Nordic Recipes
Hi, I’m Kristi! I develop simple, seasonal Nordic-inspired recipes tailored especially for the American home cook.
For more recipes and inspiration from Kristi, visit her at True North Kitchen.
CHICKEN SALAD OPEN FACED SANDWICHES (HØNSESALAT SMØRREBRØD)
Chicken Salad (Hønsesalat in Danish) is one of the most popular smørrebrød (open faced sandwich) toppings you'll find in Denmark and for good reason. A delicious, creamy chicken salad is the perfect pairing for hearty rye bread. The two together along with a few well chosen additional toppings make for a satisfying and tasty lunch option.
GREEN BEANS WITH DILL CAPER BUTTER AND TOASTED HAZELNUTS
Quick-cooking green beans are tossed with a flavorful combination of butter, fresh dill and capers and then topped with toasty chopped hazelnuts: a delicious and almost instant vegetable side dish that helps you get dinner on the table in a flash without compromising freshness or flavor.
BEET AND CELERY ROOT CAKE SMØRREBRØD WITH HERBED SKYR SAUCE
This is one tasty vegetarian smørrebrød hearty rye bread topped with spicy arugula, crispy root vegetable cakes and a dollop of herby, garlicky skyr sauce. A perfect open sandwich to get you through these waning days of winter with Nordic style.
VANILLA OVERNIGHT OATS WITH CINNAMON
Overnight oats are a refreshing, ultra-creamy version of oatmeal that is served chilled. Best of all, you can whip up a batch in minutes on Sunday evening and have breakfast ready to go in the refrigerator nearly all week long!
EASY SWEDISH CINNAMON BUNS (KANELBULLAR)
I am an idealist by nature, and I have a very romantic notion about what a good cinnamon bun should be: billowy soft on the inside and laced with a touch of cardamom and a decadent swirl of cinnamon and sugar. It should be twisty and golden brown on the outside, showered generously with crunchy pearl sugar. Oh, and did I mention they should be relatively straightforward and easy to make?
With just 4 ingredients, his Quick and Easy Peach Compote is here for you when you want something simple, saucy and peachy to brighten up that boring bowl of oatmeal, plain scoop of vanilla ice cream or really just about anything else in your kitchen!
RYE AND OAT MUESLI WITH DRIED CHERRIES AND HAZELNUTS
Looking for a healthy alternative to your morning bowl of oatmeal or granola? This recipe is just the thing. A delicious oil-free and unsweetened blend of rye flakes, old-fashioned rolled oats, wheat bran, dried cherries and toasted hazelnuts, this muesli is incredibly nutritious, simple and versatile. Soak it milk and enjoy it cold or heat it up for a more oatmeal-like experience. Either way, you'll be happy to have a batch of this muesli tucked away for effortless and nourishing breakfasts on busy mornings.
Bake up a batch of these Easy Baked Apple Donuts at home. They are moist and cake-y with true apple spice flavor, just as a good apple donut should be. And the best part? No frying. Just a quick bake in the oven and they are ready to brush with a little melted butter and roll in sugar and spices.
ZUCCHINI BARLEY CAKES WITH ROASTED CHERRY TOMATOES AND RICOTTA
When you’ve had it with zucchini bread and are ready for something new, pull a zucchini or two from that pile on the counter and give these Zucchini Barley Cakes a try. They make a fantastic vegetarian dinner served alongside a simple sauce of summery Roasted Cherry Tomatoes with olive oil, garlic and basil and a dollop of creamy ricotta cheese.
RUSTIC STRAWBERRY RHUBARB RYE GALETTE
A good galette is a lovely thing to have in your baking repertoire. Easier than a pie or a tart, a galette is essentially just a thin round of pastry dough topped with fruit and folded in on itself around the edges to encase the filling. It is a rustic, delicious and a simply charming way to showcase whatever fruit is in season.
SOURDOUGH DANISH RYE BREAD (RUGBRØD)
So…do you have a sourdough starter bubbling away on your countertop yet? Many of you must because I’ve had several recent requests for a sourdough version of rugbrød, the dense Danish rye bread that is often used as the base for smørrebrød. So I figured it was probably time to get this recipe up on the blog!
