True North Kitchen

Salads

Chickpea Salad Smørrebrød

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Chickpea Salad Smørrebrød
Chickpea Salad Smørrebrød

This may come as a shock, but the life of a food blogger is not nearly as well-nourished as you might think. Generally on the days when I’m testing recipes, I’m grabbing a small bite of something here, a little taste there, and the next thing you know it’s 3:00 and I’ve nibbled my way through the day. This leaves me feeling depleted and less than energetic by late afternoon. The obvious antidote to this is lunch, something nourishing that will sustain me through the afternoon hours. But preparing a midday meal for myself isn’t always as easy as sounds. When I’m involved in a project, the last thing I want to do is stop and take the time to make something to eat, just for me.

Perhaps I need to think of preparing a nourishing, easy lunch just for me as a deliberate act of self care, a gift to my future self who would otherwise be famished and cranky by 3:00. So often we think that if we are not preparing food for our families or the people we love, why bother?  Instead we opt for a handful of chips, a bowl of cold cereal or leftovers from a Tupperware container while we stand at the refrigerator with the door open. When we are busy or simply alone in the kitchen, it is easy to send ourselves the message that we are not worth the effort.

But of course we are worth the effort. We are deserving of nourishment, each and every day, regardless of whether there is anyone else around or not. Preparing a meal for ourselves doesn’t have to be complicated; simple and delicious will do.  What we need are recipes we can turn to for a quick and easy lunch, hopefully with some components that can be prepared ahead of time so that making a nutritious, energizing midday meal becomes as easy as grabbing a tub of hummus and a bag of pita chips.

Creamy, herby goodness

This Chickpea Salad Smørrebrød is just that sort of thing. Creamy, herby and fresh, this salad is essentially a vegetarian version of a classic tuna or chicken salad. Piled high on rye bread and fresh greens, it makes an amazing open face sandwich. And if you are the kind of person who always has a can of chickpeas in the pantry, you probably have most of these ingredients around the house already. The salad keeps nicely in the fridge for a couple of days so feel free to make it ahead of time. If you want to make it vegan, simply skip the butter on the bread and substitute vegan mayonnaise for the mayonnaise and skyr combination.

Show yourself some love the next time you are hungry and alone in the kitchen but feel “too busy” to nourish yourself.  Whip up a batch of Chickpea Salad, just for you. Heap it on top of toasted bread and fresh greens. Maybe even set a place at the table for yourself, sit down and enjoy your own company. It’s a nice little reminder that you are worth the effort.

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Chickpea Salad Smørrebrød

Chickpea Salad Smørrebrød

A creamy, herby chickpea salad with crisp celery and briny capers.  Perfect for piling high on rye bread with fresh lettuce greens.

  • Author: Kristi
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 open sandwiches
  • Category: smørrebrød
  • Cuisine: Nordic, Scaninavian

Ingredients

For the Smørrebrød:

4 thin slices of dense rye bread

Butter for spreading

Chickpea Salad, recipe follows

A couple of handfuls of baby arugula or other baby lettuces

Thinly sliced radishes, optional

 

For the Chickpea Salad:

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Icelandic yogurt (skyr) or Greek yogurt

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

⅓ cup finely diced celery (about 1 large stalk)

¼ cup minced red onion

2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained

1 15 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained, chickpeas coarsely chopped (some will remain whole)

1 tablespoon chopped chives

1 tablespoon chopped dill

1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

  1. Make the Chickpea Salad:  Whisk mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard and lemon juice together in a medium bowl.  Add remaining ingredients except salt and pepper and stir together. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

  2. To assemble the sandwiches, arrange bread on a clean work surface.  Butter the bread. Add a layer of greens. Top with Chickpea Salad, dividing the salad equally between the four slices of bread (you may have some left over depending on the size of your bread slices).  Artfully arrange radishes on top. Serve.

Notes

The Chickpea Salad keeps nicely in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Other delicious toppings for this sandwich include sliced tomatoes, avocados, sprouts, microgreens…just to name a few.

