20 Nordic Recipes to Try Right Now ~ sure, you’ve baked spritz cookies during the holidays, and maybe you’ve had a Swedish meatball or two, (thanks Ikea), but do you really know what Scandinavian food is all about?
These 20 recipes run the gamut from light, bright, and minimal all the way to uber cozy and comforting ~ and that’s what’s so exciting about Nordic cuisine, it’s got it all covered, and more. The Nordic countries ~ Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, have made an art out of cold weather cooking, and it’s what I’m craving as we head into February. If you happen to have some Scandinavian DNA, share your favorite recipes in the comments!
NORDIC GRANOLA : CARAMELIZED GRAINS AND SOURED MILK (Melkering) ~ My Nordic Kitchen
Rye, spelt, and oatmeal are caramelized with butter and honey, and then served in a puddle of soured milk. Don’t be afraid of the soured milk ~ it’s cultured, like kefir, or yogurt.
FINNISH SMOKED SALMON AND FARRO SALAD ~ Kira Åkerström
Kira is a Finnish blogger who now lives in San Francisco (she won the Finnish Masterchef competition!) and she makes this grain salad super fresh with lots of cilantro and dill. The smoked salmon makes it a healthy complete meal.
GRAVADLAX WITH CUCUMBER PICKLE AND DILL MUSTARD MAYONNAISE ~ Donal Skehan
This gorgeous silky cured salmon with fresh dill is probably what comes to mind first when you think Scandinavian food. And for good reason, it’s one of the best ideas to come out of the far North, thanks to the plentiful fish in their icy waters. I add edible blossoms to my Nordic Open Faced Sandwiches for an elegant look.
CHOPPED STEAK WITH BACON AND MUSHROOM GRAVY ~ The View from Great Island
Served with a big plate of boiled parslied potatoes, this chopped steak is a meal fit for a (Viking) king.
LIGNONBERRY JAM ~ Masala Herb
No, you probably won’t find lingonberries in your area, but try this method with any foraged berries. Lignonberry jam, which you will find on most large supermarket shelves, is an essential side to Swedish Meatballs.
MEATBALLS WITH CELERIAC AND APPLES ~ Refinery 29
Celeriac, apples, and a touch of fresh nutmeg makes this meatball skillet quintessentially Scandinavian. These are definitely not mom’s meatballs ~ I love the fresh green color! Celeriac also features in these Celeriac and Sardine Toasts.
DANISH KRINGLE RECIPE ~ Culinary Hill
Meggan’s mother-in-law from Racine Wisconsin makes this authentic almond Kringle (Wisconsin’s official state pastry.) I’m so glad she passed on the recipe!
SHAVED WINTER VEGETABLE SALAD ~ The View from Great Island
I was influenced by Scandi minimalism in this colorful salad ~ it proves that just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean you can’t have a bit of fresh crunch in your diet.
SCANDINAVIAN WHITE CHOCOLATE CAKE (Kladdkaka) ~ Yellow Days
This classic sticky chocolate cake comes straight from the sidewalk cafes of Sweden, and the pages of the Fika and Hygge cookbook. You can use your favorite type of chocolate for this cake.
SWEDISH CINNAMON BUN (Lussekatter) ~ Call Me Cupcake
Saffron and cinnamon (or cardamom) makes these classic Swedish yeast buns special. Linda brushes them with a sugar/milk/egg syrup just as they come out of the oven for a lovely shine.
FLOURLESS RUTABAGA ROULADE WITH CARDAMOM CREAM (Kålrabirullekake med kardemommekrem) ~North Wild Kitchen
This unusual dessert is made with rutabaga puree and lots of warm spices. This blogger (born in Utah, living in Norway) also makes an intriguing raw Rutabaga and Apple Salad.
TRADITIONAL DANISH RYE BREAD WITH SOURDOUGH ~ Wholesome Nordic Living
Rustic rye bread is a staple of Nordic cuisines. Danish blogger Helene makes this nutritious fiber filled bread from scratch, using a sourdough starter.
FINNISH SALMON SOUP (Lohikeitto) ~ The View From Great Island
This pretty soup has a light creamy broth infused with dill and allspice, and of course, chunks of tender salmon. I make a quick fish stock, which is essential for the flavor, using the salmon skin. Waste not want not :)
ICELANDIC PANCAKES (Pönnukökur) ~ Fun & Food Cafe
These light crepe-like pancakes are a traditional Icelandic breakfast, served with fresh jam or whipped cream. The recipe is from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book.
