before adding them to the bowl. This makes a noticeable difference, especially if you’re making the salad ahead.
Danish Pickled Herring Salad
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Sharp Knife
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring spoons
- Spoon for mixing
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 8 oz pickled herring fillets drained and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup boiled potatoes peeled and diced, preferably waxy potatoes like Yukon Golds
- ½ cup red onion finely chopped
- 1 cup cooked beetroot diced, preferably homemade or jarred in brine, not vinegar
- 1 large green apple diced; Granny Smith preferred for tartness
- 2 tbsp fresh dill finely chopped
- 1 tbsp capers drained and roughly chopped
For the Dressing:
- ⅓ cup sour cream full-fat recommended
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise traditional or Danish-style mayo
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Begin by preparing all ingredients. Dice the boiled potatoes, pickled herring, beetroot, and green apple into small, uniform cubes for even texture and presentation. Finely chop the red onion, dill, and capers.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the diced herring, potatoes, beetroot, green apple, red onion, dill, and capers. Toss gently to combine—avoid overmixing to maintain the integrity of each component.
- Prepare the dressing by whisking together sour cream, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, and ground black pepper in a small bowl until smooth and emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and gently fold it in until everything is evenly coated. Let the salad rest in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
Notes
- You may substitute crème fraîche for sour cream for a tangier finish.
- For a crunchier texture, top with chopped toasted walnuts just before serving.
- To make it egg-free, omit the mayonnaise and add a splash of lemon juice to the dressing.
- Herring in wine sauce can be used instead of classic pickled herring for a sweeter note.
Nutrition
Common questions
Can I use smoked herring instead of pickled herring?
No — smoked herring is a different product and won’t work the same way here. Pickled herring is cured in a vinegar-based brine, which gives it the soft texture and tangy flavor the dressing is built around; smoked herring is drier, saltier, and much more pungent, and it would overpower everything else in the bowl.
Do the potatoes need to be cooked ahead of time?
Yes, the potatoes need to be fully boiled and cooled before you start. If you’re short on time, boil them in salted water until just tender — about 15 minutes for small cubes — then spread them on a plate and put them in the freezer for 10 minutes to cool quickly.
Can I make this salad the night before?
You can, with one adjustment: hold the apple out and stir it in the morning before serving. Everything else — herring, potatoes, beets, onion, capers, and dressing — can be combined the night before and refrigerated, and the flavor actually improves after a few hours. The apple goes soft and brown overnight, so add it fresh.
Is there a dairy-free version of the dressing?
Yes — replace both the sour cream and mayonnaise with a plain, unsweetened dairy-free mayo and add an extra teaspoon of white wine vinegar to compensate for the tang you lose from the sour cream. The texture will be slightly thinner but it coats the salad well enough.
Try these next
- Creamy Grape Salad with Southern Charm and Zesty Flair
- Coastal Elegance: Fresh Lemon-Herb Crab Salad
- Sweet and Tangy Grape Chicken Salad
- Authentic Spanish Seafood Paella Bursting with Flavor
