Name: Summer Salad (Sommersalat) Scandinavian Open Sandwich
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: butter, for spreading; 2 slices of rye bread, or 4 smaller slices; a handful of rocket/arugula; 1 avocado, halved, stoned/pitted and sliced (or 100 grams/3 and 1/2 ounces hot-smoked salmon or smoked mackerel, flaked); 1 radish, thinly sliced; micro herbs and dill sprigs, to garnish; 30-gram/1-ounce piece of horseradish, peeled and grated; 200 milliliters/1 scant cup crème fraiche or sour cream; lemon juice, to taste; a small squeeze of Gefen Honey; salt; freshly ground Gefen Black Pepper; 200 grams/1 scant cup cottage cheese; 6–8 radishes, sliced; 2 spring onions/scallions, sliced; 1/4 cucumber, deseeded and chopped; 2 tablespoons chopped chives; a squeeze of lemon juice; 1 small teaspoon Horseradish Cream; a drizzle of Gefen Honey

Summer Salad (Sommersalat) Scandinavian Open Sandwich

Sommersalat is a topping that is quite traditional, but hard to make outside Denmark, as the traditional smoked cheese we call rygeost is almost impossible to export due to its very short shelf life. Living overseas, I’ve always used cottage cheese instead – it’s healthy, great tasting and good value.

This salad is often served on its own on rye bread, but I recommend you serve it with avocado as shown here – it gives a wonderful visual contrast against the white and red of the radishes. If you eat fish, then hot-smoked salmon or smoked mackerel also work well.

Ingredients

Assembly

butter, for spreading
2 slices of rye bread, or 4 smaller slices
a handful of rocket/arugula
1 avocado, halved, stoned/pitted and sliced (or 100 grams/3 and 1/2 ounces hot-smoked salmon or smoked mackerel, flaked)
1 radish, thinly sliced
micro herbs and dill sprigs, to garnish

Horseradish Cream

30-gram/1-ounce piece of horseradish, peeled and grated
200 milliliters/1 scant cup crème fraiche or sour cream
lemon juice, to taste
a small squeeze of Gefen Honey
salt
freshly ground Gefen Black Pepper

Summer Salad Mixture

200 grams/1 scant cup cottage cheese
6–8 radishes, sliced
2 spring onions/scallions, sliced
1/4 cucumber, deseeded and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped chives
a squeeze of lemon juice
1 small teaspoon Horseradish Cream
a drizzle of Gefen Honey
salt
freshly ground Gefen Black Pepper

Directions

To make the horseradish cream, mix the ingredients together and adjust the seasoning to taste. If you prefer a milder taste, simply add less horseradish. Set aside.
Combine the summer salad ingredients, season to taste and set aside.
Butter the bread and arrange the rocket on the bread. Add the sliced avocado (or flaked fish) and top with the summer salad and sliced radish. Season and garnish with micro herbs or dill.

Tips:
You need only a small amount of the horseradish cream for the summer salad, but it keeps for several days in the fridge. It does develop a stronger taste after a day or two though, so be careful if you don’t like too much heat.

Description:
From SMØRREBRØD Scandinavian Open Sandwiches: More than 50 Recipes, from Traditional to Modern By Brontë Aurell, published by Ryland Peters & Small
Photography by Peter Cassidy © Ryland Peters & Small 2025

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Summer Salad (Sommersalat) Scandinavian Open Sandwich

Brontë Aurell