Sides & Salads

Nordic side dishes are the essential ‘balancing act’ of the Scandinavian plate, designed to provide texture, color, and a necessary counterpoint to rich main courses. This collection showcases the diversity of the Northern harvest—from the architectural crunch of traditional Swedish Hasselback Potatoes (Hasselbackspotatis) to the deep, earthy sweetness of Finnish Christmas casseroles like Porkkanalaatikko and Imelletty Perunalaatikko.

Whether it’s a vibrant Beetroot Salad (Rosolli) brightening a winter smörgåsbord or a silky Rutabaga Mash (Kålrabistappe) served alongside festive meats, these recipes highlight the Nordic tradition of making humble root vegetables the star of the show.

Here, you will find a blend of heritage holiday classics and light, modern salads, all tested in my own kitchen with step-by-step instructions to help you master the art of the well-rounded Nordic meal.

  • Gubbröra Swedish egg and sprat salad served on dark rye bread on a colorful folk-painted ceramic plate

    Gubbröra (Swedish Egg & Sprat Salad)

    Some dishes earn their reputation quietly. Gubbröra (goob-RÖR-ah) is one of them. It shows up reliably on every Swedish Easter table, every Midsummer spread, and every respectable Christmas buffet — yet it never needs to announce itself. It just sits there, creamy and golden, smelling faintly of dill and something beautifully briny, waiting for someone…

  • Bowl of creamy Kålrabistappe (Norwegian rutabaga mash) topped with melting butter and chopped herbs on a wooden table.

    Norwegian Rutabaga Mash (Kålrabistappe)

    Rotmos, or kålrabistappe, is one of those humble dishes that quietly steals the show on the Christmas table. It’s a creamy mash made from rutabaga, potatoes – and sometimes with a little carrot for extra sweetness – and it’s a much-loved side in both Norway and Sweden. In Norway, kålrabistappe is a must alongside salty,…

  • Top-down view of a freshly baked Hasselback potato topped with garlic chips, flaky salt, and black pepper, resting on parchment paper over a ceramic plate.

    Crispy Hasselback Potatoes — The Swedish Side Dish That Steals the Show

    There’s a moment at the dinner table when a dish arrives and everyone just goes quiet. Not because something is wrong — quite the opposite. Hasselback potatoes have that effect. Fanned out like golden accordion keys— earning them the nickname accordion potatoes — shatteringly crisp on the outside and pillowy-soft in the middle, they look…

  • A vibrant, jewel-pink Swedish beet salad in a white ceramic bowl, garnished with fresh green dill and white pepper.

    Swedish Rödbetssallad (Swedish Beet Salad)

    There is something magical about Rödbetssallad. It arrives at the table looking almost too pretty — deep jewel-pink, speckled with pale apple and crowned with fresh dill. Then you taste it: creamy, tangy, earthy, and bright all at once. It is the kind of dish that makes you wonder why you hadn’t been eating it…

  • Finnish Porkkanalaatikko carrot casserole in a white oval baking dish on a linen cloth, viewed from above

    Finnish Porkkanalaatikko Recipe (Carrot Casserole) – Finland’s Beloved Holiday Side Dish

    Some side dishes are so quietly brilliant they end up stealing the whole show. Porkkanalaatikko — Finland’s traditional carrot casserole — is exactly that. Creamy, warmly spiced, and crowned with a golden, buttery breadcrumb crust, it transforms humble root vegetables into something genuinely memorable. The name (say it: PORK-kah-nah-LAH-tee-koh) simply means “carrot casserole” in Finnish.…

  • Baked imelletty perunalaatikko with a rich caramelized crust in a white oven dish placed on a wooden table

    Imelletty Perunalaatikko — Finland’s Naturally Sweetened Potato Casserole

    There’s a dish on the Finnish Christmas table that looks, at first glance, exactly like mashed potatoes that got a little ambitious. It’s golden on top, creamy inside, faintly caramelized around the edges — and sweet. Naturally, inexplicably, no-sugar-in-sight sweet. People take a bite and then look at the serving dish with narrowed eyes, trying…

  • Finnish lanttulaatikko in a rustic cream oval ceramic baking dish on a pale wood table, golden breadcrumb crust with fork pattern visible, grey linen cloth underneath and a serving spoon alongside, soft natural window light

    Finnish Lanttulaatikko (Rutabaga Casserole)

    There is a dish that appears on nearly every Finnish Christmas table without fail — golden-topped, subtly sweet, deeply warming — and it goes by the wonderfully tongue-twisting name lanttulaatikko (lant-too-laa-tik-ko). If you’ve never heard of it, today is a very good day. What Is Lanttulaatikko? The name breaks down with satisfying Finnish directness: lanttu…

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