Keywords: chickpea, salad, Nordic, Scandinavian, smørrebrød, sandwich, rye, lunch, vegetarian, vegan, easy

Herbed New Potato Salad with Pickled Golden Beets and Capers

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Herbed New Potato Salad with Golden Pickled Beets
Herbed New Potato Salad with Pickled Golden Beets and Capers

It is June and most definitely potato salad season! Whether we are looking for something to pair with what’s coming off the grill or are in need of something to bring to the neighborhood potluck, potato salad is often the side dish we turn to at this time of year. Traditional American potato salad is delicious with its creamy mayonnaise and mustard base, but I was looking for something a little different when I set out to create a Scandi-inspired potato salad for the blog. I began where I always do…researching what is already out there.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that many of the recipes for Nordic style potato salad were tossed with a vinaigrette rather than a creamy dressing. I liked that idea…something lighter than the potato salads I have had in the past. Many also contained chopped fresh herbs which I definitely wanted in my version as well as capers for their briny punch of flavor. Things were off to a fresh and flavorful start.

Some of the older recipes I found called for pickled beets, one recipe an entire 12 ounce jar of them! While I loved the idea of pickled beets in my salad, I wanted to retain the creamy color of the potatoes themselves. That’s the trouble with beets…their brilliant color cannot be contained. They stain everything they come into contact with a lovely shade of pink. Sometimes this is a good thing, and I welcome both the flavor and the rosy hue. But since I didn’t want a pink potato salad, I figured the beets were out. But then I remembered golden beets! Why not pickle those instead of the traditional red variety and toss them with the salad? This worked perfectly. I had earthy and tangy pickled beets that didn’t turn my salad pink and brought their own gorgeous golden hue to the dish.

The final version of this Nordic new potato salad is a real keeper. Tender slices of new potato tossed in a mustardy vinaigrette with loads of fresh herbs, shallot, capers and golden pickled beets. Pair it with grilled sausages for an easy and stunning weeknight meal or bring it to the neighbor’s backyard barbecue and listen to people ooh and ahh over your unexpected and delicious Nordic-inspired side dish.

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Herbed New Potato Salad with Pickled Golden Beets and Capers

Herbed New Potato Salad with Golden Pickled Beets and Capers

Tender new potato slices tossed in a mustardy vinaigrette with loads of fresh herbs, capers, shallots and pickled golden beets.

  • Author: Kristi
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 6–8 1x
  • Category: Salads
  • Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian
Scale

Ingredients

2 pounds small red new potatoes, unpeeled and cut into ¼ inch thick slices

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 ½ tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1 small shallot, minced

½ cup diced Spicy Pickled Beets, made with golden beets

3 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  1. Place sliced potatoes in a large pot.  Cover with cold water by 1 inch. Add two teaspoons of salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Continue to cook for 5-9 minutes or until the potato slices are just tender. Keep a close eye on the potatoes as they cook and check them frequently for doneness.  You want them to be just tender. If you overcook them they will start to fall apart and not be as beautiful in your salad.

  2. Carefully remove the potatoes from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a strainer to drain.  Save ¼ cup of the cooking water. Lay the potato slices in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet.

  3. Whisk olive oil, vinegar, mustard, shallot and reserved potato water together in a medium bowl.  Drizzle mixture over the warm potatoes and let sit for 10 minutes.

  4. Add pickled beets, capers and herbs.  Stir gently with a rubber spatula, taking care not to break the potato slices.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a platter and serve.

Notes

To make in advance, finish the recipe through step 3.  Transfer the potatoes to a bowl and cover before refrigerating for up to 8 hours.  Bring the mixture to room temperature before continuing with step 4 of the recipe.

 

Adapted from The America’s Test Kitchen Complete Vegetarian Cookbook

Keywords: new potatoes, salad, vinaigrette, dill, parsley, chives, capers, beets, summer, potato salad, vegetarian, vegan

Pickled Beet Salad

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Pickled Beet Salad
Pickled Beet Salad

I’m always trying to find new and interesting ways to use pickled beets. Most of the time they are served as a compliment to something else, playing a supporting role on the plate. But why not make them the star of the show now and then? This dish is the pickled beet’s opportunity to shine, its moment in the spotlight. And you would never know from the complex and delicious nature of this salad that it is incredibly simple to make. If you have a batch of Spicy Pickled Beets in the refrigerator, it comes together in a matter of minutes and makes a sophisticated Nordic side dish for grilled meats and legumes, lentils in particular. The genius here is taking the already acidic pickled beets and simply drizzling them with a good quality extra-virgin olive oil. They don’t need a vinaigrette….the tangy, vinegary taste is built right in. The olive oil mellows them out and a shower of lemon zest, capers and Italian parley leaves brings a welcome freshness and contrast to the sweet zing of the beets. And that’s it! Couldn’t be simpler.

