German Herring Salad Heringssalat Recipe
Heringssalat is a colorful herring salad popular in northern Germany, especially in winter and during carnival season. It combines the salty taste of herring with potatoes, beets and a delicate cream-based dressing. It’s a bit similar to Polish herring salad, but milder and more creamy.
Heringssalat in the German style combines salty herring with potatoes, beets and apple to create a colorful, creamy salad with balanced acidity. In northern Germany it’s a staple of winter tables, especially during carnival and parties, where it’s served with bread and beer. Compared with many Polish herring versions, this salad is milder, more creamy and slightly sweet from the beets.
Chef's tips
Always taste the herring before adding it – if it’s very salty, soak it in milk or water for 1–2 hours, otherwise it will dominate the flavor of the salad. Cut the vegetables and apple into even, small cubes so the salad looks neat and is easy to serve; add the beets at the end, mixing gently so they don’t stain everything one uniform color. Season the dressing gradually – first the sour cream, then the pickled cucumber and only at the end salt, because the herring and cucumbers already add salt.
How to serve
Serve Heringssalat well chilled, with dark bread, wholemeal bread or small pumpernickel canapés as an appetizer. It’s perfect for a New Year’s Eve spread, a festive breakfast or as a “snack” for an evening with friends with a shot of chilled vodka or a dry white wine. I like to prepare it the evening before a family gathering – overnight in the fridge the flavors come together perfectly.
Ingredients
- herring fillet matjes in oil or salted, well soaked - 300 g
- potatoes waxy, salad potatoes - 400 g
- cooked beetroot medium, cooked or baked - 2 piece
- apple tart, e.g. grey rennet - 1 piece
- pickled cucumber medium - 2 piece
- red onion small - 1 piece
- sour cream 18% or 22% fat - 150 g
- mayonnaise - 2 tablespoon
- mustard mild - 1 teaspoon
- wine vinegar light - 1 tablespoon
- sugar - 0.5 teaspoon
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- dill chopped - 2 tablespoon
Preparation
- Wash the potatoes thoroughly and cook them in their skins in salted water for 15–20 minutes, until tender. Drain, let cool, peel and cut into cubes.
- If the herrings are very salty, soak them in cold water for 1–2 hours, changing the water from time to time. Then pat dry with paper towels and cut into small pieces.
- Cut the beets into cubes similar in size to the potatoes. Peel the apple, remove the core and cut into small cubes. Cut the pickled cucumbers into small cubes.
- Peel the red onion and cut into very fine cubes. If you want to soften the flavor, pour boiling water over it for 5 minutes, then drain and dry.
- In a large bowl, mix the sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, sugar, a pinch of salt and pepper until you get a smooth dressing.
- Add the potatoes, beets, apple, cucumbers, onion and herring to the dressing. Gently mix so as not to mash the ingredients.
- Finally add the chopped dill and gently mix again. Place the salad in the fridge for at least 1 hour so the flavors can meld.
Storage
Store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge and eat within 2 days. Stir gently before serving again; do not freeze, as the texture of the potatoes and herring will deteriorate.
