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danish open faced sandwiches or smorrebrod with eggs, herring, salmon and cheese.
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4.67 from 12 votes

Danish Open-Faced Sandwiches – Smørrebrød Recipe

Danish smørrebrød are easy to make, impressive, versatile, and incredibly delicious - probably the best sandwiches you'll ever eat!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time6 minutes
Total Time36 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Danish
Servings: 5 sandwiches
Calories: 303kcal
Author: Adina

Ingredients

Traditional pickled herring smørrebrød (Note 1):

  • 1 slice rye bread or pumpernickel, Note 2
  • 2 teaspoons Danish remoulade or butter
  • 2-3 pickled herrings depending on size
  • a few rings red onion thinly sliced
  • 1-2 small gherkins
  • fresh dill or thyme
  • a sprinkle of cayenne pepper or paprika powder, optional

Smoked salmon and cucumber smørrebrød:

  • 1 slice rye bread or pumpernickel
  • 1-2 teaspoons mayonnaise
  • 2 slices smoked salmon
  • 8 thin slices of cucumber
  • 1 slice lemon
  • a few thin slices green onion
  • a sprinkle of cayenne pepper optional

Salami smørrebrød:

  • 1 slice rye bread or pumpernickel
  • 1 teaspoon butter
  • 3 thin slices salami
  • 1 small tomato
  • 1-2 small gherkins
  • a few thin slices of red onion
  • fresh parsley
  • a sprinkle of cayenne pepper optional

Avocado and egg smørrebrød:

  • 1 slice rye bread or pumpernickel
  • 1 egg
  • ½ avocado or a very small whole one
  • 1-2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • salt and pepper
  • a few thin slices of green onion
  • 2-3 tomato wedges
  • fresh cilantro or parsley leaves
  • freshly ground black pepper smoked would be great if you have it

Havarti cheese and tomato smørrebrød:

  • 1 slice rye bread or pumpernickel
  • 1 teaspoon butter
  • 1-2 lettuce leaves
  • 3 slices Havarti or another sliced cheese you like
  • 1 small tomato
  • a few thin slices green onion
  • cayenne pepper

Instructions

Traditional pickled herring smørrebrød:

  • Spread the Danish remoulade or the butter on the slice of bread. Arrange the pickled herrings, onion rings, and diced gherkins on top. Garnish with fresh dill or thyme and sprinkle with a little cayenne pepper or paprika, if desired.
    1 slice rye bread + 2 teaspoons Danish remoulade + 2-3 pickled herrings + a few rings red onion + 1-2 small gherkins + fresh dill + a sprinkle of cayenne pepper

Smoked salmon and cucumber smørrebrød:

  • Spread the mayonnaise on the bread. Arrange the thinly cut cucumber and the smoked salmon slices on top. Add the lemon slice, garnish with green onion rings, and some cayenne pepper, if desired.
    1 slice rye bread + 1-2 teaspoons mayonnaise + 2 slices smoked salmon + 8 thin slices of cucumber + 1 slice lemon + a few thin slices green onion + a sprinkle of cayenne pepper

Salami smørrebrød:

  • Butter the bread. Arrange the salami, tomato wedges, red onion rings, and diced gherkins on top. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and a dash of cayenne pepper.
    1 slice rye bread + 1 teaspoon butter + 3 thin slices salami + 1 small tomato + 1-2 small gherkins + a few thin slices of red onion + fresh parsley + a sprinkle of cayenne pepper

Avocado and egg smørrebrød:

  • Cook eggs: Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the egg and cook it for 6 minutes. Immediately transfer the cooked egg to a bowl full of ice water.
    1 egg
  • Mash the avocado in a small bowl. Add some lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Spread the avocado mash on the slice of rye bread.
    ½ avocado + 1-2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice + salt and pepper + 1 slice rye bread
  • Peel and slice the egg directly over the bread. It is a bit messy, but this way, no precious runny yolk will get lost. Sprinkle with green onion rings, freshly ground smoked pepper (or regular pepper), cilantro, or parsley leaves. Add two or three wedges of tomato.
    a few thin slices of green onion + 2-3 tomato wedges + fresh cilantro + freshly ground black pepper

Havarti cheese and tomato smørrebrød:

  • Butter the bread generously. Add the lettuce leaves, cheese slices, and tomato slices. Salt and pepper the tomato slices. Sprinkle with spring onion rings and some cayenne pepper.
    1 slice rye bread + 1 teaspoon butter + 1-2 lettuce leaves + 3 slices Havarti + 1 small tomato + a few thin slices green onion + cayenne pepper

Notes

  1. You can easily scale each version to make as many sandwiches as you like.
  2. Bread: Choose dense whole-grain rye bread. If you cannot find it, use pumpernickel instead. Do not use regular soft sandwich bread.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 303kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 1271mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g