presentation of russian salad

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Classic russian salad recipe: a delicious and versatile dish.

Russian salad, also known as Olivier salad, is a popular dish that originated in Russia. It is a delicious and hearty salad made with a combination of vegetables, meat, and a creamy dressing. This article will guide you through the steps to create a mouthwatering Russian salad at home. Whether you’re hosting a party or simply want to indulge in a tasty and nutritious meal, this recipe will not disappoint.

The history of the Russian salad, also known as Olivier salad, can be traced back to the 19th century in Russia. The salad was created by a French chef named Lucien Olivier, who was working at the Hermitage restaurant in Moscow.

Lucien Olivier’s salad quickly gained popularity among the restaurant’s patrons and became a signature dish. The original recipe of the salad was a closely guarded secret, known only to Lucien Olivier himself. It was said to contain a combination of ingredients like veal tongue, caviar, grouse, and crayfish.

However, after Lucien Olivier’s retirement, the recipe of the salad was entrusted to Ivan Ivanov, the chef who took over the restaurant. Ivanov made some modifications to the original recipe, making it more accessible and affordable to the general public.

The salad gained further popularity and became a staple dish in Russian cuisine. It was especially favored during special occasions and celebrations. The Russian salad made its way into households and was often prepared during festive seasons like New Year’s Eve and Christmas.

Over time, the salad underwent various adaptations and modifications to suit different tastes and ingredients availability. The original recipe, with its luxurious ingredients, gave way to more accessible ingredients like potatoes, carrots, peas, eggs, and mayonnaise. These ingredients became the core components of the modern-day Russian salad.

Today, the Russian salad is enjoyed not only in Russia but also in many other countries around the world. It has become a popular dish on restaurant menus and is often served as an appetizer or a side dish. Its versatility allows for endless variations and additions, making it a customizable and flexible recipe.

The Russian salad’s rich history and evolution showcase its enduring appeal and ability to adapt to changing times and tastes. It remains a beloved dish that embodies the fusion of culinary influences and the creativity of chefs and home cooks alike.

Please note that the cooking and preparation times provided are approximate and may vary depending on individual cooking techniques and equipment. It’s always a good idea to keep an eye on the cooking process and adjust the timings accordingly to achieve the desired results.

Ingredients

Please note that the quantities provided in the table are for a serving size of 2 people. You can adjust the quantities according to your preference and the number of servings you require.

• Start by boiling the potatoes and carrots until they are tender.
• Once cooked, let them cool and then dice them into small cubes.
• In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.
• Stir well until all the ingredients are combined, creating a creamy dressing.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the diced potatoes, carrots, green peas, chicken breast, boiled eggs, and pickles.
• Gently mix all the ingredients together, ensuring they are evenly distributed.
• Transfer the Russian salad to a serving dish.
• Garnish it with some fresh herbs, such as parsley or dill.
• You can also add a sprinkle of paprika for a touch of color.
• Serve the salad chilled and enjoy the flavors and textures of the delicious Russian salad.

Please follow these steps carefully to prepare a delightful Russian salad. Adjust the seasoning and presentation according to your personal preference.

Equipment Required

Nutrition information.

Please note that the nutrition information provided is approximate and may vary depending on the specific ingredients and brands used. It’s always a good practice to refer to the packaging labels of the individual ingredients and make adjustments as needed to accurately track your nutritional intake.

• Taste the dressing before combining it with the salad ingredients and adjust the seasoning according to your taste preferences. Add more salt, pepper, or even a dash of lemon juice for some tanginess if desired.
• Ensure that the salad is well chilled before serving. This will enhance the flavors and allow the dressing to meld with the ingredients.
• Take care to dice the boiled vegetables (potatoes and carrots) into evenly sized cubes. This will ensure consistent texture and appearance in the salad.
• You can prepare the individual components (boiled vegetables, diced chicken, etc.) ahead of time and assemble the salad just before serving. This can save you time and make meal planning easier.
• Experiment with different garnishes to enhance the visual appeal of the salad. Fresh herbs like parsley or dill make excellent choices, or you can add a pop of color with a sprinkle of paprika.
• If you enjoy additional crunch in your salad, you can add some toasted nuts (such as walnuts or almonds) or even crumbled bacon as a topping.

Pros & Cons

In conclusion, the Russian salad is a delightful and versatile dish that brings together a harmonious blend of flavors and textures. With its combination of boiled vegetables, diced chicken, eggs, and a creamy dressing, it offers a delicious and satisfying culinary experience.

This recipe allows for customization and variations, making it suitable for different dietary preferences and occasions. Whether you’re hosting a party, looking for a nutritious meal, or simply craving a flavorful salad, the Russian salad is an excellent choice.

Preparing the Russian salad is relatively easy and requires basic cooking techniques. By following the step-by-step directions provided, you can create a homemade version of this classic dish that will impress your family and friends.

So, why not give it a try? Gather the ingredients, dice the vegetables, and mix them with the flavorful dressing. The result will be a delectable salad that is sure to please your taste buds and leave you craving for more.

Whether enjoyed as an appetizer, side dish, or a light meal, the Russian salad is a true crowd-pleaser. Its rich history and adaptability reflect its enduring popularity worldwide. So, embrace your culinary creativity, savor the flavors, and enjoy the experience of preparing and indulging in this delightful Russian salad.

Don’t hesitate any longer. Get in the kitchen, grab your ingredients, and start creating a delicious homemade Russian salad that will leave a lasting impression on your taste buds. Enjoy the journey of culinary exploration and the satisfaction of sharing a delightful dish with your loved ones. Bon appétit!

• Did you know that the Russian salad’s key ingredient, potatoes, originated in South America? They were introduced to Europe in the late 16th century and quickly became a staple in Russian cuisine, eventually making their way into this beloved salad.
• The Russian salad is not just popular in Russia. It has gained immense popularity worldwide and is enjoyed in various countries under different names, including “Olivier salad” in many Eastern European countries and “Ensaladilla Rusa” in Spain.
• The Russian salad is named after its creator, Lucien Olivier, a Belgian chef who served it at his Moscow restaurant in the 1860s. The original recipe was a closely guarded secret, with each chef adding their own unique twist to it.
• The Russian salad gained fame not only among the general public but also among royalty. It is said that Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and Queen Victoria of England were among the esteemed figures who relished this delectable salad.
• The Russian salad made its mark in Hollywood too! In the 1945 movie “Christmas in Connecticut,” the Russian salad played a prominent role as one of the cherished dishes prepared for a festive gathering, adding to its global recognition and popularity.

FAQ’s

Can i make a vegetarian version of the russian salad.

Absolutely! You can omit the chicken breast and add more vegetables like corn or bell peppers to create a delicious vegetarian Russian salad.

How long can I store Russian salad in the refrigerator?

Russian salad can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Ensure it is kept in an airtight container to maintain freshness.

Can I use store-bought mayonnaise for the dressing?

Yes, you can use store-bought mayonnaise for convenience. However, making homemade mayonnaise can add a unique flavor to the salad.

Can I use leftover roasted chicken instead of boiled chicken breast?

Certainly! Leftover roasted chicken can be a great addition to the Russian salad, providing a different flavor profile.

Is Russian salad suitable for a picnic or outdoor event?

Yes, Russian salad is an ideal dish for picnics or outdoor events. Just ensure it is properly chilled and stored in a cool place.

Can I substitute sour cream with Greek yogurt in the dressing?

Yes, you can replace sour cream with Greek yogurt for a lighter dressing option without compromising taste.

Can I add additional vegetables or ingredients to the salad?

Absolutely! Feel free to add your favorite vegetables, fruits, or even nuts to customize the Russian salad according to your preference.

Can I make Russian salad ahead of time?

Yes, you can prepare the individual components ahead of time and assemble the salad just before serving to save time and make meal planning easier.

Can I freeze Russian salad for later use?

It is not recommended to freeze Russian salad as the texture and consistency of the ingredients may be compromised upon thawing.

Can I use a different type of mustard instead of Dijon mustard?

Certainly! While Dijon mustard adds a unique flavor, you can substitute it with other types of mustard based on your preference and availability.

