This vegetarian open faced sandwich hits ALL the right notes....dense rye is spread with creamy herbed Boursin cheese and topped with sliced cucumber and avocado and a generous spoonful of Nordic Carrot Salad with Lemon and Dill. It makes a showstopper of a lunch!
Why This Recipe Works
- Dense rye bread and creamy Boursin cheese are a perfect base for fresh vegetables like carrots, cucumber and avocado.
- This sandwich combination is light and fresh but hearty enough to be a substantial and satisfying lunch.
What Makes This Recipe Nordic/Scandinavian?
The Nordic region's food culture is largely based on bread. According to The Nordic Cookbook, before potatoes arrived on the Scandinavian mainland in the early 1800's, most people ate one to two pounds of bread a day! It's no wonder that the open face sandwich (smørrebrød in Danish, smørbrød in Norwegian and smörgås in Swedish) became a staple of Nordic cuisine.
Ingredients
- My recipe for Nordic Carrot Salad with Lemon and Dill is the star of the show in this sandwich. Not to worry....it's really easy and comes together in about 20 minutes. You can also make it a day or two ahead of time.
- Boursin cheese can be found at most major supermarkets. If you can't find it, feel free to substitute a soft goat cheese, cream cheese or even hummus for the Boursin.
- I have two recipes for rye bread on my site that would be great for this sandwich, one made with yeast and the other with sourdough starter. But feel free to buy your rye bread or use rye crispbread or even a toasted sourdough or country loaf instead! All will work beautifully.
How to Make This Recipe
- Lay your rye bread slices on a clean work surface. Toasted or untoasted bread is fine (I prefer mine lightly toasted). Liberally spread Boursin cheese on top.
- Artfully arrange the sliced cucumber and avocado on top of the Boursin.
- Add a generous spoonful of Nordic Carrot Salad with Lemon and Dill on top of the cucumber and avocado. Finish with a sprig of dill if you like!
Expert Tips
- Slice your rye bread thinly (about ⅜ of inch thick).
- Boursin is much easier to spread if it sits out at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.
- If you are concerned about your avocado turning brown (if you aren't eating your sandwich immediately) spoon a little of the vinaigrette from the carrot salad over the avocado slices. The acid from the lemon juice will keep the avocado from changing color.
- Eat your sandwich the Scandinavian way....with a knife and fork! This smørrebrød is piled high with ingredients and would be difficult to pick up and eat. Make it easy on yourself and use a knife and fork. This also helps you get a little of each component in every bite!
FAQs
Yes! Simply replace the Boursin cheese with hummus.
No. Rye is the traditional Scandinavian choice for a sandwich like this one, but you can easily substitute sourdough or a rustic country bread for the rye. Be sure to toast the bread prior to spreading the Boursin on top. You can also use rye crispbread in place of the rye bread for another option!
Sure! Any spreadable soft cheese will work here. You could use cream cheese or even a soft goat cheese in place of the Boursin.
It's definitely best when served immediately, but should you have leftovers, feel free to wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator for up to a day (see my Expert Tip above regarding keeping your sliced avocado green).
Store the components separately and assemble your sandwich when you are ready to eat. If you can wait and slice the avocado until right before you assemble the sandwich, that would be even better. Rye crispbread would make a great stand in for the bread in a to-go situation!
Related Recipes
Looking for more Nordic open face sandwiches? Give these a try:
Recipe
Carrot Salad Smørrebrød with Boursin, Cucumber and Avocado
Ingredients
- 4 thin slices dense rye bread lightly toasted
- 1 package Boursin cheese for spreading
- 1 cucumber thinly sliced
- 1 avocado sliced
- 2 cups Carrot Salad with Lemon and Dill about half of a recipe
- Dill sprigs for garnish optional
Instructions
- Lay the toasted rye bread on a clean work surface. Spread each slice generously with Boursin cheese.
- Artfully arrange the cucumber and avocado slices on top.
- Add a generous spoonful of carrot salad to the top of each sandwich. Garish with a dill sprig if desired. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
If you loved this recipe, give it a star review! Also, snap a picture of your Carrot Salad Smørrebrød and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #truenorthkitchen and tagging me @true_north_kitchen.
Kristi says
A fresh, vegetarian open faced sandwich that is perfect for a weekday lunch. Delicious!