Lithuanian Summer Garden Salad With Sour Cream

Get a taste of Lithuanian summer with this vibrant Garden Vegetable Salad, bursting with freshly grown veggies straight from the garden. Perfect as a side to BBQ Chicken skewers or a light lunch with dark rye bread, this salad is a crunchy, refreshing delight that's as wholesome as it is delicious! Healthy and nutritious, but with a touch of indulgence from sour cream, this delicious salad is a great accompaniment to almost any main dish!

Jump to:

• Summer Food In Lithuania
• Ingredient Notes and Variations
• Method
• Storage
• What To Serve Lithuanian Garden Salad With?
• More Lithuanian Salads To Try
• Lithuanian Garden Salad

Summer Food In Lithuania

Whilst boiled potato salad (Balta Mišrainė) may be a family favorite in winter, a fresh garden salad is a staple for most Lithuanian families in the summertime. Generally speaking, Lithuanians tend to eat seasonally, and with an abundance of fresh salad vegetables in summer, we tend to follow a low calorie diet, full of raw salad veggies and grilled meat! 

This salad is a must-have as a side dish to Lithuanian-style BBQ skewers or simply served as a light lunch with a slice of buttered dark rye bread or boiled or pan-fried sliced potatoes!

Ingredient Notes and Variations

• lettuce: any garden-grown lettuce or store-bought iceberg or Romaine lettuce will do. 
• pink radishes: a popular salad vegetable during the summer in Lithuania. 
• cucumber: traditionally short Lithuanian cucumbers are used (with the skin peeled if it is a little thick or bitter), but you may use an English cucumber - it works just as well. If you have extra, make sure to try Lithuanian Cucumber Snack!
• green onions: also known as scallions or spring onions. 
• a small bunch of fresh dill: a must in Lithuanian Summer Salad. 
• sour cream: or creme fraiche. 
• salt and pepper: to taste.

The mixture of vegetables in this recipe represents our personal preference and the way my family makes this salad, but you will find various different additions in many parts of Lithuania. Feel free to add some of the following:

• Chopped tomatoes. 
• Bell pepper (although not traditionally Lithuanian, many people add it to their summer salads).
• Spinach, lamb's lettuce or other greens. 

Method

1. Wash all the vegetables under cold water and dry them thoroughly. Then slice and chop the vegetables and herbs. We like to cut the radishes into disks and cucumbers into semi-circles, but you can chop everything into smaller pieces if you wish. 

2. Place all the diced ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Add the sour cream and a pinch of salt and black pepper and mix to combine. Serve immediately!

Storage

This salad should not be left out at room temperature for long. As soon as it is mixed with sour cream and salt, the vegetables will start releasing water and the lettuce leaves will start to wilt. We recommend serving Lithuanian Garden Salad With Sour Cream immediately after making it!

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours, but the salad will lose its crispy crunchy appeal. 

What To Serve Lithuanian Garden Salad With?

It makes a great side dish to just about anything! But the best way to enjoy is with Grilled Meat Skewers (šašlykai) and some dill pickles. 

This salad, however, sometimes makes a lunch in itself - simply add some freshly-dug boiled potatoes or rye bread!

More Lithuanian Salads To Try

Lithuanian White Salad is probably the most popular salad in Lithuania! A must-try! Here are some other recipes to try!

• Lithuanian Carrot Salad With Sunflower Seeds
• Lithuanian Cucumber Salad With Sour Cream and Dill
• Bean and Fried Bread Salad
• Lithuanian Tomato and Onion Salad With Sour Cream
• Cucumbers and Honey (Easy Lithuanian Cucumber Snack) - not technically a salad, but definitely worth a try!