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Olivier Salad – Classic Russian Salad

• Now Week Month

Elizabeth Lokhova split her childhood between Moscow, Russia and Houston,…

A classic dish, born in Russia in the 1860’s but beloved across the globe to this day, the Olivier Salad is possibly the perfect picnic recipe.

The Olivier Salad, also known as Russian Salad, is a traditional dish that originated in Russia in the 1860s. It was created by Lucien Olivier, a Belgian chef who worked at the famous Hermitage restaurant in Moscow. The original version of the salad was a luxurious and elaborate dish, including ingredients like grouse, veal tongue, caviar, crayfish tails, capers, and smoked duck, all mixed with a secret recipe of Olivier’s special dressing.

Over time, the recipe has evolved significantly, especially during the Soviet era when more accessible and affordable ingredients replaced the exotic ones. The modern version of Olivier Salad typically includes boiled potatoes, carrots, peas, pickles, onions, hard-boiled eggs, and diced chicken or ham. These ingredients are combined with mayonnaise to create a rich and creamy texture. Some variations might include apples or fresh cucumbers for added crunch and freshness.

In different parts of the world, Olivier Salad has been adapted to local tastes and ingredient availability. For instance, in Spain, it is known as “Ensaladilla Rusa” and often includes tuna and olives. In Iran, it might feature cooked chicken and a larger quantity of potatoes. Despite these regional variations, the essence of the salad—a mix of finely diced ingredients bound together by mayonnaise—remains the same.

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Olivier Salad is a staple in Russian cuisine, particularly during festive occasions like New Year’s Eve, where it is almost always found on the table. It is beloved for its hearty, comforting qualities and its ability to be prepared in advance, making it convenient for large gatherings – and one of the best picnic dishes ever.

How to Make Olivier Salad – Russian Salad

1. prepare the vegetables.

• Steaming Method : Peel the carrots but leave the potatoes unpeeled. Prick the potatoes with a fork. Steam the potatoes for 30 minutes, then add the peeled carrots and steam for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until both are firm but tender when poked.
• Boiling Method : Alternatively, you can boil the potatoes and carrots together until tender.
• Cook the Peas : Follow the package directions for cooking the frozen peas. Once cooked, set them aside to cool.

2. Cool and Dice

• Cool Vegetables : Allow the potatoes and carrots to cool until they can be handled easily.
• Peel Potatoes : Peel the potatoes by gently scraping off the thin layer of skin with your fingers or the back of a knife .
• Dice Vegetables : Dice the potatoes and carrots into 1/2-inch cubes. Place them into a medium serving bowl.
• Dice Eggs : Peel and dice the hardboiled eggs. Add them to the bowl.
• Chop Pickles : Finely chop the dill pickles. Add to the bowl along with the cooled peas.
• Add Ham (Optional) : If using, dice the smoked ham and add to the bowl.

3. Mix and Chill

• Combine Ingredients : Gently mix all the ingredients together.
• Add Mayonnaise : Stir in 1 cup of mayonnaise to start with, adding more as needed to bind the salad together.
• Chill : Cover the salad and chill for at least one hour or overnight to allow the flavors to meld.

4. Garnish and Serve

• Garnish : Before serving, garnish the salad with finely chopped dill.

Recipe Notes

• Vegetable Preparation : Make sure the potatoes and carrots are firm but tender. Overcooking can result in a mushy salad.
• Peas : Fresh or frozen peas are recommended over canned peas for better color and flavor.
• Mayonnaise : Adjust the amount of mayonnaise to your preference for binding the salad.
• Dicing Size : Dice the vegetables to your preferred size; traditional recipes often call for fine dicing.

Yield, Prep Time, and Cook Time

• Yield : 6-8 servings
• Prep Time : 20 minutes (plus overnight marinating)
• Cook Time : 40 minutes (including cooling time)

Olivier Salad – Russian Salad

4.9 from 14 reviews

• Author: Elizabeth Lokhova
• Total Time: 50 mins
• Yield: 6 - 8 servings 1 x

Description

Ingredients.

• 3 golden potatoes (about 1.5 lbs or 680g )
• 3 medium carrots (about 300g )
• 1 cup frozen peas (about 150g)
• 4 hardboiled eggs
• 6 small kosher dill pickles (about 150g )
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups olive oil mayonnaise (240-360ml)
• 3/4 cup diced smoked ham (optional) (about 115g)
• Finely chopped dill, to garnish

Instructions

• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Category: Side
• Method: Boiling
• Cuisine: Russian
• Serving Size: 200g
• Calories: 250
• Sodium: 600mg
• Saturated Fat: 3g
• Unsaturated Fat: 12g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 20g
• Protein: 7g
• Cholesterol: 100mg

Elizabeth Lokhova split her childhood between Moscow, Russia and Houston, Texas. She grew up as a so-called 'third culture kid', equally at home in either place. At Honest Cooking, she gives readers a glance into the relatively unknown world of the kitchens of the Caucasus.

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I love the presentation of your recipe and the “voice” you use to explain it. The graphic design is also very appealing. Good job!

I had Olivier salad in St. Petersburg a few years ago and loved it. I’ll make your recipe to have tomorrow for my husband’s birthday.

I had Insalata Russa when I was in Torino, Italy, many years ago. I’ve never found it anywhere. I will try this and hope it will be as good as that one.

i really like this salad, i was on a diet of no sweets but this just tast like candy so i like it.

I’ve made this recipe twice now, and it has turned out well both times. I really like Eastern European cuisine in general, and this dish makes a great addition to my repertoire! Also, I like to call this dish Soviet Salad.

Just want to add that there are no Christmas or Easter in Poland without this salad :) it is just obligatory :D

You should try to add also celery, more eggs, definitely not frozen peas, corn, parsley’s root and onion :)

Thanks Elizabeth!

Thanks but I thought the Olivier salad didnot contain any potato with it ?

Thank you for the clear and detailed instructions, including what KIND of pickles to use. Looked at 2 other recipes before yours. Each left out what I deemed necessary details. I will try this and let you know.

Made it tonight for family and grandchildren’s weekly dinner tomorrow. They like food a bit spicy, maybe a lot spicy so when you said it will keep for a couple of days in the fridge, well making tonight worked better for me. I cooked chicken tenders for me and saved a serve of ‘the salad’ which I have just eaten. It was absolutely delicious. I must say I added jalapeño pickles which i’m sure the teenagers will love. A good way to keep them coming and enjoy good food with interesting conversation. Looking forward to tomorrow’s dinner. Many thanks will keep checking in.

Hi there- just a quick query: how many people will this recipe serve?

I’m a fan of Russian salad– in fact, I’m making it tonight for our “Russian Christmas” celebration tomorrow (January 7th, which is December 25th on the “old” church calendar. I first had this delight about 28 years ago when a visiting friend from St. Petersburg wanted to prepare this for us as a “thank you” for hosting her. She was taught, and therefore taught me, to begin with the peas– and dice all of the other ingredients to match the size of the peas. In addition to the peas, potatoes, carrots, and pickles, we also use a bit of white onion, then the mayonnaise and salt & pepper. Since tomorrow is a celebration, meat is allowed to be eaten, so I am also dicing ham into the salad.

Your actually wrong about that. It was originally called Macedon and was one of Alexander the greats favourite salads.

Tasted wonderful …. thank you. Being English, I think you would have given 10/10 for my dicing skills.

I have made the famous Russian Salad And omg it was delicious My boyfriend had asked me to make it For him and he loved it ,it bring him memories of when he was growing up back home in Russia.

Love the classic russian salad!

Love this salad, perfect for picnics!

I used fresh peas instead of canned, and it was perfect. Thanks for the tip!

As a Russian, this recipe gets my stamp of approval. Tastes just like my grandmother used to make.

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Home » Recipe Index » Dinner Recipes » Salads

Olivier Salad (Russian Salad)

Published on January 2, 2024

Olivier Salad, or Russian Salad, is a Russian recipe for potato salad. A popular food in Europe and traditional dish for Orthodox Christmas!

Creamy comforting Salads like Potato Salad and Egg Salad are popular Sides for big gatherings because they are easy to make with cheaper ingredients. This Russian recipe for potato salad is just as easy and inexpensive and will make your family celebrations feel extra special.