MIDSUMMER AQUAVIT COCKTAIL ~ Honestly Yum
A beloved Nordic spirit, Aquavit (water of life) is a neutral alcohol, like vodka, flavored with caraway, and sometimes dill, fennel, coriander, citrus and anise. Everybody drinks it up North. Skoal!
BEETROOT RISOTTO WITH MUSHROOMS ~ Our Kitchen Stories
This stunningly simple risotto comes from a Berlin based blog with a decidedly Scandinavian flair.
CHANTARELLE AND GOAT CHEESE SKILLET (Kantareller og Geitost) ~ North Wild Kitchen
Scandinavian food isn’t all yogurt and lignonberries…there’s a strong tradition of comfort food, too ~ it’s cold up there, for Pete’s sake! I love this cozy cheesy skillet, and I think you could use whatever mushrooms you can get your hands on.
RICE PUDDING WITH WHIPPED CREAM AND MARINATED ORANGES (Ris a la Malta) ~ Call me Cupcake
This traditional Scandinavian Christmas dessert can also be eaten for breakfast…I bet it helps keep one’s mind off the long dark days of winter.
SMOKED MACKEREL ON RYE WITH HORSERADISH CREAM AND PICKLED RADISH ~ Olive Magazine
Open faced sandwiches are a way of life in the North. They make a lunch or light dinner, and the toppings are endlessly variable. Move over avocado toast!
ROSEMARY AND THYME ROASTED RADISHES WITH SKYR ~ @scusatema
Skyr is the Icelandic version of yogurt, but it has a milder flavor. You can sometimes find it in larger supermarkets or whole foods type stores, (I think Trader Joe’s sells it) and I’ve got a skyr recipe coming up on the blog soon, so stay tuned.
25 Comments
Iris
July 4, 2018 at 5:36 amAs a half Swede, half Icelander and who grew up in Denmark…I must make a few corrections.
Pönnukökur means pancakes in Icelandic and are like crêpes (thin, eaten with something sweet), eaten with sugar/jam and whipped creap, but it is NOT a traditional Icelandic breakfast. On the other hand, we do eat something called skonsa (in singular), skonsur (in plural) for breakfast (though only at my grandparents’ and as a luxury. It’s hardly a daily or even weekly or monthly thing to have for breakfast) that are thicker (almost like American pancakes) and eaten with something savoury, e.g. cheese and ham. So if you’re referring to the savoury meal and breakfast, it’s skonsur. If you’re referring to Icelandic-style pancakes, it’s pönnukökur, but not a breakfast.
Secondly, Lussekatter…oh my God, it literally hurt in my Swedish heart when I read “cinnamon buns”. WHAT?! Nooooooooo! Swedish cinnamon buns (kanelbullar) are amazing! But kanelbullar does NOT equal lussekatter (which are also amazing)- at all! Lussekatter are safron buns and should never – EVER – be combined with cinnamon. Furthermore, Lussekatter are season specific: they are only eaten around Christmas (more specifically on Lucia Day, the 13th of December) while kanelbullar (actual cinnamon buns) can be eaten whenever.
I wouldn’t quite say that these recipes represent “what Nordic food is really about”, e.g. beetroot risotto? We eat beetroot but we don’t really make things of it, like the famous Polish/Russian beetroot soups etc. And risotto is VERY far from the Nordic kitchen. Some of these recipes may come from the fancy “New Nordic kitchen”, which is admittedly very in, but again, that doesn’t represent what we traditionally eat or ‘what it’s all about’. Just something for the readers (and blogger) to be aware of when dreaming of traditional vs new Nordic/non-Nordic cuisine! :)
Stacie
June 19, 2018 at 3:47 pmsuch cool recipes and Ideas! I am glad I stumble upon your webpage! It is beautiful! I will definitely follow your recipes!
Sue
June 19, 2018 at 4:13 pmWelcome in Stacie :)
Marina from Denmark
February 7, 2018 at 1:52 amLovely collection and very nordic. The lusekatte are quite unusual but I bet she have (several) more traditional recipes on her webside. My mom used to make “gravet laks” all the time as my dad bought home lots af lovely salmons from Greenland (probably the best in the world). It is very easy to make, but you need to have a good fish.
