Yep. That title is a fun alliteration! But skagenröra is even MORE fun to eat! Basically every time I visit Sweden or Norway, I order an open-face skagenröra sandwich. From my favorite bakery in Stockholm, to a deli in Umeå, or a restaurant by the ski jump in Oslo, this creamy shrimp salad on roasted sourdough bread is my choice.
After spending quite a few weeks in Scandinavia this summer, I had to figure out how to recreate skagenröra at home. Recipes found online don’t always result in the rich and velvety shrimp salad that I crave.
One thing that keeps this smooth and creamy, yet filled with fantastic flavor, is to use a fine grater to grate the onion. Make sure to collect all the liquid to add to the salad, which allows the tastiness to permeate every bite.
My favorite ways to eat skagenröra include heaping it on toasted and buttered sourdough bread, or even better, on “knäckebröd” or “hårtbröd”. Swedes make the most incredible hard, crispy bread. They aren’t crackers, but a substantial yet light bread substitute. The salad is also amazing on top of a pile of butter lettuce, just saying…
With a little bit of experimentation and a lot of taste-testing, here is my version of skagenröra:
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Skagenröra — Swedish Shrimp Salad
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
A rich and creamy salad to serve on toasted bread, crispbread, or to top a lettuce salad
Ingredients
2 lbs cooked shrimp, thawed, tails removed, and roughly chopped
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 c mayonnaise
1 c plain greek yoghurt
2 Tbsp red onion, grated or finely chopped
3 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried dill, or 1 tsp chopped fresh dill
juice of 1/2 lemon
Bread for toast, or lettuce salad
Instructions
Combine all the ingredients, except for the shrimp and bread, in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until smooth.
Gently fold in thawed and chopped shrimp and season to taste. Serve with fresh dill garnish, if desired.
Notes
I use large, pre-cooked shrimp, and chop each one roughly into thirds. Tiny salad shrimp can be left whole.
Double the amount if you substitute fresh dill for dried dill.
Grated onion will eliminate any risk of biting into a chunk.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