Table of contents

Sabrina’s olivier salad recipe, ingredients, how to make, nutritional facts, making olivier salad tips & tricks, what to pair with russian salad, how to store, ideas to serve olivier salad, frequent questions, recipe card, related posts.

Olivier Salad, also known as Russian Salad and Salad Olivye (among many other names), is a delicious, creamy potato salad and well-loved Russian recipe. This simple recipe is a version of the classic Russian Potato Salad made with just potatoes, dill, mayonnaise, peas, eggs, and ham. It is the perfect traditional dish to serve during special occasions and family events such as Orthodox Christmas and New Years Eve.

What is Olivier Salad?

The original Olivier Salad was created in the 1860’s by Lucien Olivier, the chef of a Hermitage, a famous restaurant in Moscow. The exact recipe from the original version is unknown because it was a closely guarded secret. By the late 19th century, a few replicas and supposed leaked recipes were being spread around. A recipe containing grouse, potatoes, cucumber, capers, olives, lettuce, aspic, and crayfish was said to be the closest. Over time the fancy ingredients were swapped out, like using egg instead of crayfish and sausage or chicken instead of grouse, so it became a comforting salad for everyone instead of an exclusive gourmet recipe.

Modern recipes for Olivier Salad are made with boiled potatoes, cucumber pickles, peas, eggs, and meat, with a mayonnaise dressing and fresh dill. There are many variations as this dish has become a well-loved favorite not just in Russia but all through Europe and even Latin America. It is a popular food to serve during family gatherings, usually as an appetizer. 

• Potatoes : You can use pretty much any potato for this recipe, but we like starchy potatoes like Russet potatoes because it makes the salad creamier. If you prefer a firmer potato salad use red potatoes.
• Mayonnaise : The creamy dressing is just mayonnaise with some seasonings, so you’ll want to use a good quality mayo like olive oil mayonnaise. If you have access to an international foods store, try this recipe with authentic Russian mayo!
• Seasonings : Fresh dill is a classic seasoning in Eastern European and Russian cooking. The bold herb is all you need to add a delicious flavor and cut through the heavy mayo dressing. A little salt and pepper brings everything together.
• Peas : You want to use thawed frozen peas because they will still hold their shape, where canned peas can get mushy. For a little crunch and bright garden flavor, try it with fresh peas!
• Pickles : The briny dill cucumber pickles add some freshness and the tangy vinegar helps lighten up the heavy mayo. While you can switch up different savory pickles and add pickled veggies, don’t use sweet pickles in this recipe.
• Ham : Russian Salad is traditionally made with a special Russian sausage that is similar to mortadella or bologna, but we like to use thicker deli ham steaks. It’s a fantastic recipe to use up some leftover Baked Ham  during the holidays.

Time needed:  25 minutes.

Fill a large pot with cold water and add the potato chunks. Bring the pot of water and potatoes to a simmer. Simmer for 8 minutes, or until they are just fork tender. Don’t overcook. Drain the potatoes and set aside to cool. 

Can Russian Salad be made ahead of time?

Russian Salad is a great recipe to make ahead of your event. The best way is to prep the potatoes, eggs, and veggies in advance then add the dressing before serving. You can keep the cooked potatoes and eggs in the fridge for a couple of days before mixing the salad.

• Drain the Pickles Well

Cut and drain the cucumber pickles then chill them overnight. This will get most of the extra juice out so the sour pickle taste is balanced instead of overpowering the entire salad. It also helps keep the creamy dressing from getting soggy or watery. 

• How to Hard Boil Eggs

Place your eggs in a medium pot and cover them with 1 inch of water. Bring the water to a simmer. Once simmering, cover the pan with the lid and turn off the heat. Let sit for 8 minutes then drain and transfer to an ice bath. Cool the eggs then peel.

Summer Side Dish : Swap American potato salad with this Olivier Potato Salad at all your summer friends and family events! It goes great with grilled favorites like Classic Burgers or a juicy, Ribeye Steak . 

Zakuski : During festive seasons, you’ll see Russian Salad Olivieh served at family gatherings as part of a Zakuski. Zakuski, from the word morsel, is a spread of popular salads and small plates like smoked meat, hard cheese, marinated veggies, mixed pickles, and also various vodka. Make your own Zakuski with hor d’oeurves like an Olive and Cheese Ring , various salamis, Bean Salad , and marinated mushrooms.

You can keep this potato salad at room temperature for up to 2 hours before it needs to be stored in the fridge. Since it is a mayonnaise dressing, it’s best kept chilled if you aren’t serving it right away. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Because of the eggs and dressing, Russian Salad does not freeze well. 

Turkish Version : The Turkish version of Russian Salad is similar to this recipe, but you’ll add some sliced carrots. Really the Turkish version comes down to presentation and garnish, with sliced hard boiled eggs, black olives, and beet root pickles.

Presentation : If you want to make the presentation a little more special than a serving bowl, try using mold. You’ll want to finely chop the ingredients, about ¼ inch each, so they stay together better. Press the finished salad into a salad mold or a bowl lined with plastic wrap. Chill it overnight. Invert your molded salad on a plate and garnish with minced fresh herbs like dill, chives, or parsley.

While there are many versions, the basic ingredients in an Olivier Salad are cooked potatoes, peas, pickles, eggs, dill and mayonnaise. It usually has cooked meat like chicken or ham, although more veggies can be added for a vegetarian version.

Olivier Salad is enjoyed year round but it is especially served during New Year’s Eve and Orthodox Christmas celebrations. In Russia it served as part of an hor d’ouerves spread with pickled veg, smoked meat, cheese, and vodka during special occasions.

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Ingredients   US Customary Metric

• ▢ 2 pounds russet potatoes , cut into 1" chunks
• ▢ 1 cup mayonnaise
• ▢ 1/2 cup fresh dill , chopped
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• ▢ 3 hard boiled eggs , chopped
• ▢ 1 cup frozen peas , thawed
• ▢ 1 cup pickles , chopped
• ▢ 1 cup ham , chopped

Instructions

• Add potatoes to a pot with cold water, bring to a simmer and cook at a simmer for 8 minutes or until fork tender.
• Drain and set aside potatoes to cool for 10 minutes .
• While the potatoes are cooking, in a large bowl whisk together mayonnaise, dill, salt and pepper.
• Add the warm but not hot potatoes into the large bowl with the dressing.
• Add the eggs, peas, pickles and ham.
• Toss to combine.
• Serve immediately.

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Beef Salad : A traditional Romanian version called “salata de bouef”, or beef salad,  and uses finely chopped beef instead of the ham and uses special Romanian mixed pickles called muraturi, like beet root pickles.

Ensalada Rusa : In Spain, Ensalada Rusa is a popular salad and tapas dish in cafes. It’s very similar except they make the salad with tuna instead of ham, and they mince the cooked potatoes and boiled eggs for an extra creamy potato salad.

Vegetables : You can add other chopped veggies along with the peas like celery root, carrots, onions, cucumbers, and green onions.

Meat : Instead of the ham, try this with smoked sausage, leftover chicken, or sliced beef. You could also do a mix of meat.

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About the Author : Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

See more posts by Sabrina

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The ultimate guide on how to make Russian salad/ Olivier (RECIPE)

This salad was invented in the 19th century by French chef Lucien Olivier, who at that time was the head of an upscale restaurant, Hermitage, located right in the center of Moscow. He didn’t create it from scratch, but rather he was inspired and reinvented a popular dish of that time, so-called ‘mayonnaise’. This wasn’t just the condiment as we know it nowadays; rather, it was pieces of fish, chicken or game served with mousse based on oil from the region of Provence. Chef Olivier tried to understand the Russian soul and created something that would feel Russian and that Russians would embrace, whilst adding his French character to it. He succeeded! Even though the modern salad is much different from his original preparation, it will forever be the most iconic Russian salad. Every Russian begins to understand the special status of this salad in early childhood. Even those who dislike Olivier are well aware of its sacred meaning for every New Year’s dinner table. 

So, we have prepared an ultimate guide for you, because if you gotta do Olivier you gotta do it right! 