Gosia /matmedmera.eu
February 6, 2018 at 5:43 amWhat a wonderful recipes. I know a few a them I live in Sweden…Other will trie in a soon future
Sue
February 6, 2018 at 7:45 amThanks for visiting Gosia!
Inger @ Art of Natural Living
February 5, 2018 at 5:06 pmWhat a beautiful collection! It will be fun to try a lot of these. My grandparents were from Denmark and I wish I’d spent more time cooking at my grandmother’s side! Here is a Red Cabbage recipe I was able to resurrect though: http://artofnaturalliving.com/2016/02/04/scandinavian-red-cabbage/
Sue
February 6, 2018 at 7:47 amThanks for the link Inger ~ my great grandmother made red cabbage and it was a staple on all our holiday tables, she added a shredded apple to hers. I love the idea of getting the caramelization at the bottom of the pan, what a great idea.
Marina from Denmark
February 7, 2018 at 2:10 amYou can make this in so many ways and there is no right or wrong version as long as it do not turn dry, bitter or undercooked. In Denmark its a tradition to ad currant juice, and in recent years (since the 90s) it is often made with xmas spices for Christmas. People are sure this is a very old tradition, but its really not. Up until the 1990s it was made with sugar, vinegar and currant juice and not much else. The dish itself is quite old (from around 1900 and the youngest dish on a traditional danish Christmas table) but all the additions of appels, honey and spices are younger.
Marina from Denmark
February 7, 2018 at 2:12 ambut not all from the 1990 I should add. Appels are eg older.
Tricia @ Saving Room for Dessert
February 5, 2018 at 3:34 amWhat a terrific array of amazing recipes Sue. I would love to try several myself. Sharing and pinning!
Rebecca
February 4, 2018 at 1:00 pmJust a teeny correction from an English major who is 100% Norwegian – pfeffernusse are actually German (the name means “peppernuts” in German), and it is lingonberries, not lignonberries…:) I love your site and your recipes!!
Sue
February 4, 2018 at 1:55 pmThanks Rebecca! I’ll make the corrections now :)
Evelyn
February 4, 2018 at 11:45 amOH MY!!! What BEAUTIFUL dishes! On the salmon soup (YUM!) could I successfully used canned salmon, or do I need to make a trip to the grocery store this afternoon? (Would LOVE to serve this for dinner.)
Irish Chef
February 4, 2018 at 11:18 amnote : the gravadlax recipe (by Donal Skehan) is not smoked; it’s fridge cured, and easy to do.
Sue
February 4, 2018 at 11:35 amJust adjusting the wording there, thanks Irish Chef! I’m excited to try that easy method myself.
Debs
February 4, 2018 at 8:52 amLove this Nordic spotlight Sue! My husband’s teaching a photography workshop in Iceland in April. I was jealous before this post, now I’m really sad Im not going. I’ll be at home making cinnamon buns and that white chocolate cake!
Sue
February 4, 2018 at 9:04 amOh wow, I bet your husband’s eating well!
Traci
February 4, 2018 at 8:41 amWow Sue…incredible roundup! I love it that you’re setting the record straight with these stunningly gorgeous recipes, and giving us the opportunity to make Scandinavian food [that isn’t Ikea-made] lol. Thanks for sharing…I’ll be sharing this everywhere! Love EVERYTHING you do! :)
Lynn | The Road to Honey
February 4, 2018 at 7:57 amSuch an interesting compilation of food Sue. I must admit that I haven’t cooked much nordic food myself; however, I did travel to Iceland a couple of years back and really enjoyed the food. One of these days I hope to make it to Norway. . .which hopefully will inspire me to learn more about this unique cuisine.
Sue
February 4, 2018 at 8:22 amI think it would be amazing to go to Iceland, it’s on my bucket list :)
Heidy
February 4, 2018 at 7:18 amWow, what beautiful photos and fabulous recipes. They look delicious and appealing I want to try all of them…I don’t know where to start.
Natalie
February 4, 2018 at 7:14 amEverything looks just amazing, but the gravdlax caught my eyes – I LOVE salmon this way!
Sue
February 4, 2018 at 7:18 amI’m definitely going to try to do that one this winter, love it!
Tara
February 4, 2018 at 7:01 amSuch a wonderful collection of recipes! Those Lussekatter look absolutely incredible. We are planning a trip to NYC next month and I have come across a couple of Nordic restaurants in my research. Can’t wait to try more food from this part of the world.