SIMPLE BROWN BUTTER CARROT CAKE
I associate carrot cake with springtime. Even though I can easily buy carrots 12 months out of the year, NOW is when my thoughts turn to carrot cake. Does it have something to do with Easter? Bunnies (and by extension their beloved carrots)? I honestly don’t know, but last week, right on schedule, the craving hit and I set out to develop a recipe for an easy, delicious carrot cake.
BAKED NORDIC OAT AND RYE PORRIDGE
Porridge has been a cornerstone of the Scandinavian diet since prehistoric times. Nutritious and easy to store, it only makes sense that hearty grains such as oats, barley and rye would be important to people living in a cold, harsh climate. According to food historian Henry Notaker, porridge was once served as often as three times a day! While things have thankfully changed from the days of eating porridge for every meal, it has most definitely made a culinary comeback in recent years. Trendy porridge bars such as GRØDin Denmark have revived an interest in this ancient food by finding innovative and delicious new ways to enjoy porridge.
NEW POTATO SMØRREBRØD WITH GARLIC AÏOLI AND CRISPY SHALLOTS
Who puts cold potatoes on a sandwich? Scandinavians do. And it’s downright delicious. This New Potato Smørrebrød is one of the first Nordic open sandwiches I attempted to make in my own kitchen after learning how to bake my own rugbrød. I needed to find a way to put that deliciously dense rye bread to use, and I was a bit new to the whole world of smørrebrød. This new potato Nordic open sandwich captured my heart and led to an intense interest (some might say obsession) for smørrebrød that continues to this day.
For some, Shrove Tuesday is celebrated with pancakes for dinner. For others, it’s a full-on party with cocktails and King Cake (hello, Mardi Gras!). In the Scandinavian countries, particularly Sweden, people indulge in semlor, buttery cardamom buns filled with a rich almond filling and topped with a flourish of whipped cream. While semlor are traditionally enjoyed on Shrove Tuesday, you will find them in bakeries throughout the Nordic region starting just after the new year and continuing through Easter.
I love a good, hearty rugbrød or a craggy, rustic sourdough bread. But sometimes you just want a soft, simple loaf. Something tender with just a touch of sweetness. This Danish Oat Bread is just that kind of homemade loaf…..comforting and soft and easy to make in the course of an afternoon.
Compound butters are quite simply butter that has been mixed with flavorful ingredients such as fresh herbs, chiles, capers, anchovies, mustard, lemon juice, garlic or shallots. They offer an easy way to infuse a simple meal with complex flavor and require minimal effort. Wrapped in saran wrap in a cylinder shape, compound butters also freeze like a dream. When you are ready to use it, simply cut off the amount of butter that you need and return the remaining portion to the freezer.
Scandinavians are good at winter. Whether on skates, skis or snowshoes, they know how to get outside and enjoy what the season has to offer. They are also experts at coming in from the cold and getting cozy with candlelight, a roaring fire and perhaps most importantly, a steaming cup of mulled wine or glögg. Spicy, sweet and soul-warming, glögg is served throughout the holiday season in Scandinavia.
ROASTED STRAWBERRY RHUBARB COMPOTE
I can’t think of a better way to kick off this season of rebirth and renewal than with this Roasted Strawberry and Rhubarb Compote. Think of it as that perfect accessory that you can put with just about anything and elevate it from ordinary to extraordinary. Like a favorite scarf or necklace but edible. A batch of this compote will keep for at least two weeks in the fridge and will cheerfully adorn just about anything you choose to pair with it.
SWEDISH 75 (LINGONBERRY COCKTAIL)
Swap the simple syrup in the French 75 for a couple of tablespoons of lingonberry preserves. SO easy and elegant, and with a subtle berry tang thanks to the lingonberries. If you enjoy a good champagne-based cocktail, you really must give this one a try!
SWEDISH CHOCOLATE COOKIE SLICES (CHOKLADSNITTAR)
Chokladsnittar are a classic Swedish cookie, found in cafes, bakeries and homes throughout Sweden. This recipe is one you are going to want in your baking rotation! Fortuately, these cookies comes together quickly with a list of simple ingredients.
