German beetroot herring salad is a traditional German fish salad – creamy, savory, and pleasantly sweet and tangy. It’s made with matjes herring, beetroot, apple, and pickles, creating a vibrant pink dish that is a real eye-catcher. Perfect for a light dinner, with boiled potatoes, or as a sandwich spread – and especially popular during holidays, festive occasions, or as a comforting meal after long nights.

Herring salad has a long history in Germany and Northern Europe, especially in coastal regions where herring has been a staple ingredient for centuries.

Originally a simple fisherman’s dish, it evolved into a balanced combination of sweet, tangy, and savory flavors with ingredients like beetroot, apple, and pickles.

It is especially popular around holidays such as Easter, New Year’s, and German Carnival, as well as during Lent. Often enjoyed after festive celebrations, it is considered an easy-to-digest dish and is sometimes served as a “hangover breakfast.”

With its vibrant color and refreshing flavor, red herring salad remains a true classic – not just for special occasions, but all year round.

Ingredients:

• 250 g matjes herring fillets
• 250 g cooked beetroot
• 1 tart apple
• 4–5 pickles (gherkins)
• 1 small onion
• 100 g sour cream
• 200 g schmand (or substitute with crème fraîche)
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 4 tbsp pickle brine
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 1 pinch of sugar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 small handful fresh dill (or frozen)
• optional: a little beetroot juice for a more intense color

Directions:

1. Prepare ingredients: Dice the herring, beetroot, apple, pickles, and onion into small, bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl.

2. Make the dressing: Mix sour cream, crème fraîche, vinegar, pickle juice, and mustard. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar, then stir in the chopped dill.

3. Combine & chill: Pour the dressing over the salad. Optionally add a bit of beetroot juice at this stage for a deeper color. Mix well and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

4. Serve: Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.

Recipe Tips:

Fish choice: Instead of matjes, you can also use Bismarck herring, which gives the salad a noticeably tangier and more intense flavor.

Storage: When properly refrigerated in an airtight container, the salad keeps well for about 2–3 days, often up to 4 days, as long as it still smells and tastes fresh. The salad often tastes even better the next day, as the flavors have had more time to develop.

Serving suggestions: It is traditionally served with boiled or new potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, or on fresh bread.

German Red Herring Salad

Course: Main Dishes, Salads, Appetizers, Snacks, Brunch, SpreadsCuisine: GermanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep Time

15

minutes

Resting Time

2

hours 

Total Time

2

hours 

15

minutes

German beetroot herring salad is a traditional German fish salad – creamy, savory, and pleasantly sweet and tangy. It’s made with matjes herring, beetroot, apple, and pickles, creating a vibrant pink dish that is a real eye-catcher. Perfect for a light dinner, with boiled potatoes, or as a sandwich spread – and especially popular during holidays, festive occasions, or as a comforting meal after long nights.

Ingredients

• 250 g matjes herring fillets

• 250 g cooked beetroot

• 1 tart apple

• 4–5 pickles (gherkins)

• 1 small onion

• 100 g sour cream

• 200 g schmand (or substitute with crème fraîche)

• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar

• 4 tbsp pickle brine

• 1 tbsp mustard

• 1 pinch of sugar

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1 small handful fresh dill (or frozen)

• optional: a little beetroot juice for a more intense color

Directions

• Prepare ingredients: Dice the herring, beetroot, apple, pickles, and onion into small, bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl.
• Make the dressing: Mix sour cream, crème fraîche, vinegar, pickle juice, and mustard. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar, then stir in the chopped dill.
• Combine & chill: Pour the dressing over the salad. Optionally add a bit of beetroot juice at this stage for a deeper color. Mix well and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• Serve: Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.

Tips

• Fish choice: Instead of matjes, you can also use Bismarck herring, which gives the salad a noticeably tangier and more intense flavor.
  
• Storage: When properly refrigerated in an airtight container, the salad keeps well for about 2–3 days, often up to 4 days, as long as it still smells and tastes fresh. The salad often tastes even better the next day, as the flavors have had more time to develop.
• Serving suggestions: It is traditionally served with boiled or new potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, or on fresh bread.