Seasonal Salad Around the World 2025

4.6.7 Europe:  Belgium, Switzerland, Danmark

In Search Of World's Hidden Tastes

4.6.7 Around Europe, Explore Seasonal Salads

European cuisine is a broad term encompassing the diverse culinary traditions of the continent's many countries. It is characterized by a variety of dishes, ingredients, and cooking styles that have evolved over centuries. Key aspects include the prominence of meat, dairy products, and wheat-flour bread, as well as regional specialties like pasta, pastries, and various types of cheese.

Belgian cuisine is known for its rich and hearty dishes, blending French and Flemish influences, and features well-known items like waffles, chocolates, and fries, along with stews, seafood, and various beers. Signature dishes include moules-frites (mussels and fries), carbonnade flamande (Flemish beef and beer stew), Waterzooi (a creamy stew), and various regional waffles and chocolates. 

Swiss cuisine is a diverse culinary tradition, famous for dishes featuring cheese and potatoes like fondue, raclette, and rösti. Other staples include bread, muesli for breakfast, and various meat products. Influenced by its four linguistic regions, the cuisine includes Italian-style dishes like polenta and risotto in the Italian-speaking regions, sausages and stews in the German-speaking regions, and creamy sauces in the French-speaking regions.  

Danish cuisine is known for its hearty, meat-focused dishes and open-faced sandwiches called smørrebrød. Key ingredients include pork, potatoes, and rye bread, with a traditional national dish being stegt flæsk med persillesovs (crispy fried pork with parsley sauce). The culinary landscape also includes many fish dishes, meatballs (frikadeller), and a strong tradition of pastries, though the famous "Danish" pastries are Austrian in origin.  

One should choose food to eat according to the seasons. Food is seasonal whereas salad is also seasonal.
Now we depart for Belgium, Switzerland and Danmark, explore their seasonal salads sharing with everyone.

▲ Seasonal Salad 54：

Insalata Belga E Noci

Belgian Endive And Walnut Salad

Belgian endive (Cichorium intybus), also known as witloof ("white leaf") chicory or chicon, is a lettuce-like vegetable or salad green. Belgian endive was developed in Belgium in the 1850s and is nicknamed "white gold" in that country. In 2021 Belgium added it to the country's Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

It has a small compact elongated head of cream-colored leaves. The tender leaves are slightly bitter; the whiter the leaf, the less bitter the taste. The smooth, creamy white leaves may be served cooked or raw.

A Belgian endive salad is a simple and versatile dish that can be made by tossing prepared Belgian endive leaves with a dressing and various additions like nuts, fruits, and cheeses. Key steps include washing and trimming the endive, making a vinaigrette by whisking together ingredients like vinegar, oil, mustard, and seasonings, then combining everything and serving. Popular additions include apples, walnuts, and blue cheese or goat cheese. 

Ingredients

· 6 heads Belgian endive, trimmed, cut on the bias into 1-inch-thick slices

· 2 apples, skin on, cored, sliced into thin half-moons

· 1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted and chopped

. 3 tablespoons Parsley leaves chopped

· 3 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar
· 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
· 1 teaspoon kosher salt
· Freshly ground black pepper
· 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, and salt, and season with black pepper. Whisk in the olive oil in a steady stream to make a smooth, emulsified dressing.
2. Toss the endive, apples, and walnuts together in a large serving bowl. Drizzle with the dressing, toss well, and serve immediately.

▲ Seasonal Salad 55：

Swiss chard Salad 

with Mangold and roasted walnuts

Swiss chard can be eaten raw in salads, offering a mild, earthy flavor and a texture similar to a tender kale that holds up well to robust ingredients and dressings. The leaves can be served raw, or the entire salad can be massaged with dressing or allowed to rest to help tenderize the greens. 

Swiss chard pairs well with a variety of flavors, from bright citrus to savory cheese and crunchy nuts. 

Ingredients
· 1 medium bunch Swiss chard (Mangold) sliced

. 1½ cup fresh breadcrumbs

.  Emmental Swiss Cheese or Gruyère

.  Swiss Lindt chocalate grated

· 1 medium shallot finely chopped
· 1 clove garlic finely chopped
· 2 tbsp olive oil
· 1 tsp sea salt
· 1/2 tsp black pepper

. 1 tsp sugar

· 1 1/2 cups walnut halves
· 1 tbsp lemon juice
· 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Instructions
1. In a medium skillet over low heat, combine the shallot, garlic, olive oil, sugar, salt and pepper. Cook and stir, about 3 minutes, until the shallots turn translucent and soften. Add the nuts, cooking and stirring on low heat until they are evenly toasted and lightly browned. Turn off the heat.
2. In a large bowl, combine the Swiss chard with the lemon juice and vinegar. Pour the walnut mixture over the chard and toss well to combine.