1. Choosing the protein

The original recipe by Lucien Olivier used crayfish and grouse as a protein, but that was the 19th century. The recipe was modified after the end of World War II. In those harsh times when people were trying to rebuild the country, grouse and crayfish were simply not available. So, they were replaced by something more affordable such as ‘doctor sausage’. In addition, this sausage was recommended as a vital part of the diet for those whose health had been weakened as a result of the war. Later, when chicken or beef were no longer in shortage, people started using them as the main protein. There are also variations with shrimp, crab meat and quail, but nothing beats the classic crayfish and grouse. Although we do not urge you to spend your entire budget on those, all of the above make a tasty Olivier as well. 

2. Size matters

Cutting the ingredients in different sizes is a terrible error! It is important for all components of Olivier to be cut the same size and shape. Cubes, to be precise. Take the size of your peas as a reference and remember to use a sharp knife. 

3. No mayo, no Olivier

Don’t be afraid of mayo! Some recipes use sour cream or even yogurt, but that’s mostly for a low-calorie salad. However, let’s be honest, there’s nothing like good old mayo. It was just meant to be there from the beginning (by Lucien himself) and we shouldn’t be the ones to alter it. Remember, everything in moderation. Don’t go too crazy on it though; mayo is just another ingredient and it shouldn’t overpower all of the others.  

4. Potato as a base 

Overcooked potatoes lose their structural integrity and will ruin your salad by becoming a non-ingredient mashed potato dish. Therefore, it is extremely important to cook potatoes to the right consistency. You can achieve that by starting with whole, skin-on potatoes in cold water. Slowly bring them to a simmer and cook until you can poke them with a knife and it goes in easily. Once your potatoes are cooked, immediately drain the water and let them cool to room temp before peeling. 

5. Don’t get in a pickle, use a pickle!

In the original recipe, Lucien Olivier used olives and capers. In Soviet times those were replaced with pickles, which is a staple in the Russian pantry. Some inventive people put other crunchy pickled vegetables, legumes or even fruits, such as apples. You can stick with the pickles of your choice, but definitely make sure not to skip them, because they add this special pop of salt and acidity that is so essential for Olivier. 

6. Fresh ingredients are highly recommended 

Olivier is not exactly the lightest salad out there. So, brighten it up by using some fresh ingredients such as onions, celery or even apples. They add this amazing crunch and juiciness to your salad that everybody loves so much. 

7. Hard work pays off 

It is a common fact that Olivier tastes better the next day. We are not suggesting you make buckets of it, but make sure you prepare enough so as not to regret the next day that you didn’t make enough! 

8. Find the right balance

When it’s almost ready, taste your Olivier and make sure it’s balanced. Sometimes the potatoes might be overpowering, or you might be lacking acidity or salt or some crunch. If your flavors are muted, add salt. For more acidity, add more pickles. For the extra crunch, go for more veggies. Trust your gut, add a little more of what you think will make it better and go for it.  

Ingredients:  

• 300 g of ‘doctor’s sausage‘
• 200 g of peas
• Salt, pepper 

Cooking:  

1. Start by cooking your potatoes and carrots. I recommend to cook them with the skin in the same pot of water.

Slowly bring the pot to a simmer and cook the vegetables until the knife goes through easily. Don’t overcook them! Once your vegetables are ready, drain the water immediately and let cool to room temp. Peel and cut them into more or less equal sized cubes.

2. Meanwhile, cook your eggs. In a pot with boiling water, carefully place your eggs one by one and cook for exactly 10 minutes.

Prepare a bowl with ice and transfer the eggs straight from the boiling water to the cold water. Let them sit there for at least 2-3 minutes. Peel and cut into cubes.

3. Now it’s time to take the ‘doctor’s sausage’ and cut it into equal sized cubes. This is a classic. If you don’t like ‘doctor’s sausage’ or prefer healthy food, then you can use chicken breasts. 

4. Dice your onion and cut the pickles.

5. Drain the water from the peas.

6. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, add salt, pepper and mix together.

7. Now add about 3 tablespoons of your mayo and mix the salad again. Taste it and see if you need more mayo, salt or anything else. Make sure your salad is not lacking anything. Enjoy!

Read more: 12 dishes on the Russian New Year table

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Russian Salad (Ensalada Rusa or Olivier Salad)

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Russian Salad is known by several names such as “Ensalada Rusa” or “Olivier Salad” or “Salad Olivieh”. This is a simple salad invented in the 18th century by Lucien Olivier and widely recreated throughout Eastern Europe. Over the course of the centuries, different regions of Eastern Europe have developed their own variations of this salad but few core ingredients are common to them all: potatoes, eggs, carrots, pickles, onions, peas, and a mayonnaise-based dressing. 

Like this Polish Potato Salad with Pickles and Eggs , the Russian Potato Salad is super popular! Be sure to see the step-by-step tutorial below.

This post may contain affiliate links. You can read my disclosure policy HERE.

Origin of the Russian Salad

Russian Salad (Ensalada Rusa) was originally invented by Lucien Olivier for a Moscow restaurant called Hermitage in 1860s. It became very popular in Russia and can now be found in any restaurant across the country. It’s traditionally served on any Holiday, gatherings, birthday parties etc… The local variations can be found in almost any Eastern European Country from Ukraine, Bulgaria to Poland and Hungary.

In Poland, this salad is called “Salatka Jarzynowa” (which translates to a vegetable salad). I learned how to make it in Elementary School. Once a month we would have a class where we needed to bring all the ingredients necessary to make a salad (already cooked) and then we’d chop it up and assemble it. We would bring knives to school to chop the ingredients. Nowadays this sounds crazy, but I guess this was a different era.

My point is ….I’ve been making this salad my entire life. In fact, this Russian salad was the first thing I ever learned how to make.

It is believed that the original  Russian Potato Salad contained cubed meat (like ham) and was a complete meal. I’ve personally never had one with meat and I prefer it that way. However, feel free to add it to your ingredients list if you’re so inclined.

What Ingredients Are Needed to Make Russian Potato Salad

The list of Ingredients for this Russian Olivier Salad is very short and you may have already everything needed in your pantry:

• Ham (optional)

How to Make Russian Olivier (Olivieh) Salad

The preparation of the Russian Salad is very simple, however, it will require a few steps and some extra time, because vegetables and eggs need to be cooked and cooled off before the chopping.

Step 1: Place eggs in a pot of cold water. Bring to boil and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the eggs from the water and let them fully cool off before peeling.

Step 2 : Place whole, unpeeled potatoes, and carrots in a pot of water. Add a teaspoon of salt and bring to boil. Cook until vegetables are fork tender for about 20-25 minutes. Remove from water and let cool off fully before peeling.

Step 3: Peel and chop the pickles (peeling is optional; I feel like they taste better in this salad without tough skin).

Step 4: Chop the onions.

Step 5: Strain and rinse canned peas.

Step 6: Peel and chop into cubes eggs, potatoes, and carrots (if using, cube your ham too).

Step 7: Place all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix all together.

Step 8: In a small bowl combine mayonnaise with mustard and pepper. Add it into the salad ingredients and mix all together.

An important tip when making Russian Salad:  Do not add salt to your mayonnaise mixture. Mayonnaise, as well as Dijon mustard, have a lot of salt in it. Dress your salad first, taste it and then add salt if needed. Remember, you can ALWAYS add salt but you cannot take it away!

What are the Possible Variations of the Russian Potato Salad

As mentioned above this popular Olivier Salad became a staple across Eastern Europe. In Ukraine and Bulgaria, you would almost always find some kind of meat in this salad (e.g. ham or bologna).

In Poland on the other hand, no one adds meat to “Salatka Jarzynowa” , but you could find that people add other root vegetables like parsnip or celery root or occasionally a chopped apple. I personally do not care for a taste of cooked parsnip or celery root so they were never part of my Olivier Salad and I also don’t like the fact that an apple can oxidize and get brown and the salad does not look that appetizing anymore.

However, I often add sweet, canned corn to my Olivier Salad . I just love how it tastes and it compliments this salad beautifully.

But you can experiment and add some other ingredients to your liking. In fact, if you share the tradition of making this amazing Russian salad, then let me know your thought on this variation. Enjoy!

Equipment Needed to Make Ensalada Rusa

• Large pot for boiling vegetables and medium pot for boiling eggs;
• Cutting Board; to chop vegetables and eggs on;
• Set of Knives; to chop vegetables and eggs with;
• Colander to strain and rinse peas;
• Large Glass Bowl to mix all Russian salad ingredients together;
• Small mixing bowl to mix dressing for Russian Salad;
• Large mixing spoon to combine all together.