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Pickled Beet Salad

Pickled Beet Salad

A fresh and easy pickled beet salad with lemon zest, capers and Italian parsley that makes a great compliment to grilled meats and legumes, lentils in particular.

  • Author: Kristi
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 2 cups (Serves 4-6) 1x
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Salad
  • Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian
Scale

Ingredients

2 cups Spicy Pickled Beets

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Finely grated zest of one lemon

1 tablespoon capers, drained and rinsed

A handful of Italian parsley leaves removed from their stems

Instructions

Arrange pickled beet slices on a platter.  Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle lemon zest, capers and parsley leaves over the top.  Serve.

Keywords: beets, pickled beets, lemon zest, capers, parsley, salad, Nordic, Scandinavian

Golden Beets with Arugula, Lightly Pickled Shallots, Rye Berries and Herbed Yogurt Sauce

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earthy roasted beets pair beautifully with spicy arugula, bright pickled shallots, toothsome rye grains and a creamy yogurt sauce

The Nordic region is famous for its wide array of rye breads, but cooked rye berries are delicious in and of themselves. Much like you might use barley or farro, rye berries make a tasty and nutritious addition to salads, soups or even as a side dish tossed olive oil and fresh herbs.

The inspiration for this recipe came from one of my favorite cookbooks, Deborah Madison’s In My Kitchen. Deborah is known as THE expert on vegetarian cooking and wrote the indispensable Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. She was also a student (and sometimes cook) at the San Fransisco Zen Center for 18 years. You will find this book on my nightstand just as often as you will find it on my kitchen counter. There is something very peaceful and meditative about Deborah’s writing and her approach to food: simple and essential with immense respect for the ingredients themselves. This is what I imagine that new Nordic home cooking should be, the kind of cooking I strive to do more of in my own kitchen.

This dish pays homage to the idea of the simple, seasonal new Nordic kitchen. Beautiful, hearty and delicious, this combination of beets, rye berries, greens and creamy yogurt sauce is not to be missed. It makes an excellent lunch (see my notes below for taking it on the go), and it also makes a satisfying light dinner or first course. Whatever you do, don’t skip the Herbed Yogurt Sauce! It really takes this dish from good to great.

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Golden Beets with Arugula, Lightly Pickled Shallots, Rye Berries and Herbed Yogurt Sauce

A beautiful combination of roasted beets, rye berries, dressed greens and an irresistible creamy yogurt sauce.

  • Author: Kristi
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour (largely unattended)
  • Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
  • Yield: 2 generous servings
  • Category: salad, lunch, dinner
  • Cuisine: Scandinavian, Nordic

Ingredients

½ cup rye berries

1 bunch golden beets, preferably small to medium size

2 small shallots, cut thin into rings

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling on beets

1 teaspoon honey

4-6 cups baby arugula

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Herbed yogurt sauce for serving

Instructions

  1. Place rye berries in a bowl with plenty of cold water.  Cover and soak overnight at room temperature.  Drain and rinse. Bring a medium size pot of water to a boil. Add salt.  Add rye berries. Simmer vigorously until grains are pleasantly tender but still have a little bite to them, about 50-60 minutes.  Drain and set aside to cool slightly.

  2. Meanwhile, roast the beets:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and trim beets.  Rub with olive oil and place inside a tightly sealed foil pouch.  Roast until the beets are tender, about 45-60 minutes. The time will depend on the size of your beets.  Open the foil pouch and set aside to cool. Once the beets are cool enough to handle, use a paper towel to help remove the skins from the beets.  They should slide off quite easily.

  3. Cover shallots with vinegar and set aside for 10 minutes.  Whisk in honey and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

  4. Assemble the salad:  Slice beets into wedges or circles.  Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.  Toss arugula and ½-¾ cup of the cooked rye berries with the dressing and the shallots (you will have leftover rye berries).  Season with more salt to taste if necessary. Artfully arrange on a platter with beet slices. Place a large dollop of Herbed Yogurt Sauce on the platter.  Serve.

Notes

Feel free to substitute red beets for for the golden beets.

 

This would make a lovely mason jar salad to bring with you on the go!  Layer the cooked rye on the bottom, then the beets, then the arugula. Package the dressing and yogurt sauce seperately.

 

Keywords: beets, salad, rye, herbed yogurt sauce