Pickled herring, apples, onions, pickles and red beets are covered in a luscious creamy sauce with a beautiful pinkish-red hue. Herring fans will love this traditional German Red Herring Salad recipe!
Red Herring Salad Recipe
I’m originally from Stuttgart Germany but also lived a couple of years in north Germany near Hamburg where I was able to delve into its regional cuisine. Fish dishes abound in the north where citizens have access to the freshest of seafood from the North Sea. One type of fish in particular has become almost synonymous with north Germany: Herring. Specifically pickled herring. If you’ve ever visited Hamburg or any other towns in the northern region of Germany you’ve undoubtedly come across pickled herring in the form of Fischbrötchen (crispy sandwich rolls filled with pickled herring, onions, pickles, remoulade or mayonnaise), Rollmops (pickled herring roulades filled with pickles, onions and seasonings) and the dish we’re featuring today: Heringssalat. This traditional herring salad recipe is sure to take you on a walk down memory lane.
Herring salad is likewise popular throughout Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland, both the standard version and the “red” version. The recipe I’m sharing with you today is the popular red version made with red beets that give the salad a beautiful pink hue. Known as German Roter Heringssalat, Norwegian and Danish Rød Sildesalat, Swedish Röd Sillsallad, and Finnish Punainen Sillisalaatti, this Red Herring Salad recipe features the traditional ingredients of pickled herring, onions, apples, red beets, pickles and dill enveloped in a creamy sauce.
Hamburg, Germany
Eating Pickled Herring For Good Luck!
In Germany, Poland and throughout Scandinavia it’s traditional to eat pickled herring at the stroke of midnight New Year’s Eve. Whether eaten as rollmops or in a salad, with its silvery scales that resemble silver coins, herring is said to bring good luck and prosperity for the New Year.
This Red Herring Salad is traditionally enjoyed both for New Year’s as well as Christmas. With it’s pretty pinkish-red hue it is especially fitting for the Christmas season.
And whether you know this salad by the name of Roter Heringssalat, Rød Sildesalat, Röd Sillsallad, or Punainen Sillisalaatti, it is a dish that is guaranteed to please and unify pickled herring lovers both near and far.
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Red Herring Salad Recipe
Red herring salad is super easy to make.
Simply:
- Make the cream dressing by whisking the oil, vinegar, pickle juice, salt and sugar together until emulsified and the salt and sugar and dissolved. Then stir in the sour cream, whipping cream, mayonnaise, mustard and chopped dill.
- Pour the dressing over the diced pickled herring, apples, beets, onions and pickles and carefully stir it until combined.
- Cover and chill the salad in the refrigerator for at least an hour or two before serving.
How To Serve Red Herring Salad
Boiled potatoes are traditionally served with herring salad as are hard-boiled eggs. To serve, lay some slices of boiled egg on top of a mound of herring salad along with a sprig of dill for an attractive presentation. You can also add some onions sliced in rings. Place some boiled potatoes next to it. Alternatively it is also commonly served spread on crusty bread.
Variations
Some Germans like to incorporate the potatoes and eggs into the salad instead of serving them on the side. To do this simply dice the cooled boiled potatoes and/or hard-boiled eggs and add them to the salad with the rest of the ingredients before folding in the creamy dressing.
For more authentic German dishes, be sure to also try our:
- Sauerbraten
- Rouladen
- Käsespätzle (Cheese Spaetzle)
- Swabian Potato Salad
- Senfbraten (Roast Pork with Mustard Gravy)
- Schnitzel
- JägerschnitzelÂ
- Maultaschen
- German Potato Soup
- Frikadellen
German Red Herring Salad (Roter Heringssalat)
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound pickled (soused) herring fillets (German Bismarck herring or matjes herring), drained and diced small
- 2 medium apples , cored and diced small
- 1/3 pound cooked red beets , diced small
- 1 medium yellow or red onion , diced small
- 4-5 German pickles , diced small (authentic German pickles are key to the flavor, do not substitute with American pickles as they have a very different flavor)
- For the Creamy Dressing:
- 2-3 tablespoons pickle juice from the German pickles
- 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon German yellow mustard (tastes significantly different than American yellow mustard) (optional: some also like to add a touch of horseradish)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/4-1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons German mayonnaise (tastes significantly different than American mayonnaise)
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
- for serving: boiled potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, crusty bread
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the pickle juice, mustard, oil, vinegar, salt and sugar until emulsified and the salt and sugar are dissolved. Stir in the whipping cream, sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard and dill.
- Place the diced herring, apples, beets, onions, and pickles in a large bowl.Pour the dressing over the herring mixture and carefully stir until thoroughly combined. Add salt and pepper to taste. If the salad is thicker than you prefer, add a little whipping cream. If you prefer the dressing thicker, add more sour cream and/or mayonnaise.
- To serve, lay some slices of boiled egg over a mound of herring salad with a sprig of fresh dill. You can also add some onions sliced into rings. Place the potatoes next to the salad. Alternatively, spread the herring salad on crusty bread.Can serve 4 as a side or main dish or more people as an hors d'oeuvres.
