• Skip to main content
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer
Nordic kitchen stories logo

Nordic Kitchen stories

Inspired by family recipes

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Baking
    • Breakfast
    • Brunch
    • Cakes
    • Desserts
    • Dinner
    • Drinks
    • Festive
    • Fika
    • Fish
    • Foraged Food
    • Gluten-Free
    • Healthy
    • Lunch
    • Main
    • Nordic
    • Pickling
    • Preserving
    • Salads
    • Sharing
    • Snacks
    • Soups
    • Sourdough Baking
    • Starters
    • Vegan
    • Vegetarian
  • Bespoke Cakes
  • Workshops
    • Sourdough Workshops
    • Nordic Baking Workshop
    • Pastry – Savoury Tarts
  • Work with me
  • Buy my book
  • About

Scandinavian Quick Pickled Red Onions

13th April 2020 by Louise
Pickled red onion after 8 hours.

Generally you’ll always find a jar of these sweet piquant vegetables in my fridge.  Pickled red onions transform raw onion from pungent and crunchy to delicate and mellow.  Occasionally I add chilli flakes for extra spice or herbs for extra flavour.  They couldn’t be quicker to make either, just measure out the ingredients and mix, hey presto ready in just an hour or two.

The perfect topping for an open sandwiches or condiments for burgers, salads and tacos.  Quick pickled red onions will give your favourite dishes a burst of piquant flavour.

 

Print Recipe

Scandinavian Quick Pickled Red Onions

Prep Time8 minutes mins
Cuisine: Scandinavian
Servings: 1 jar

Ingredients

  • ½ red onion
  • 3 teaspoons caster sugar
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 60 ml apple cider or white wine vinegar you can use distilled white vinegar too.

Instructions

  • Finely slice the red onion, you can do this with a knife if you have good knife skills or use a mandolin. In a clean jam jar place the sugar, salt and vinegar and stir. Add the sliced onion to the jam jar. Top up with freshly boiled water from the kettle to just cover the onions. Screw the lid on and give it a little shake to distribute the ingredients. Place in the fridge for a couple of hours before using.
  • The onions keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

 

Swedish Pickled Onions
You can see that these onions have only just been placed in the pickling solution.
Scandinavian Open Sandwiches
Scandinavian Open Sandwiches

Tips:

  • For added Scandinavian flavours try adding dill seeds, caraway and peppercorns.
  • Alternatively try adding fennel seeds, peppercorns, juniper berries allspice or evenstar anise.

Share this:

  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
Category: Autumn, Healthy, Nordic, Pickling, Preserving, Spring, Summer, Vegan, Vegetarian, WinterTag: healthy, nordic, nordic flavours, preserving
Previous Post:Healthy No Bake Granola Bars
Next Post:Kale, Broad Bean and Avocado Salad

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Cinnamon bun day is the perfect excuse to indulge Cinnamon bun day is the perfect excuse to indulge in all things soft, sticky, and spiced. BUNS, Sweet and Simple is packed with tempting recipes – from the nutty, caramel twisted Tosca bun to the sweet and fruity blueberry sugar Bun – there’s a bun for everyone.

People often ask me which is my favourite bun from my book. Truth is, I can’t choose just one – there are two I always come back to: the traditional fragrant, warming cardamom bun, and the oh so indulgent double espresso bun, rich, bold, and totally irresistible.

Images by @kimlightbody_photo 

#kanelbullar #kannelbullensdag #bunbook #cinnamonbunday #bunbook #bunssweetandsimple #bakingbuns #mindfulness #spicedbaking #comfortfood #bunsfordays #slowbaking #weekendbakes
A basket of quince arrived in my kitchen this week A basket of quince arrived in my kitchen this week - gnarled, golden, and wonderfully aromatic. I’ve poached them slowly in the oven with lemon, cinnamon, and a touch of star anise. It’s one of those small autumn rituals that fills the house with comfort.

On another note, tomorrow marks Cinnamon Bun Day—a moment when Sweden, and anyone with a soft spot for spiced, buttery swirls, gathers around the ritual of fika. It’s a gentle pause, a cup of something warm in hand, and the comfort of a bun that smells of cinnamon and sugar. A small celebration of sweetness and connection. So look out for my post…

#QuinceSeason #PoachedFruit #simpleanddelicious #AutumnBounty #SeasonalEating #FoodWriterLife #preservingtraditions #preserving #nordickitchenstories#HomeCookingJoy
SWEET POTATO & LENTIL SOUP

I’ve always said I’m not terribly fond of sweet potatoes, yet I keep giving them another go, knowing how good they are for you. I think I’ve finally cracked it with this hearty soup – gently spiced, wonderfully rich, full of depth, and just right for a satisfying lunch.

📝
½ large sweet potato, peeled
1 medium carrot, peeled & cut into batons
1 onion, peeled & cut into eighths
1 romano pepper, deseeded & chopped
1.5 tsp ground cumin
1.5 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
virgin rapeseed oil (for sautéing)
2cm piece fresh ginger, peeled & chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled
50g split red lentils, rinsed
120g coconut milk
1 can quality tomatoes
4–5 cherry tomatoes, halved
toasted desiccated coconut & fresh coriander to serve 

1. Heat a splash of oil in a large pan. Add onion, carrot, pepper & sweet potato. Sauté until starting to soften.
2. Stir in garlic, ginger & spices. Cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
3. Add lentils, canned tomatoes, 2 cans of water & the coconut milk. Simmer until the veg are soft.
4. Scoop out a ladle of chunky veg and set aside. Blitz the rest until smooth.
5. Return the reserved veg to the pan, stir in the halved cherry tomatoes, and heat through.
6. Serve topped with toasted desiccated coconut & fresh coriander 

#vegansoup #souprecipe #plentyofplants #easyrecipes #plantbased #vegancomfortfood #dairyfree #glutenfree #lentilsoup #midweekmeals #healthycomfortfood #cozyrecipes #mealprep #nordickitchenstories
Freeze Your Sourdough. Bulk baking and freezing s Freeze Your Sourdough.

Bulk baking and freezing sourdough not only means you have great bread to hand, it’s healthier too.

#healthbenefits #retrogradation #sourdough #healthier #guthealth #prebiotics #floursaltwater #gutmicrobiomehealthmatters
Figs are at their very best right now – I’ll b Figs are at their very best right now – I’ll be sharing the full recipe this week on my blog for my Fig, Blue Cheese & Walnut Filo Tart. I love making this with fresh figs; their natural sweetness pairs perfectly with the tang of blue cheese and the crunch of filo and walnuts. A drizzle of honey straight from the oven brings it all together – autumn on a plate.

#figseason #seasonalcooking #Ffilotart #bluecheeseandfigs #walnutsandhoney #eattheseasons #autumnkitchen #simpleingredients #nordickitchenstories
My recent sourdough bakes — plus a winning Richa My recent sourdough bakes — plus a winning Richard Hart recipe.

• Shot 1 & 2: seeded sandwich loaf
• Shot 3: chewy bagels fresh from the oven
• And not an experiment but a favourite: Richard Hart’s rye + miso loaf (so good )

It’s our Flowerfields workshop day today - looking forward to meeting our guests, sharing stories, and exploring food and flowers together.

#sourdough #seededloaf #bagels #ryemiso #richardhartbread #flowerfieldsworkshop #foodandflowers #breadlove #fermentationjourney #wildyeast #loaflove #nordickitchensories
Nordic kitchen stories logo

Sign up to receive my latest recipes by email

Copyright © 2025 · Louise Hurst · Privacy Policy · All Rights Reserved · Website by Callia Web