Other popular Eastern European Dishes to Try:

• Rainbow Carrots Apple Slaw
• Apple Pancakes
• Potatoe Pancakes
• Stuffed Cabbage
• Hungarian Lecho
• Potato Cutlets
• Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients

• 3 Potatoes Yellow, medium size, boiled, chopped
• 3 Carrots Medium size, boiled, chopped
• 6 Eggs boiled, chopped
• 3 Pickles in Brine Medium size, peeled, chopped
• 1/2 Sweet Onion Large or one small, chopped
• 1 can Peas 15 oz., rinsed
• 1 cup Mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard or other preferred mustard
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

• Place eggs in a pot of cold water. Bring to boil and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the eggs from the water and let them fully cool off before peeling.
• Place whole, unpeeled potatoes, and carrots in a pot of water. Add a teaspoon of salt and bring to boil. Cook until vegetables are fork tender for about 20-25 minutes. Remove from water and let cool off fully before peeling.
• Peel and chop the pickles (peeling is optional; I feel like they taste better in this salad without tough skin).
• Chop the onions.
• Strain and rinse canned peas.
• Peel and chop into cubes eggs, potatoes, and carrots (if using, cube your ham too).
• Place all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix all together.
• In a small bowl combine mayonnaise with mustard and pepper. Add it into the salad ingredients and mix all together.
• If you can't find pickles in brine in a grocery store (these are the kind that is pickled without vinegar); the good place to look for them would be a Jewish deli or farmer's market.
• Do not add salt to your mayonnaise mixture. Mayonnaise, as well as Dijon mustard, have a lot of salt in it. Dress your salad first, taste it and then add salt if needed. Remember, you can ALWAYS add salt but you cannot take it away!

Read about the author Edyta here or follow Eating European on social media: Facebook , Instagram, Pinterest , and Twitter.

Recipe developer, photographer and the writer behind the Eating European food blog of European and Mediterranean healthy and delicious recipes

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41 comments.

Yes Rae, it is a thing a super popular one across Eastern Europe 🙂

It is great for all seasons. Thanks a lot Valentina 🙂

Hi is the onion raw in the salad? I use to eat this a lot when I lived in the canaries but don’t remember it having raw onion? Thank you

Yes, but feel free to skip it

Thank you Sandi!

Thanks a lot Catherine 🙂

That’s awesome Tayler!

Thanks Taylor!

Thanks you Chichi!

Hey Marta, that’s too funny, as it took me a while to appreciate the taste of herring too. Now I love them and the salad is always on our table on Christmas Eve 🙂

Haha, that’s funny because a lot of people thought this way. Meanwhile it is a real thing 🙂

I first encountered russian Salad in 1970n in Catalunya, Spain where they served it as a starter and have loved it ever since! I agree with you on the sweet corn – but why stop there? I add orange bell pepper – it has to be a chunky one to balance the other veg. I use Creamed Horseradish sauce instead of Dijon Moutard, as it seems more earthy and kinda more Eastern European! I don’t really see what the eggs add to it – I like the crunchy texture of the vegetables – I add frozen peas – tinned are too processed and a mixture of chopped cornichons pickled with silver skin onions as well as Mrs Elwoods Haimisha cucumbers – WOW!

Can I substitute fresh or frozen peas? I don’t like canned peas.

Of course. But you will need to cook it first.

That is a very authentic and well written recipe , just how I make and love it. The only difference I make is adding cooked frozen peas. Cooking or steaming potatoes with their skin on and peeling them later gives the salad a much nicer flavour as well as more nutritional value..Thank you for writing such an interesting ” historical ” recipe , Ose

That’s funny because we Poles always add onions to the Russian salad :). I’d say it varies by the regions and even households. I always suggest to my readers to do out to their liking

The funny thing is that Lucien’s version wasn’t simple at all, but contained several kinds of expensive meats and seafood. It became a very different dish during the Soviet Union. I think chicken is tastiest; that’s the way I always make it.

Edyta I too grew up in the Eastern European block and had homesteading classes in elementary school. 😂 But we didn’t have to bring our own knife. Anyway, I ate this salad so many times, because every single holiday had it on the table. Except maybe Easter. But birthdays baptisms weddings engagements and any celebration possible. I never had one made with ham or bologna or any other cold meat. The one I had always had chicken or beef. The way I make it now always has chicken. Basically I take all the veggies and the chicken breast after I make chicken soup and use them to make the salad. I rarely add eggs and I don’t add potatoes. I add a lot of pickles to mine and my polish better half complained a bit at first but now he loves it. I also use frozen peas, it’s just really quick and I like their fresh flavor in the salad. I do blanch them in some salted water and drain them afterwards. I ate this salad in Poland where it had ham in it and I also ate with sausage but I just couldn’t like it. It just tasted a bit strange. Especially with sausage. And it also had corn in it. I know that this is a dish that everyone makes and everyone has its own recipe for. I am making one tomorrow since today I am making chicken soup and so we will have salad for Christmas Eve. I honestly like to mix everything together and let the salad sit overnight. The flavor get a chance to develop and combine and it’s better in my opinion. I also use a good amount of mustard in mine and I don’t add any onion at all, fresh or otherwise. Actually I saw recipes that have raw onion and dill also. That I do when I make a fresh summer potato salad. That has onions and dill in it. So many salads in the Eastern European block! I believe that most came from necessity and from the concept of not wasting any food because as my mother used to say that’s a sin, and from the need to create something with whatever you could get your hands on. Christmas is coming and in our house is always celebrated with polish dishes and New Year’s Eve gets the Romanian dishes. So it’s time to make little “ears” with mushrooms and red beets broth, bigos and white beans, fish and pierogies. Truth is our family can’t get together this Christmas so it’s really just the two of us and the two kids we still have at home so I might reconsider making so much food. But I refuse to eliminate bigos. I am waiting an entire year to have this dish. It’s my favorite polish food ever. Maybe the Easter soup also! But that’s a few months away. Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones.

I am Russian, grew up in the Soviet Union, ate Russian salad often. This is the best recipe i was able to google. BTW, in response to one of the comments above, raw onions were a must in this salad, always. Maybe it differs depending on where in Russia you are from. I am from St Petersburg and also lived in Moscow. To make the onion less strong, we would cut the onion first, then put it in a colander and pour boiling water over it. You can also do it in a bowl, keep the cut onion in this water for a few minutes.

Personally, I add apples and fresh cucumbers to this salad.

Thanks for your feedback Maria

This recipe sounds delicious. I’m eager to try it. I have one question. By pickles in brine, do you mean what we Americans call dill pickles? Any particular type or brand?

I absolutely must try this! I live in Texas, and it’s like a combination of my 2 favorite salads you find in the American South…Potato Salad and Pea Salad. I may be the only that eats it, but I’m sure I’ll love it, so it won’t go to waste! Thanks for sharing!

I am Russian from St-Pete. I’m absolutely horrified to see black pepper and herbs added to Olivie: they are NOT part of the recipe!! Apple is, and so is white onion. Traditionally, Olivie is made with boiled chicken breast, although other meats are acceptable. Our family uses 3 kinds of cucumbers: fresh, marinated and salted (my own). This is the sacred Russian dish! Treat it with respect 😁

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Olivier Russian Salad Recipe (Insalata Russa)

Published: Jul 13, 2023 · Modified: Sep 1, 2023 . This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Russian salad, also known as Russian Olivier salad, is a beloved dish that holds a special place in Russia and many European countries. In Italy, it is known as Insalata Russa and is often served as a side for seafood or cold meat. This versatile, flavorful, easy salad recipe is a creamy potato salad made with a variety of vegetables seasoned with mayonnaise. In Italy, it is a Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve classic, decorated for the festivity and served as a side for seafood.

Basic Ingredients

Instructions, vegan and vegetarian options, serving tips, pairing it with other dishes, history of russian salad, more cold salad recipes.

• 📋Russian Salad Recipe Insalata Russa

Russian salad can be served as a vibrant side dish or a satisfying main course, depending on its ingredients and your preferences.

Perfect for family gatherings and special occasions as it can be made ahead of time.