BROWN BUTTER SWEDISH OAT CRISPS (HAVREFLARN)
Most oatmeal cookies are a hearty affair, craggy and thick, chock full of extras such as dried fruit, chocolate or butterscotch chips. While there is nothing wrong with your standard oatmeal cookie, let me introduce you to something entirely different….the Swedish Oat Crisp. It is like no other oatmeal cookie you’ve had before. Light and crispy and nearly see-through thin, these Brown Butter Swedish Oat Crisps are a very Scandinavian take on the oatmeal cookie. And thankfully, they are also an incredibly easy afternoon baking project that comes together in less than an hour and makes an ideal accompaniment to your afternoon cup of coffee.
SKAGENRÖRA (SWEDISH SHRIMP SALAD)
Cool, creamy and quick to make, skagenröra (or Swedish Shrimp Salad) is the kind of easy and versatile dish you want in your collection of Scandinavian recipes.
GINGERBREAD COBBLER WITH APPLES AND PEARS
This Gingerbread Cobbler with Apples and Pears is such a lovely seasonal dessert, and it is exceptional: a layer of sweet apples and pears infused with warm spices and brandy topped with tender biscuits bursting with the comforting flavors of gingerbread. SO cozy and homey and yet, just a bit sophisticated. Served warm with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream, this cobbler is autumn dessert perfection.
CRISPY SWEET POTATO PANCAKES WITH LINGONBERRIES AND BACON
I began by adapting my Beet and Celery Root Cake recipe to accommodate sweet potatoes. It turns out they were nearly an even swap. I added a little fresh thyme for an herby, fresh element. The result? Perfectly delicious little cakes that are right at home next to a dollop of lingonberry jam and some meaty bacon.
CURRIED ZUCCHINI SOUP (DAIRY-FREE)
This easy and delicious Curried Zucchini Soup is my way of trying to help you work through that garden zucchini that is quite likely piling up on your kitchen counter. I love it for many reasons: the short list of ingredients, most of which are things I’m likely to have on hand; it’s quick and easy; the texture is creamy without the addition of any dairy; AND the surprisingly zippy flavor thanks to the addition of a little curry powder.
RUSTIC TOMATO TART WITH RYE CRUST
One of the things I love about this recipe is its charming rustic appearance … no tart pan required! Simply leave a border around the edge of the tart and fold it up and over the filling, folding pleats into the dough as you go. So easy and no special equipment. If you are looking to put those late summer tomatoes to use in something really lovely and delicious, I highly recommend giving this stunning tart a try.
Hot dogs are the street food of choice in Copenhagen. They are served with a variety of condiments, but this particular combination is a true classic … a creamy curried remoulade sauce, fresh pickled cucumbers and crispy fried onions. It might sound a bit odd, but all of these condiments are quite common in Danish cuisine and are absolutely delicious together. This creamy, crispy, cucumber-y trio of toppings breathes new Nordic life into the humdrum hot dog with its standard ketchup and mustard toppings that we are all so very familiar with.
SCANDINAVIAN STRAWBERRY CREAM CAKE
This cake is everything that I had hoped it would be…rich pastry cream and a luscious strawberry filling sandwiched between two layers of tender vanilla cake and topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. It’s the perfect show-stopping dessert for any summer celebration, gathering or weekend dinner that you have coming up in the next few months. So what are we waiting for? Let me introduce you to this delicious Scandinavian Strawberry Cream Cake.
This versatile sauce is an excellent one to have in your kitchen repertoire. Easy and packed with garlic and herb flavor, it goes nicely with all manner of vegetables, as a sauce for your lunchtime smørrebrød, or stirred into cooked lentils or chickpeas. You can play around with the types of tender herbs you use here. I chose dill and chives for spring, but come summer I might use basil, Italian parsley or cilantro. Or a combination of all three!
A light and airy lingonberry mousse made with Icelandic yogurt (skyr) and whipped cream. A delicious and impressive make-ahead dessert for easy entertaining!
ROASTED BEET HUMMUS SMØRREBRØD WITH AVOCADO AND PICKLED ONIONS
Well isn’t this open sandwich just a stunner! I love all my smørrebrødequally, I really do. But this Beet Hummus Smørrebrød is a real looker, as they say. Vibrantly pink roasted beet hummus topped with creamy, green avocado and (more pink!) pickled onions…this sandwich is easy on the eyes.