Marilyn says
My mother in law was German. She died 30 years ago. She was a magnificent cook and baked wonderful cakes. I remember her making the red pickled rollmop herring salad. 50 years on… I will attempt to make this salad. Thank you. I will attempt to make this for Christmas this year. I am with my sister on a break in Spain. Please keep the recipes coming!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Marilyn, I hope you enjoy this recipe. Have a wonderful time in Spain!
Martina Dillon says
By any chance do you know of any place that makes and would ship it overnight. My mother used to make it and unfortunately she is deceased for 11 years. I really miss this dish during the holidays and can’t get ahold of the right herring. Thanks
Martina Dillon
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Martina, unfortunately I don’t.
Hannelore Arlitsch says
If you can fin a German Deli, you can buy Herringsalad in the week between Christmas and New Years.Ii bought some yesterday.
Happy New Year.
Barbara Bodansky says
I have been looking for this recipe for decades. My parents were German, my. Father Jewish, my mother Lutheran. My father came here before WWII and enlisted in the United States Army, and fought against Germany. He met my mother after the war and brought her to the US as a war bride.
Out traditional Christmas meal was herring salad with kosher hotdogs. I have looked for this recipe and never found one that was almost identical to my mother’s recipe.
Thank you so much!
Barbara
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Barbara, I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe and thank you for sharing those insights into your family and family traditions!
Steve says
Excellent recipe for German Red Herring Salad (Roter Heringssalat)!
Because of variation in size, please provide the weight amount in ounces (oz) or grams (g) for:
2 medium apples
1 medium yellow or red onion
5 German pickles
2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
Do you have the recipe for Obatzda (BAVARIAN Cheese Spread)?
Looking forward to your response.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Steve! I don’t have measurements for those items as they’re a relatively standard size and variations in the amounts won’t matter anyway. I don’t currently have my recipe for Obatzda published on my site but am planning on it.
Angelika says
Excessive mouth watering here :) Have all ingredients incl German pickles and German mustard (thanks to a grocery store who mails from Germany to USA and Canada). The only thing missing is the German mayonnaise. I know, it tastes different and better but I ordered my German groceries just three days ago and it is to late to add the mayonnaise. Have to use a good American one. I haven’t have the Red Herring Salad in years and will sure enjoy it on light rye bread from Germany ….. I can hardly wait. Thanks a lot for another outstanding recipe. Frohe Weihnachten und einen guten Rutsch :)
Trudy Ray says
Thank you! My mother used to make this Herringsalad, and I remember well how much I resisted trying it the first time as a teenager, and then how she had to guard it after I had that first amazing taste! I am thrilled to have found this recipe. Vielen dank!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Trudy, I hope you enjoy it!
Sandra says
I can’t wait to make this for my Mother this Christmas Eve, she is from Jettingen Scheppach, not far from Stuttgart and my Husband, who loves all German food, so glad I found your website, thank you for sharing your tradition German (especially Bavarian) recipes. Frohe Weihnachten!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Sandra, I’m so glad you found us too and hope you and your family enjoy the recipes! Frohe Weihnachten! :)
Dottie Hashizumi says
I am from München. My recipe is very similar, however, we do add small diced potatoes but do not add the white items (mayo, whipping cream, sour cream).Maybe this year I’ll take a portion of mine and add the white items and see which one I like better or which one brings me better luck !
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Lol, Dottie! Yes, how much luck it brings is the best gauge of all! :)
James Nielsen says
Even though I am fra Danmark your Herring recipe looks to be outstanding. Herring and most every other seafood is also served first at a smorrbrod lunch (Danish Opened Faced Sandwich) and always always is served along side Aalborg Akvavit. For some reason the power of the akvavit goes unbelievably well with herring. I prefer salted herring but nothing wrong with curried herring, sherry herring, tomato herring or pickled herring. Your roter heringssalat is in my near future and mange tusind tak Kimberly
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, James, and I appreciate those insights!
shirley Pendergraft says
Where can I find German pickles. I use dill for my roulaten, but they just aren’t the same.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Shirley, some of the large grocery store chains carry German pickles. I’ve seen them at Walmart as well. They’re not usually with the other pickles but in a section of their own, like an international section. I’d give your local grocery stores a call and ask them.
Brittany says
I love the idea of putting this salad on bread! Thank you for sharing this recipe, I can’t wait to try it!
Michelle L says
I’ve never had this but I’d love to try it!
Dolores Pap says
I haven’t eaten this wonderful salad in years, but I will remedy that very soon. It always would be served at New Year’s Eve, and Christmas Eve in Germany..
Your recipe sounds exactly like the one my German Mother gave me..
Erin says
This Red Herring Salad is couldn’t look any more perfect!
Toni says
These are perfect for entertaining!! Looks so delish!
annie says
Wow I’ve never had anything like this but it sounds delish!
Gudrun says
Wunderbar!! Thank you so much for this. This brings back memories of long ago. I will make this as soon as I get all the ingredients together.