This delicious salad recipe combines ingredients that are pleasing to the palate and easy to find in any grocery store.

Ease of preparation is another attractive feature of this dish, as the simple process allows even novice chefs to impress their guests with a homemade, authentic Russian salad.

Some of the main ingredients include boiled potatoes, carrots, and peas, often combined with pickles, onions, and diced boiled eggs.

However, no strict rules exist; any vegetable, cold meat, or seafood can be added.

The salad is typically dressed with mayonnaise, giving it a rich and tangy taste.

As you embark on your culinary journey to create this classic Russian dish, remember that this recipe can be adapted to suit your preferences without compromising the essence of the original salad.

Feel free to explore new combinations of ingredients, but above all, enjoy the process of making a Russian salad that perfectly caters to your taste and satisfies your cravings.

For more cold salad recipes, you can read: raw artichokes salad , orange fennel salad , puntarelle alla romana , Tabbouleh Salad

Main Ingredients

Several main ingredients in a traditional Russian salad give the dish its unique and well-loved taste.

The original ingredients are:

• Vegetables : potatoes, carrots, peas. Choose waxy potatoes, such as small ones, are ideal as they hold their shape well after boiling, providing a great texture to your salad. To make this recipe easier, I used canned mixed vegetables in this recipe specifically prepared for a Russian or rice salad.
• Sweet Pickles or gherkins to add tanginess and crunch to the salad

Optional ingredients:

• Protein (optional): If you'd like to include protein in your Russian salad, common options are hard-boiled eggs, ham, chicken, or even sausage. A seafood variation can include shrimp, tuna, or lobster. These meats should be cooked and diced into similar-sized pieces as your vegetables. You can skip the meat entirely or replace it with a plant-based protein source for a vegetarian alternative.
• Garnish (optional): finely chopped onion or dill to add extra depth of flavor

Remember that these ingredients are optional, depending on your preferences.

See the recipe card for quantities

The creamy dressing for the Russian salad is an essential component that binds the ingredients together and adds creaminess to the dish.

It typically consists of mayonnaise as its base.

However, you can use a mixture of mayonnaise and lemon juice if you prefer a lighter alternative.

Adjust the ratio according to your preferred consistency and taste.

Don't forget to season your dressing with salt to enhance the flavors of your Russian salad.

You can use store-bought mayonnaise, or for a better taste; you can try to make it yourself; it is not difficult: homemade mayonnaise made with fresh egg yolks

You can mix the mayonnaise with gelatine if you want to place the salad in a mold for a festive presentation.

The gelatine will keep the salad in a solid shape.

• Boil the potatoes in salted water until they are tender but not too soft, as this will help ensure the best consistency.

Hint : I used canned mixed vegetables in this recipe specifically prepared for a Russian or rice salad.

You can use any fresh vegetables boiled and cut into small cubes.

Feel free to experiment with other vegetables like cauliflower, green peas, or edamame beans, but keep in mind that each vegetable has its own cooking time.

• Let all the vegetables and the potatoes cool down to room temperature

• In a large bowl, mix all the vegetables together and season with mayonnaise

Hint : In this recipe, I added boiled eggs; you can add any meat or seafood you like

You can store this Russian salad in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days

Presentation

You can serve this Russian salad shaped in a mold or on a single serving:

• Line the mold with cling film

• Place the salad inside, pressing it down to ensure it is evenly distributed

• Let it rest in the fridge for 1 hour

• Turn it upside down on the serving dish

• Decorate with herbs and vegetables

For single serving:

• Using a circular mold, fill in the salad inside the circle

• Leave in the fridge for 1 hour

• Gently remove making sure it keeps its shape

If you prefer a vegetarian or vegan approach to your Russian Salad, there are several adaptations available.

For a vegetarian Russian salad you can leave out the traditional ham or chicken.

Replace mayonnaise with a plant-based alternative to make it vegan-friendly.

When opting for a vegetarian or vegan version, you can still enjoy the dish's rich flavors and textures with the incorporation of ingredients like olives, dill pickles, and fresh herbs.

No matter which variation you choose, this versatile salad maintains its delicious essence while allowing room for personal preferences and dietary restrictions.

Russian salad is a versatile and delicious dish that is perfect for a family cookout and many holiday celebrations.

In Italy, serving it as a side dish to cold seafood in traditional feasts like New Year's Day or the Feast of Seven Fishes is very common.

When serving your Russian salad, presentation is key.

Choose a large platter or a beautiful glass bowl to showcase the vibrant colors of the vegetables.

You can also garnish the salad with finely chopped herbs, such as dill or parsley, for an extra touch of elegance.

For a festive presentation, you can mix the mayonnaise with gelatine to obtain a more solid consistency that easily maintains its shape.

You can use unique molds or serve it as a cake that can be sliced.

To serve the Russian salad as a main, you can make the Spanish version by adding shrimp or tuna and garnishing it with olives, pimentos, or capers.

For a Bulgarian spin, you may find apples, sweet pickles, and even lobster or caviar utilized in some extravagant variations.

A classic pairing of this salad is with rye bread or pumpernickel.

The earthy flavors of these bread varieties complement the richness of Russian Salad.

You can serve them as slices on the side or even as an open-faced sandwich.

Another option is to enjoy Russian Salad alongside grilled or roasted meats.

Here I serve it with Vitello Tonnato.

The creamy, tangy flavors of the salad balance the smoky, savory taste of meats such as beef, pork, or chicken.

Whether you're grilling at a barbecue or serving dinner at home, this pairing adds an exciting twist to your meal.

Fish dishes, like smoked salmon or pickled herring or baked white fish like sea bream, also work well with Russian Salad.

In particular, the acidity in the salad dressing can help cut through these fish's rich, oily taste, leaving your palate refreshed.

If you prefer vegetarian accompaniments, consider pairing Russian Salad with mushroom dishes.

The earthiness of mushrooms enriches the salad's flavors, and a simple pan-fried or roasted mushroom dish provides a perfect match.

Alternatively, serving your salad with roasted eggplant or zucchini , or eggplant Milanese adds a tasty, Mediterranean-inspired twist.

Russian Salad, also known as Olivier Salad, has its roots in the 1860s, when it was first created by Lucien Olivier , a talented Moscow chef.

Olivier owned The Hermitage restaurant, located in Trubnaya Square.

The establishment gained fame as the birthplace of this iconic dish.

As you explore the history of Russian Salad, you'll find that the original recipe has undergone several changes over time.

Initially, Olivier's salad contained luxurious ingredients like quail and partridge.

However, the modern version typically includes more humble items such as potatoes and chicken, often held together by mayonnaise.

The Hermitage restaurant played a significant role in popularizing the salad during the second half of the 19th century.

This traditional Russian potato salad became a very popular dish across Europe, with each country with its own variation.

It is known by different names throughout various European countries: Insalata Russa in Italy, Ensaladilla Rusa, in Spain, Salade Russe in France, Rus Salatası in Turkey, Ruska Salata in Bulgaria

Over time, Russian Salad made its way into the hearts and kitchens of people across the world.

It has become a staple dish for holidays and celebrations, including Easter, Christmas, and New Year's Eve.

Traditional Russian Salad, also known as Olivier Salad, is a delicious and creamy potato salad made with a variety of vegetables. Some of the main ingredients include boiled potatoes, carrots, and peas, often combined with pickles, onions, and diced boiled eggs. The salad is typically dressed with mayonnaise, giving it a rich and tangy taste. You can find different variations of the recipe with additional ingredients like ham, chicken, or crabmeat for added flavor and texture.

The Olivier Salad recipe traces its origins back to the 18th century, when a French chef named Lucien Olivier first created it. He was working at the Moscow restaurant called the Hermitage and decided to invent a new dish by combining a variety of ingredients with mayonnaise. The original recipe was kept a secret, but several imitations and adaptations of the salad became popular throughout Eastern Europe, evolving into the beloved Russian Salad we know today. You can read more about its history and variations in this article .

If you are making any of this Olivier Russian Salad , leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook , YouTube , or sign up to my newsletter .

📋Russian Salad Recipe Insalata Russa

Ingredients (commissions earned)   us customary metric   0.5x 1x 2x 3x.