SPRINGTIME BARLEY SALAD WITH ASPARAGUS, RED PEPPER AND SPINACH
Thankfully things change. I’ve become a curious (and better) cook and eater over the past 20 years. The selection of lettuce options available in the grocery store today is vast, almost overwhelming. Farmer’s markets offering freshly picked greens abound. Oh, and as it turns out, you can put all sorts of different things into a salad! Bulk them up with hearty grains, add some roasted or sautéed vegetables, sprinkle nuts, seeds or cheese on top, make a quick and delicious homemade vinaigrette…honestly, we are only limited by our imagination. Salad, I feel that I’ve misjudged you. I think it’s time to breathe new life into this relationship.
The Tosca cake is one of the most popular cakes in Sweden for good reason. It is the delicious coming together of opposites: A rich, crispy layer of caramel and toasted almonds and a moist, delicate sponge cake underneath.
SWEDISH SPICE CAKE (MJUK PEPPARKAKA)
his Swedish Spice Cake is pure coziness in cake form: A moist, tender and simple spice cake flavored with the comforting flavors of gingerbread (think cinnamon, ginger and cloves) and drizzled with the possibly the easiest 3 ingredient powdered sugar icing you'll ever make.
SWEDISH CREAM
Swedish Cream is destined to become your new favorite make ahead dessert. Think of it as a Swedish panna cotta, luscious and creamy with a just a hint of almond flavor. And the best part? You can make it a couple of days before you want to serve it AND it comes together in just minutes. Yes, entertaining just got a whole lot easier and more delicious.
QUICK SWEDISH PICKLED CUCUMBERS
Pickled cucumbers are an essential component of Nordic cuisine. Scandinavians are experts at making the most of a short growing season and often pickle vegetables to extend their usefulness into the long, dark winter ahead.
But even if you aren't in to canning, you can make your own delicious Quick Swedish Pickled Cucumbers at home in a snap!
Pickled beets have long been a Scandinavian food staple. My Norwegian grandmother canned many batches of them each fall so that they might be enjoyed on their southwestern Minnesota farm through the cold winter months. My mother would bring jars of pickled beets back with her when we visited the farm, and she would eat them as a little relish with all manner of dinners. I was not an early fan. When I went to my very first cooking school class, the instructor asked us to introduce ourselves and name our least favorite food. When it was my turn to share, I very quickly said beets, probably making a little disgusted face to go with it. The chef looked at me for a moment and then said, “I promise … you will like beets by the end of this class.” And so it was.
HOW TO MAKE SMØRREBRØD (DANISH OPEN FACED SANDWICHES) AT HOME
Smørrebrød (Danish Open Faced Sandwiches) are delicious, beautiful and easy to make at home. Thinly sliced rye bread serves a base for a generous slather of butter or other creamy spread. The sandwich is then topped with an eye-catching arrangement of greens, vegetables, meat, hard-boiled eggs, fish or cheese and thoughtful selection of garnishes. Well made smørrebrød is truly a work of art.
RASPBERRY HAZELNUT THUMBPRINT COOKIES (HALLONGROTTOR)
Buttery hazelnut cookies filled with a jewel-like center of sweet raspberry jam, these Raspberry Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies (Hallongrottor) are both eye-catching and irresistible.
SWEDISH STICKY CHOCOLATE CAKE (KLADDKAKA)
I’m no mind reader, but I’m pretty sure this Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake is what you need right now. It’s simple to make, super-chocolatey and calls for pantry staples that you are likely to already have on hand. See what I mean? It’s just what you need. And did I mention it’s gluten and dairy-free? YES. It’s true. You can feed it to nearly everyone.
HEALTHY RAW CARROT SALAD WITH DILL AND LEMON
This easy raw shredded carrot salad comes together in just 20 minutes and is as delicious as it is lovely. Crunchy, sweet carrots are tossed in a lemony vinaigrette and finished with a shower of chopped fresh dill. So simple and tasty!
In truth, this recipe is a cross between a crumble bar recipe from Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce and Beatrice Ojakangas's recipe for blueberry bars in Scandinavian Cooking. Two books that you should not be without, by the way. I love the idea of a hearty crumble bar made with rye flour, hearty oats and sweet, wild blueberries, three Nordic-inspired ingredients that happen to get along very well together.