3. Sprinkle breadcrumbs, cheese and chocalate over the salad. 

▲ Seasonal Salad 56：

Danish Sildesalat 

Smoked herring salad

Sildesalat is a traditional Danish red herring salad, typically made with chopped pickled or smoked herring, boiled potatoes, and beets. The salad, with its vibrant pink hue from the beets, is a staple on the Danish smørrebrød (open-faced sandwich) platter and is especially popular during Christmas and Easter celebrations. 

Ingredients

. smoked herring 6oz
. grainy mustard 2 tbsp
. extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp
. plain yogurt 1/4 cup
. beet, steamed and cooled, cut into small cubes 1 medium
. potato, steamed and cooled, cut into small cubes 1 medium
. red onion, finely diced in small cubes 1 small
. fresh dill, finely chopped 2 tbsp
. sea salt 1/4 tsp
. freshly cracked pepper to taste
. rye bread, capers, extra yogurt, butter to serve

Directions
1. If your smoked herring came with a skin, remove it. Add the meat to a bowl and add mustard, oil, and yogurt. Mash together until all the ingredients are well combined.
2. Then, add the cubed beets, potatoes, and red onion, and fold them in with the herring mixture. Add the fresh dill, salt, and pepper and mix again until all ingredients are well incorporated. Serve chilled.

Smørrebrød

Traditionally, sildesalat is served as part of a smørrebrød (smørrebrød = Danish word for “open-faced sandwich”) platter. It can also be eaten plain as a side salad. To make a delicious Scandinavian-style sandwich: On a slice of dense rye sourdough (Rugbrød), layer a spread of butter, a leaf or two of radicchio lettuce, and a dollop of sildesalat. Finish with a drizzle of yogurt and a sprinkling of capers.

Danish Rye Bread (Rugbrød)

Ingredients

. 2 cups lukewarm water
. 2 teaspoons dry active yeast
. 2 tablespoons sugar
. 2 1/2 cups dark rye flour
. 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
. 1 3/4 cup cracked rye berries (very briefly pulse whole rye berries in a strong blender or food processor until they are broken up into coarse pieces OR smash them in a heavy duty bag with a meat mallet or other heavy object)
. 1/2 cup whole rye berries
. 1 1/4 cup whole flaxseeds
. 1 1/3 cup sunflower seeds or combination of sunflower seeds ,pumpkin seeds and/or chopped almonds
. 3 teaspoons salt
. 1 cup dark beer (see note)
. 1 cup buttermilk or kefir (vegan: 1 cup almond milk mixed with 2 tablespoons cider vinegar) (I often use homemade kefir in place of buttermilk)
. Traditional rolled oats for sprinkling

Instructions
1. Stir the yeast and sugar into the lukewarm water and let sit for 10 minutes until the yeast is frothy.
2. Combine all the dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the yeast mixture, beer and buttermilk. Stir to combine.
3. Fit the stand mixer with a dough hook and knead on the bread setting ("2") for 10 minutes. The dough will be very sticky, loose and not remotely malleable (ie, incapable of being shaped).
4. Scoop the dough into a very large non-metallic bowl with plenty of head space (the dough will bubble up). Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest in a warm place (room temperature) for 24-48 hours, depending on how sour you want the bread to be (be sure to ferment it for at least 24 hours to ensure enough of the liquid is absorbed). If you are only letting it ferment for 24 hours we recommend first soaking the whole rye berries overnight before using them (drain thoroughly).
5. Line a 9x5x3 inch bread loaf pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
6. Scoop all of the dough into the lined bread pan, pressing down as needed. (It is a lot of dough but it will fit.) Brush the top with water and sprinkle over evenly with the rolled oats.
7. Bake on the middle rack for 100-120 minutes or until the center is done. For best and most accurate results use an instant read thermometerand aim for an internal temperature of about 205 degrees F. Let the loaf cool for 5 minutes before removing it from the pan. Let the loaf cool completely before slicing. Keep stored in an airtight container. To prolong its shelf life I recommend storing it in the refrigerator or freeze part of it if you know it will take you a while to go through it.

Next,

4.7.7 Europe:  Finland, Sweden, Norway

Publisher： Chef Kar Delight