Midsummer is a celebration of the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. In Sweden, Midsummer Day is an officially declared holiday that falls on a Saturday between June 20-26, but the real festivities begin the day before on Midsummer's Eve. Celebrations include a long, leisurely lunch or dinner, a festive Maypole, flower crowns, singing, dancing and perhaps a shot or two of schnapps. The Midsummer meal itself often includes pickled herring, new potatoes with dill, strawberries and cured salmon.
If you are considering hosting your own Midsummer gathering and are looking some ideas for what to serve, you have come to the right place! Keep reading for a list of Scandinavian-inspired recipes that are sure to kick off the longest day of the year with Nordic style.
Midsummer Recipes
The Midsummer meal is usually served smörgåsbord style, or as a buffet with a variety of items for your guests to choose from. Feel free to mix and match from the following list of summery Nordic-inspired recipes!
Swedish 75 (Lingonberry Cocktail)
A refreshing Scandinavian take on the French 75 cocktail with sparkling wine, gin, lingonberry preserves and fresh lemon juice.
Take Me to the Swedish 75 Recipe
Homemade Rhubarb Syrup (Rhubarb Cordial)
This Homemade Rhubarb Syrup (or cordial) is tangy, sweet and the perfect addition to refreshing drinks, cocktails, mocktails and desserts that capture the essence of summer. With only a handful of ingredients, it is also incredibly easy to make at home!
Take Me to the Rhubarb Cordial Recipe
Elegant and Easy Rhubarb Cocktail
Looking for a sophisticated drink to kick of a summer evening? This rhubarb cocktail is for you! Think of this refreshing sipper as a rhubarb cosmopolitan, bursting with tangy rhubarb flavor and easy drinking elegance. You and your guests will love it!
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Cream Cheese Cucumber Bites with Dill
A deliciously simple cucumber snack recipe featuring refreshing cucumber rounds topped with a savory cream cheese and dill mixture.
Take Me to the Cucumber Bites Recipe
Potato and Pickled Herring Bites with Remoulade
An easy and delicious Scandinavian-inspired appetizer with sliced potatoes, curry remoulade sauce, pickled herring and fresh dill. A simply elegant beginning to a festive evening!
Take Me to the Potato and Pickled Herring Bites Recipe
Traditional Toast Skagen (Swedish Shrimp Toasts)
An easy and elegant Swedish appetizer...crispy, buttery toast topped with creamy shrimp salad and caviar. A perfect way to begin a memorable evening!
Take Me to the Toast Skagen Recipe
Creamy Deviled Eggs with Dill
These Creamy Deviled Eggs with Dill are smooth, tangy, and packed with fresh dill.
Take Me to the Deviled Eggs with Dill Recipe
Chilled Cucumber Soup with Avocado and Dill
Refreshing cucumber, vibrant peppers, fragrant dill and creamy avocado come together in this vegetarian no-cook soup. A delicious, cooling elixir for hot days!
Take Me to the Chilled Avocado Soup with Dill Recipe
Easy Swedish Crispbread (Knäckebröd)
A simple recipe for Swedish Crispbread (Knäckebröd) featuring dark rye flour and oats. A delicious and nutritious accompaniment to snacks and meals at any time of day!
Take Me to the Swedish Crispbread (Knäckebröd) Recipe
Kavring (The Easiest Swedish Rye Bread)
Kavring is a delicious Swedish rye bread that is dark in color and slightly sweet in flavor. This incredibly easy recipe contains NO yeast and is instead leavened with baking powder and baking soda.
Take Me to the Kavring Recipe
Swedish Limpa Bread
Limpa is a classic Swedish rye bread with a tender crumb and a hint of fragrant orange and anise seed. While some rye breads can be tricky to work with, this recipe is incredibly simple. If you are new to baking rye bread at home, this Swedish Limpa is the perfect place to start.
Take Me to the Swedish Limpa Recipe
Smörgåstårta (Swedish Sandwich Cake)
Smörgåstårta (Swedish Sandwich Cake) is a savory layered sandwich made to resemble a large cake. It consists of several layers of bread and a variety of fillings in between each layer. It is then topped off with a savory cream cheese frosting and decorated with herbs, vegetables, smoked salmon or shrimp. It's a showstopper of a dish and perfect for serving at a large gathering or festive occasion!
Take Me to the Smörgåstårta Recipe
Midsummer Smoked Salmon Salad
A showstopper of a salad featuring all of the iconic ingredients from the midsummer table and shaped like a wreath.