One of the most anticipated events of autumn for those of us who love the combination of coffee and warm spices is the return of the the Pumpkin Spice Latte. Introducing the all-natural, super easy Pumpkin Spice Latte you can make at home in your very own kitchen! In fewer than 10 minutes (less time than it would take to get to the coffee shop and back) you’ll be sipping on your own naturally sweetened, irresistible Pumpkin Spice Latte. No sugar crash necessary.
If I had to pick a favorite summer dessert, it would probably be peach cobbler. Billowy soft biscuits sitting on top of a luscious, sweet peach filling….it’s so simple and SO good, especially with a scoop of vanilla ice cream alongside. This recipe for Cardamom Peach Cobbler was inspired by the latest issue of Martha Stewart Living. I just love the idea of bringing the very Nordic flavor of cardamom to something as American as peach cobbler.
EASY GRILLED CEDAR PLANK SALMON WITH CREAMY HORSERADISH SAUCE
The idea of cooking fish on a wooden plank can be intimidating, but the process is actually almost easier than putting your fish directly on the grill. And the rewards are great … the salmon takes on a subtle cedar smoked flavor that is absolutely delicious. There are just a few simple steps to grilling salmon on a cedar plank.
There is possibly no better way to celebrate the harvest season than with a garden-fresh tomato sandwich. Thankfully we have many delicious options to choose from, each one easy and doable for a quick lunch or dinner. A tomato sandwich should never be complicated, but simple does not have to mean boring. Here are three simple sandwiches: Avocado, Tomato and Cucumber Skyr Sauce; Basil, Mayonnaise and Tomato; and Egg, Tomato and Basil Pesto.
ROASTED BROCCOLI SMØRREBRØD WITH WHIPPED RICOTTA
Are you familiar with the term “fancy toast”? Essentially, fancy toast is artisan bread that is toasted and then topped with a variety of tasty ingredients. Sounds a bit like smørrebrøddoesn’t it? I thought so too! If it’s alright with you, I think we should extend our definition of smørrebrød to include open sandwiches that might otherwise fall into the fancy toast category. This is not much of a stretch, really. There are MANY different types of smørrebrød, and not all of them are served on the traditional rugbrød. I feel no need to limit ourselves to one type of bread as the base for our open sandwiches. And who doesn’t love toast!?
CREATING YOUR OWN SOURDOUGH STARTER
I’ve been baking sourdough bread in my home kitchen for nearly five years now and teaching sourdough workshops to small groups of people for three years. It’s something I’ve wanted to share here on the blog for some time now, but I’ve been hesitant to to do so. Why? Because there is so much I want to tell you, and I want to do it right. I want you to see the beauty in the process. I want you to see how simple the whole seemingly complicated world of sourdough baking can be. Most of all, I want you to succeed.I want you to experience the feeling of pulling your own beautiful sourdough loaves from the oven with a deep sense of pride.
EASIEST AND BEST CREAMY ROASTED CAULIFLOWER SOUP (DAIRY FREE)
I love creamy vegetable soups, and I have a few favorites that I rotate throughout the year depending on what is in season. This Roasted Cauliflower Soup is one that I make throughout fall and winter, and it’s definitely something I look forward to when the weather begins to turn chilly.
Buttery and bursting with lemon flavor, these cheerful Nordic Lemon Wafers are the perfect fikatreat to brighten any afternoon. I love a good lemon treat now and then. I wasn’t sure if they were particularly Nordic, but I found a recipe for Lemon Wafers in Beatrice Ojakangas’s brilliant The Great Scandinavian Baking Book, which was proof enough to me that lemon cookies are indeed a Scandinavian thing.
BALSAMIC-GLAZED MUSHROOM SMØRREBRØD WITH GARLICKY WHITE BEAN PURÉE
Crispy sourdough toast, creamy white bean purée and spicy glazed mushrooms come together to create a something that is both light and satisfying. We are breaking a couple of the “rules of smørrebrød” here…no dense rye bread and no butter. But trust me, the diversion is worth it. I love the way the creamy white bean spread pairs with the toasted sourdough.
For more recipes, visit True North Kitchen online!