• 5 medium potatoes
• 2 cup Mixed boiled vegetables
• ½ cup Green peas
• ½ cup Jarred artichokes
• 1 Cooked beetroot
• 1 Red onion
• 3 Hard boiled eggs
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• salt & pepper

Preparation

Presentation for single serving.

• Gently remove the mold making sure it keeps its shape

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Classic Russian Salad | Russian Olivier Salad Recipe with Chicken

April 17, 2020 2 Comments

The classic Russian salad has knocked me right off my feet! Thanks to its deliciousness, Russian salad has become extremely popular in India and is often found to be offered to guests at wedding parties!

It had me intrigued and made me more determined than ever to try my hands on this classic Russian delicacy! And I can’t thank my stars enough for convincing myself to make this stunning salad at home!

Only after trying this on my own I could genuinely understand the sheer love of everyone towards this classic dish! I would urge you to procure all the ingredients, which mostly are kitchen staples, whenever you can and hit this off! You will love me for this!

Now let me elaborate a little on why I ventured out to make Russian salad at home. Apart from being a food blogger and loving to explore various cuisines by making new dishes, this particular recipe or the cuisine to be more specific had an additional motivation.

My brother tied the knot last year and we welcomed a lovely Russian girl into our family as my sis-in-law; so naturally with this close connection to Russia, I had to explore more into Russian cuisine and this Olivier salad seemed the right one to start with!

This salad has all the elements which we Indians absolutely love to devour and I will talk about each in details later, hence I was sure this Russian salad would be an instant-hit with my family too!

We Indians are true potato-lovers which makes it easy for us to fall in love with such creamy potato salads. The best part of this salad is the hard boiled eggs which, when combined with mayo and sour cream, lend the salad the super creamy texture and make it simply irresistible!

To take its flavor a level higher, you also have a meat in it which in my case was chicken sausage. The most traditional choice would be smoked ham or smoked/boiled chicken but that can be easily tweaked as per your choice. We loved the addition of chicken sausage into our version of Russian salad; you too can freely take your pick!

So you can imagine the emotion of Russians associated with this salad; it’s not just a recipe but a mark of family celebrations. It’s good to have such remarkably classic recipes in your repertoire especially when the ingredients are quite regular pantry staples.

This is a soul-satisfying salad full of cooked vegetables and meat which are combined together using a creamy and flavorful dressing. Make sure to whip up a big batch as the best part of Russian salad is that it tastes even better the next day once all the ingredients get a chance to mingle and develop the flavors even further!

Once chopped, the egg yolks make the salad dressing creamier than even besides adding tons of flavors. This salad also has a note of tartness thanks to the pickled gherkins. The pickled gherkins beautifully balance the flavors of mayo and sour cream and creates an unmatched flavor profile which is unlike anything and yet mind-blowing!

In terms of meat, you can add any of your favorite smoked sausages or ham or even grilled & chopped chicken breast will work great here. I used our favorite chicken sausages which proved to be a fantastic option for this salad.

I love the flavor of scallions especially when it is combined with a creamy potato or egg salad like this one. Also one pro-tip – try to cut all the veggies of about same size. The smallest veggie in the salad being green peas, try cutting potatoes, carrots and eggs to a size similar to a green pea.

• Potato – 4, large
• Carrot – 3, large
• Eggs – 5, hard-boiled
• Gherkins – 8
• Chicken sausage – 2 cups, chopped
• Green peas – 1 cup
• Spring onion/scallion – 4 stalks
• Mayonnaise – ½ cup
• Sour cream – ½ cup
• Salt to taste
• First step is to boil the potatoes and carrots. You may peel and then boil them or vice versa. I usually cut each potato into half and boil them without peeling. Once boiled, it’s easy to pull the skin off. For carrots, I prefer to peel and then boil them. Feel free to do it the way you are comfortable with; just make sure to add salt into the water while boiling them. Cook them until they turn soft.
• Boil the green peas too in salted boiling water if using fresh peas until they are soft. Drain the water out and set aside.
• Cut the boiled & peeled potatoes and carrots into small pieces, about the size of a green pea. Cut the pickled gherkins too into pea-sized pieces.
• Sauté the chicken sausages in a tablespoon of oil until they turn golden brown. Take them out and cut them into bite-sized pieces too. Chop the hard-boiled eggs into bite-sized pieces.
• Finally, chop the scallions finely, both green and white parts. Finely chop fresh dill too if using.
• Now transfer all the chopped veggies, eggs, sausages, scallions to a large bowl. Bowl should be large enough to hold all the ingredients as well as it should have enough room for mixing after the dressing is added.
• Add the mayonnaise and sour cream to the salad mix. Using two salad spoons, mix all the ingredients thoroughly to evenly coat each piece with the creamy dressing.
• Do a taste test for seasoning at this stage and add salt as per your taste. Give a final mix. You may refrigerate the salad if you are not serving immediately.
• Otherwise, transfer the salad to a serving bowl and enjoy the classic Russian Olivier salad with your friends and family!

September 8, 2021 at 7:12 am

Looks so delicious, I’m a fan of Russian salad, you’ve stimulated my appetite, can’t wait anymore, I will definitely try it your way, looks seem easy to make :D. Thanks so much for this guide. Looking forward to seeing more.

April 30, 2020 at 10:25 am

I know this salad very well. It is very original, nice and smells fresh if you put fresh cucumbers. I tried it and like it very much!

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Authentic Russian Salad 'Olivye'

This Russian salad recipe is what my mom and grandmother make every time there's a family gathering or a special occasion. Leave out the ham to make this a vegetarian dish. The potatoes, carrots, and eggs do not have to be completely chilled after boiling.

Ingredients

6 potatoes, peeled

1 carrot, or more to taste

4 whole eggs

6 large pickles, cut into cubes

1 (15 ounce) can peas, drained

½ cup cubed fully cooked ham, or to taste

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, or to taste (optional)

½ cup mayonnaise, or to taste

Gather all ingredients. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

Add potatoes, bring to a boil, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Add carrots and whole eggs and continue boiling until potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Drain and slightly cool mixture.

Chop potatoes and carrot. Peel and chop eggs.

Mix potatoes, carrot, eggs, pickles, peas, ham, and dill together in a large bowl.

Stir in mayonnaise until salad is evenly coated.

You can use fresh parsley as a substitute for the dill if preferred.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.

Photos of Authentic Russian Salad 'Olivye'

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Russian Salad (Olivier Salad) 

Published: Jul 5, 2023 · Modified: Sep 12, 2023 by Tasty Cluster · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

If you are looking for a creamy salad recipe packed with delightful flavors and textures, this Russian Salad recipe is a must-try. Once you experience its deliciousness, you will find yourself making it again and again.

Russian salad (Olivier Salad), also known as Olivye , is a classic and mouthwatering potato salad . It is a delicious and easy recipe that offers a perfect blend of flavors and textures. Russian salad is perfect for any occasion, from casual meals to special gatherings. It is a versatile and satisfying choice that will impress your taste buds.

Why you will love this Russian Salad

Ingredients and substitutions, how to make russian salad (olivier salad), olivier salad recipe variations.

Russian salad or Olivier Salad is a beloved classic potato salad that offers a delightful culinary experience:

Delicious flavors and textures: The combination of potatoes, peas, carrots, eggs, cooked meat, pickles and creamy mayonnaise dressing, provides a harmonious blend of flavors and textures that will tantalize your taste buds.

Versatile and adaptable: Russian salad (Olivier salad) recipe is incredibly versatile, making it suitable for any occasion. You can enjoy it with a casual meal, serve it at a family gathering, or at a special occasion to impress guests. This salad fits right in and adds a touch of elegance to your table.

Quick and easy to prepare: This recipe is quick and easy to make. It allows you to create a delicious salad without spending hours in the kitchen. It is a convenient option for those busy days when you want to whip up something tasty without much effort.

Vegetarian-friendly option: You can omit the chicken, to transformed this salad into a satisfying vegetarian dish. This salad accommodates different dietary preferences and ensure that everyone can enjoy its delectable flavors.

This Russian salad (Olivier Salad) recipe is a delightful choice that never disappoints.