Take Me to the Midsummer Smoked Salmon Salad Recipe
Herbed Potato Salad with Capers and Pickled Golden Beets (No Mayo)
Tender potato slices tossed in a mustardy vinaigrette with loads of fresh herbs, capers, shallots and pickled golden beets.
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Creamy Herbed Potato Salad with Buttermilk Dressing
An easy and delicious potato salad featuring fresh summer herbs and a creamy buttermilk dressing.
Take Me to the Creamy Herbed Potato Salad Recipe
Barley Salad with Asparagus, Red Pepper and Spinach
A delicious and hearty spring salad with sautéed asparagus, red pepper, spinach and pearl barley
Take Me to the Barley Salad with Asparagus Recipe
Warm Barley Salad with Fresh Garden Herbs
A versatile and delicious warm pearl barley salad with mustard, lemon juice and fresh garden herbs.
Take Me to the Warm Barley Salad Recipe
Nordic Red Cabbage Slaw with Carrots and Beets
This zesty, colorful slaw is much more interesting than the average coleslaw.....shredded red cabbage, carrots and raw beets are tossed with chopped red onion, dill and a creamy skyr or Greek yogurt-based dressing to create a Nordic-inspired slaw you are going to love!
Take Me to the Nordic Red Cabbage Slaw Recipe
Swedish Beet Salad (Rödbetssallad)
A classic Swedish salad featuring pickled beets, crisp apples and a zippy creamy dressing.
Take Me to the Swedish Beet Salad Recipe
Roasted Beet Salad with Arugula, Rye and Creamy Herbed Skyr Sauce
This impressive and hearty salad is a delightful combination of flavors and textures: Earthy beets, spicy arugula, crisp shallots and pop-in-your-mouth rye berries all tossed in a honey mustard vinaigrette. And alongside there's a Creamy Herbed Skyr Sauce to perfectly compliment the components and bring them all together.
Take Me to the Roasted Beet Salad Recipe
Lemon Cucumber Salad with Dill
A deliciously simple summer salad with crisp cucumbers and a creamy lemon dill vinaigrette.
Take Me to the Lemon Cucumber Salad with Dill Recipe
Swedish Marinated Tomato and Goat Cheese Salad
Easy and flavorful marinated tomatoes combine with leafy greens, soft goat cheese and toasted almond slices to create an unforgettable summertime salad.
Take Me to the Swedish Marinated Tomato and Goat Cheese Salad Recipe
Spicy Quick Pickled Beets
Scandinavian style quick pickled roasted beets with a spicy kick! The perfect compliment for all manner of Nordic inspired dishes.
Take Me to the Quick Pickled Beets Recipe
Quick Swedish Pickled Cucumbers
An easy recipe for Scandinavian-style fresh pickled cucumbers with dill.
Take Me to the Quick Swedish Pickled Cucumbers Recipe
Easy Quick Pickled Mushrooms
These zesty quick pickled mushrooms bring together the earthy richness of mushrooms, the aromatic allure of garlic, the freshness of parsley, and the citrusy burst of lemon.
Take Me to the Pickled Mushrooms Recipe
Green Beans with Dill Caper Butter and Toasted Hazelnuts
Fresh green beans tossed with a zesty dill and caper compound butter and toasted hazelnuts. An easy and elegant side dish for any time of year!
Take Me to the Green Beens with Dill Caper Butter Recipe
Buttery Swedish Dill Potatoes (Färskpotatis med Dill)
These buttery, herby Swedish Dill Potatoes are the ideal compliment to any meal. This traditional dish has a rich culinary heritage in Sweden. Known as "nypotatis" or "färskpotatis med dill" in Swedish, Dill Potatoes are a staple on the Midsummer menu, enjoyed alongside foods like pickled herring, gravlax (cured salmon) and crispbread.
Take Me to the Swedish Dill Potatoes Recipe
Vegetarian Jansson's Temptation (Creamy Swedish Potato Casserole)
This Vegetarian Jansson’s Temptation is a delicious Scandinavian potato casserole made with potatoes, onions, mushrooms and topped with crispy breadcrumbs and briny capers.
Take Me to the Vegetarian Jansson's Temptation Recipe
Homemade Gravlax (Easy Cured Salmon Recipe)
Silky smooth in texture and perfectly flavored with aquavit, dill and white pepper, this traditional gravlax is delicious and surprisingly easy to make at home.
Take Me to the Homemade Gravlax Recipe
Traditional Mustard Dill Sauce for Gravlax (Gravlaxsås)
A zesty traditional accompaniment to cured salmon (gravlax).
Take Me to the Gravlax Sauce Recipe
Spiced Salmon Skewers with Lemon
Easy and elegant grilled salmon skewers showered with a mixture of fresh oregano, sesame seeds, cumin and red pepper flakes.
