Julbordets Rödbetssallad
Julbordets Rödbetssallad·(yool-boor-dets rerd-beh-tsal-lad)
Mormors Arv (Heritage, Midsummer, and Julbord)
A 16-ounce jar of pickled beets sits waiting for a diced Granny Smith apple. It is the anchor of the Christmas smörgåsbord, sitting proudly next to the meatballs and the ham. To get the exact taste of your grandmother’s kitchen, we are going to do exactly what she did: open a jar. That pickling liquid provides the essential sweet-tangy backbone that raw beets simply can't replicate. Listen to a metal spoon scraping the ceramic bowl as the flavors marry. Rest the dish in the fridge, fold it until the cream turns neon pink, and serve it so the magenta juice bleeds into the adjacent Swedish meatballs.
Ingredients
- jarred pickled beets15 oz
- beet pickling liquid2 tbsp
- Granny Smith apple1 small
- red onion1/2 small
- full-fat mayonnaise1/2 cup
- sour cream1/2 cup
- Dijon mustard1 tbsp
- kosher salt1/4 tsp
- white pepper1/4 tsp
Method
- 01
Drain the beets aggressively.
Empty the jar of pickled beets into a sieve set over a bowl to catch and reserve the liquid, then gently pat the beets dry with a paper towel so their excess moisture doesn't water down the salad.
- 02
Chop the produce.
Dice the drained beets and the peeled, cored apple into uniform, quarter-inch cubes, and finely mince the red onion.
- 03
Build the creamy binder.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon mustard, and the reserved beet pickling liquid until smooth.
- 04
Combine and season.
Fold the beets, apples, and onions into the dressing until completely coated, then taste and adjust the seasoning with the salt and white pepper.
- 05
Let it rest.
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour, or ideally overnight, allowing the flavors to marry and the salad to bleed into its signature vibrant magenta.
Notes
Grandma's upgrades.
For a little extra texture or kick, fold in a tablespoon of finely chopped pickled gherkins or a teaspoon of grated horseradish just before resting the salad.