salladen

Salladen is the Swedish term for a salad, a dish typically consisting of raw vegetables served cold as a side, starter, or accompaniment. The definite form, salladen, is used when referring to a specific salad in context, for example in a meal or on a menu. The word originates from the French salade, via Latin salata, reflecting historical culinary influences on Swedish cooking.

A standard sallad includes leafy greens such as lettuce, along with vegetables like cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and peppers. Depending on the season and local traditions, other ingredients may be added, such as radishes, carrots, corn, cheese, boiled eggs, olives, or tuna. Dressings vary widely and can be vinaigrette, yogurt- or sour cream-based, mayonnaise-based, or simple oil and lemon. In Swedish cuisine, many distinct salads carry the word sallad in their names, including gurksallad (cucumber salad), tomatsallad (tomato salad), rödbetssallad (beet salad), ärtsallad (pea salad), and pastasallad (pasta salad).

Culturally, salladen is a common component of everyday meals and is frequently listed as a standard side dish in homes and restaurants. It is also featured in buffets and special occasions, sometimes prepared in larger portions as a potluck or picnic dish. While greens-based salads are the most common, more substantial salads such as potato salad (potatissallad) and grain or pasta-based mixtures are popular as part of the broader concept of salladen.

See also: salad, Swedish cuisine, salad bar.