Take Me to the Spiced Salmon Skewers with Lemon Recipe
Easy Grilled Cedar Plank Salmon with Creamy Horseradish Sauce
This plank salmon is so delicious and so easy to make!
Take Me to the Cedar Plank Salmon Recipe
Tunnbrödrulle (Swedish Hot Dogs)
A classic Swedish street food hot dog wrap featuring mashed potatoes, creamy shrimp salad OR creamy pickle relish sauce. As unusual as it is delicious!
Take Me to the Tunnbrödrulle Recipe
Danish Hot Dogs (Rød Pølse)
Danish Hot Dogs (Rød Pølse) are loaded with creamy remoulade, crispy fried onions, and pickled cucumbers—the perfect mix of flavors and textures!
Take Me to the Danish Hot Dog Recipe
Norwegian Hot Dogs (Pølse med Lompe)
Discover how to make traditional Norwegian hot dogs wrapped in lompe with classic Scandinavian toppings. Perfect a Nordic-inspired summer meal!
Take Me to the Norwegian Hot Dog Recipe
Beef Lindström
A Swedish classic! This is no ordinary hamburger….ground beef is mixed with pickled beets, capers and onion to create a zesty and delicious patty bursting with flavor. Top it off with a fried egg for the fully authentic experience.
Take Me to the Beef Lindström Recipe
Swedish Cheese Pie (Västerbottenpaj)
A delicious quiche-like dish featuring a tender, all butter crust and a rich filling of eggs, cream, milk and cheese.
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Elderflower Cream
Light, floral, and effortlessly elegant, this elderflower cream is the taste of a Nordic summer in every spoonful. Spoon it over strawberries, layer it into tarts, or serve it simply in a dish with a scattering of fresh berries.
Take Me to the Elderflower Cream Recipe
Rustic Strawberry Rhubarb Rye Galette
An easy free-form tart with rye crust and a delicious strawberry rhubarb filling.
Take Me to the Strawberry Rhubarb Galette Recipe
Swedish Cream
An easy, creamy make-ahead dessert flavored with almond extract. Perfect for effortless entertaining!
Take Me to the Swedish Cream Recipe
Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Filling (Swedish Midsummer Cake)
A show-stopping celebration cake filled with roasted strawberries and pastry cream and topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. Perfect for any summer occasion!
Take Me to the Swedish Midsummer Cake Recipe
Finnish Strawberry Almond Tart
An easy summer tart filled with vanilla scented strawberries and surrounded by tender almond dough and sliced almonds.
Take Me to the Strawberry Almond Tart Recipe
Summer Skyr Tart with Fresh Berries
A fresh, easy and gorgeous summer berry tart with a skyr and cream cheese filling.
Take Me to the Mixed Berry Tart
Simple and Sweet Roasted Strawberries
Intensely-flavored, sweet and saucy strawberries that have been roasted in the oven.
Take Me to the Roasted Strawberries Recipe
Strawberry Rhubarb Compote (Easy Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce)
A sweet and tangy fruit compote (sauce) featuring strawberries and rhubarb. Perfect on oatmeal, toast, ice cream....just about anything!
Take Me to the Strawberry Rhubarb Compote Recipe
Mandelmusslor (Swedish Almond Tart Cookies)
Crisp, buttery, almond flavored tarts that are delicious plain or filled with something sweet.
Take Me to the Mandelmusslor Recipe
Simple Swedish Almond Cake (Mandelkaka)
This Swedish Almond Cake (Mandelkaka) is light, buttery, and infused with the delicate flavor of almonds, making it the perfect treat for a cozy afternoon fika.
Take Me to the Swedish Almond Cake Recipe
Swedish Cardamom Cake (Kardemummakaka)
A simple, most bundt cake bursting with cardamom flavor.
Take Me to the Swedish Cardamom Cake Recipe
Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake (Kladdkaka)
Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake (Kladdkaka) is one of Sweden's most beloved fika treats. And fortunately it meets all the requirements for an easy afternoon baking project: Simple (no mixer! one bowl!), delicious and an excellent pair with coffee. Think of it as a Swedish molten chocolate cake that is lightly crispy on the outside and a bit gooey on the inside.
Take Me to the Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake (Kladdkaka) Recipe
Glad Midsommar to you and yours!
Anna Zancan says
Looking forward to trying these
Especially the sweet ones
Thank you for sharing
Kristi says
Thanks, Anna! Enjoy the recipes!
Kristi
Kristi says
Midsummer is such a fun holiday to celebrate with friends and family. I hope you try some of these dishes and create your own celebration!