Vegetarian Smørrebrød

Name: Vegetarian Smørrebrød
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Denmark
Ingredients: 4 slices dense Danish rye bread; 120 g thick cream cheese; 1 tbsp remoulade or mild mustard; 2 cooked beetroot, thinly sliced; 1 small cucumber; 6 radishes; 1 tbsp cider vinegar; 1 tsp sugar; 1 small bunch dill; Salt and black pepper

A Danish open sandwich on dense rye, layered with beetroot, quick-pickled cucumber and radish, finished with feathery dill.

Published on 22 January 2026·Updated on 10 September 2026

#rye#beetroot#cucumber#radish#open sandwich

Photo: Kritzolina , CC BY-SA 4.0

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 0 min
Total: 20 min
Serves: 2
Difficulty: Easy

Method

Shave the cucumber into fine ribbons with a peeler and slice the radishes as thinly as you can, ideally on a mandoline.
Mix the vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt, pour over the cucumber and radishes, and leave to pickle for 15 minutes, turning once.
Beat the cream cheese with the remoulade and a grind of pepper until soft but still able to hold a shape on the spoon.
Spread it thickly and evenly over the rye slices, taking it right out to the edges.
Lay the beetroot slices in overlapping scales, then drape the drained cucumber ribbons over them in loose waves.
Finish with the radishes, a shower of dill, a little salt and plenty of pepper. Serve at once, with a knife and fork.

Smørrebrød is eaten from a plate, never picked up: Danish rye is far too dense for that. Drain the pickled vegetables properly or the topping will soak into the bread.

The techniques this recipe uses

Drain and rinse
Canning liquid clouds a sauce and salts it blind: rinse until the water runs clear.

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Nutrition per serving

Calories: 455 kcal
Protein: 12.6 g
Fat: 21.9 g
Carbohydrate: 55.6 g
Fibre: 6.8 g

An estimate computed from the recipe quantities and the USDA food composition database. Real values vary with the products used.

Frequently asked questions

Why did my open sandwich go soggy?

The pickled vegetables were not drained enough. Cucumber and radish release liquid during the 15-minute vinegar soak, and that juice soaks through. Press them lightly before laying them on, and spread the cream cheese thickly right to the edges so it seals the crumb.

Can I use bread other than Danish rye?

Danish rye is dense and compact, which is why it carries a heavy topping without buckling. Soft white bread or a baguette collapses under the layers. Failing that, pick the densest rye you can find and slice it thin.

Can the sandwiches be assembled ahead?

Assembly happens at the last minute: the cucumber ribbons lose their shape and the cream softens quickly. The pickling and the cream cheese mixture, though, can be made hours ahead and kept separately in the fridge.

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