Finnish Wild Mushroom Salad is a creamy and flavorful Finnish classic side dish. It’s made with salted wild mushrooms, whipped cream, red onion, and parsley. This cold side dish is a holiday favorite, served at Christmas, Independence Day, Easter, and other festive occasions. The rich yet refreshing taste makes it a perfect companion to traditional Finnish spreads.
A Finnish Family Tradition
This dish has been part of my family’s Christmas table for as long as I can remember. For me, it’s one of those flavors that truly make Christmas special. I enjoy it as a side with the seafood spread; gravlax, herring, smoked fish, and roe. I also enjoy it with the ham and joululaatikot (traditional Finnish casseroles made from carrot, rutabaga, and potato). It’s also delicious on a slice of Archipelago bread (saaristolaisleipä), where the creamy salad contrasts beautifully with the sweet, dark rye bread.
In my family, we pick our own wild mushrooms in early autumn and preserve them in salt for the holidays. When mushrooms are harder to find, I’m thankful that Finnish supermarkets and market halls sell suolasienet (mushrooms in brine), often labeled as haaparousku or salted wild mushroom mix. These ready-salted mushrooms make it easy to keep this traditional dish on the table every year.
How to Make Finnish Wild Mushroom Salad
Many families have their own version of Finnish Wild Mushroom Salad. Some use crème fraîche, while others mix it with whipped cream for a lighter texture. I like softly whipped cream because it gives the salad a silky consistency and balances the saltiness of the mushrooms.
If you can’t find salted mushrooms, try using fresh champignons instead. Boil them for five minutes in salty water, then cool and drain. This simple substitute gives a similar texture but is milder in flavor compared to the traditional Finnish wild mushroom version.
Alongside this mushroom salad, our Christmas and holiday spreads always include a few other Finnish favorites.
Other Traditional Finnish Holiday Dishes
No Finnish celebration feels complete without a table full of classic dishes served with Finnish Wild Mushroom Salad. On our family’s table, you’ll always find something from the seafood spread, like Cured Salmon (graavilohi), Smoked Salmon (savulohi), or smoked whitefish, and a flavorful Dill and Horseradish Sauce that pairs beautifully with fish.
We also love having Egg Salad (munasalaatti) and a few slices of Finnish Archipelago Bread (saaristolaisleipä) as part of our Christmas spread. The sweet rye flavor of the bread complements the creamy mushrooms perfectly.
I’ll be sharing more traditional Finnish holiday recipes over the next few weeks — including casseroles and other festive favorites that often appear on our Christmas table. Stay tuned if you’d like to bring a bit of Finnish holiday flavor to your own celebrations!
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Finnish Wild Mushroom Salad
Ingredients
- 4 dl salted preserved wild mushrooms such as salted Lactarius trivialis – haaparousku, or substitute with brown champignons boiled for about 5 minutes in salty water
- 2 dl heavy cream
- 1 red onion
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Salt, if needed
- ½ dl chopped parsley
Instructions
Prepare the mushrooms:
- Drain and rinse the salted mushrooms. If they are very salty, boil them in clean water for about 3-4 minutes. Rinse well under cold water and let cool.
Chop and mix:
- Finely chop the mushrooms and red onion. If the onion tastes sharp, rinse it briefly and pat dry.
Combine:
- Whip the cream until softly thickened. Combine the mushrooms and onion, then fold in the whipped cream. Season with black pepper and, if needed, a little salt.
Rest and serve:
- Let the salad rest in the refrigerator for at least 15–30 minutes before serving.
