This is a very simple, yet tasty and refreshing salad to accompany Christmas dishes.

fresh or frozen lingonberries
sugar
fresh and juicy red cabbage

If this dish is unknown to you and you are unsure about the suitable proportion of the ingredients used, you might start by trying the following amounts, then adjusting the quantities to your taste:

100 - 150 g lingonberries
50 - 75 g sugar
200 g shredded red cabbage

Mix some sugar with the fresh or frozen lingonberries according to your taste. Lingonberries are rather tart, and may require a lot of sweetening. However, the tartness of the berries is what makes this salad so refreshing, so do not use too much sugar either.

Cover the mixture and let "marinate" in cool room temperature for some hours or until the sugar has dissolved. Stir the mixture every now and then. If using frozen berries, there is no need to thaw them first. If the mixture is not sweet enough, you can add some more sugar.

Meanwhile, thinly shred the cabbage using a sharp knife, a cheese plane or shaver, or a food processor attached with a julienne shredding disk. Discard any hard and woody parts of cabbage. Place the shredded cabbage in a bowl and mix in the sugared lingonberries with their juices.

Cover the bowl and place in refrigerator to marinate for at least 3 to 4 hours, even overnight. Releasing their juices, the acidic lingonberries will soften the cabbage, making the salad moist and juicy, yet crisp. Serve the salad with various meat dishes.

Recipe source: traditional Finnish recipe.