To make this Olivier salad recipe you will need the following ingredients:

• Potatoes : are the base of the salad, providing a hearty and filling element. You can use any variety of potatoes.
• Carrots: add a subtle sweetness and vibrant color to the salad. You can use baby carrots or regular carrots cut into cubes.
• Peas: contribute a fresh and slightly sweet flavor, as well as a pop of green color. You can use frozen peas or fresh peas if available. You can add other vegetables such as corn or bell peppers for added crunch and flavor.
• Eggs: add richness and protein to the salad. They also provide a creamy texture and a savory taste. You can adjust the quantity based on your preference.
• Chicken: adds a meaty element to the salad. It also enhance the protein content of the Russian salad. You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or even leftover cooked chicken. You can make the salad vegetarian by omitting the chicken or replace it with tofu, chickpeas or another protein of your choice.
• Pickled cucumbers or gherkins: offer a tangy and slightly sour flavor that complements the other ingredients. They add a pleasant crunch to the salad.
• Optional (Spring Onion): You can add a vibrant touch to your Russian salad by including spring onions. These onions provide a fresh and slightly pungent flavor, adding a crisp texture and subtle onion taste. Including spring onions is optional, allowing you to customize the salad to your preference.
• Dill: provides a refreshing and herbaceous taste, enhancing the overall flavor profile of the Russian salad. Fresh dill is recommended for optimal taste, but dried dill can be used as a substitute if fresh is not available.
• Salt and black pepper: are essential for seasoning the salad and bringing out the flavors of the other ingredients. You can adjust the amount according to your preference.
• Mayonnaise: serves as the creamy base for the salad dressing. It binds all the ingredients together and adds richness to the Olivier salad. You can use regular or light mayonnaise, or substitute it with Greek yogurt or a vegan mayo alternative.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions to make this yummy Olivier salad recipe are simple and easy to follow. You can also watch a video tutorial of my Russian salad recipe.

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and carrots and cut them into even-sized cubes.
• Once the water is boiling, add the cubed potatoes to the pot. Cook them for about 5 to 10 minutes until they are partially cooked. Then, add the cubed carrots and peas to the pot. Continue cooking until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Be careful not to overcook the vegetables. Once done, drain the vegetables and set them aside to cool.
• In a separate pot, boil boneless chicken with salt and pepper to taste until it is fully cooked and tender. Once cooked, drain the chicken and allow it to cool. Cut the chicken into even-sized cubes.
• While the vegetables and chicken are boiling, you can start preparing the other ingredients. Boil the eggs until they are hard-boiled. Once cooked, carefully peel the eggs and cut them into cubes.
• In a large bowl combine all vegetables, chicken, egg, seasonings and mayonnaise.
• Gently toss the salad with spoons or spatula until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Add more salt and pepper to taste if needed.

Cover the salad bowl and refrigerate it for at least 1 to 2 hours before serving. This chilling time allows the flavors to meld together and enhances the taste of the salad.

When you are ready to serve, give the salad a final toss to ensure the dressing is evenly distributed.

You can garnish the salad with a sprinkle of dried dill or some fresh dill leaves for added flavor and presentation.

Remember, it's best to cut all the vegetables and ingredients into even-sized pieces, avoid overcooking the vegetables, and refrigerate the salad in advance for optimal taste. Enjoy your homemade Russian Salad!

This Russian salad recipe can be easily customized to suit your taste and preference. Here are a few variations you can try:

• Pakistani-style Russian Salad: There is another version of the Russian Salad recipe that offers a different flavor profile. It is commonly served at restaurants, weddings and special occasions and gatherings in Pakistan and India . Known as "shadiyon wala Russian salad". This variation often includes additional vegetables and fruits (like cabbage, corn, apple, pineapples and raisins). Unlike the traditional version, it typically does not include meat or pickles. Give this Pakistani-style Russian Salad recipe a try and share your preference in the comments below. Discover and enjoy the unique flavors!
• Seafood : Add cooked shrimp or smoked salmon for a seafood twist. It adds a delightful flavor and enhances the salad's elegance.
• Spicy : Add a kick of flavor by incorporating spices like paprika, cayenne pepper or mustard powder. These spices can elevate the taste of the Russian salad.
• Vegetarian : For a vegetarian-friendly version, you can skip the meat and increase the veggies. You may include additional vegetables like corn, bell peppers or green beans for a vibrant vegetarian version.
• Vegan : For a vegan-friendly version, skip the meat and replace the mayonnaise with plant-based alternatives such as vegan mayo. Ensure all other ingredients are vegan-friendly, and enjoy a delicious plant-based Russian salad.

Experiment with different ingredients to make this Olivier salad recipe your own. Do share your version of this Russian salad recipe in the comments.

You can store Russian salad in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days in an airtight container. However, keep in mind that the texture and freshness may slightly change over time. Before serving the leftovers, give the salad a quick toss before serving to redistribute the dressing evenly.

It is not recommended to freeze Russian Salad, as mayonnaise-based dressings can separate and become watery when thawed. It is best enjoyed fresh or stored in the refrigerator for a short period.

• Boil the vegetables until they are just tender. Overcooking can lead to mushy textures and loss of flavors.
• Chill your Russian salad in the refrigerator for at least 1 to 2 hours before serving. This allows the flavors to meld together and enhances the taste. Give it a final toss before serving to distribute the dressing evenly.
• You can adjust the seasoning and dressing according to your preference. Taste the salad before serving and add more salt, pepper or mayonnaise if needed.
• Ensure that all vegetables, chicken, and eggs are cut into even-sized pieces for consistent texture and presentation.
• Prepare the salad in advance to save time. The flavors develop even more when allowed to sit in the refrigerator overnight.

Yes, you can make Russian Salad (Olivye) in advance. In fact, it is recommended to make it ahead of time and refrigerate it for at least 1 to 2 hours before serving. This chilling time allows the flavors to meld together and enhances the taste of the salad.

Yes, you can make a vegetarian version of Russian Salad by omitting the chicken or replacing it with alternative protein sources such as tofu, chickpeas, or even additional vegetables. The salad will still be delicious and flavorful.

While mayonnaise is the traditional dressing for Russian Salad (Olivier salad recipe), you can experiment with different dressings if desired. Greek yogurt, sour cream or a combination of both can be used as alternatives to mayonnaise.

Russian Salad can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days in an airtight container. However, keep in mind that the texture and freshness may slightly change over time. Before serving the leftovers, give the salad a quick toss before serving to redistribute the dressing evenly.

Russian Salad Recipe (Olivier Salad)

Ingredients   .

• 2 to 3 cups Potatoes (peeled and cubed)
• ¾ to 1 cup Carrots peeled and cubed)
• 1 cup Peas
• 2 to 3 Eggs
• 1 cup Chicken (boneless)
• ¼ cup Spring Onion (Optional) (sliced)
• ¼ cup Pickled Cucumber/ Gherkins (cut into cubes)
• ½ teaspoon Dill (dried) (or use ⅓ cup fresh chopped Dill)
• To taste Salt
• To taste Black Pepper ground/powder
• ½ cup Mayonnaise

Instructions  

• Cover the salad bowl and refrigerate it for at least 1 to 2 hours before serving.
• Boil vegetables until tender, but not overcooked. 
• Chill the salad for 1 to 2 hours before serving to enhance the flavors. Give it a final toss before serving to distribute the dressing evenly.

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July 09, 2023 at 6:40 pm

Tasty Cluster

August 09, 2023 at 12:34 pm

I am delighted you enjoyed the salad recipe! 😋 Happy eating! 🥗🍴

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Russian Salad (Olivier Salad)

Published: Jul 27, 2022 by Ayla Clulee · This post may contain affiliate links.

Russian Salad (also known as Olivier Salad , Salad Olivieh , or Rus Salatasi ) is a simple, colorful, and delicious side dish originating from Russia.

This fresh and creamy Russian potato salad is perfect for holiday celebrations such as Easter, Christmas, or New Year's Eve.

It is also great to serve at BBQ parties, the perfect side dish to Air Fryer Sausage, or as a filling for delicious Turkish street food Kumpir - Turkish Baked Potato .

What is Russian Salad Olivier?

Why this recipe works.

• Ingredients You'll Need

How to Make Russian Olivier Salad?

Top tips from the chef, how to serve russian salad, recipe variations, recipe faqs, related recipes.

In Turkey, the Russian Salad is known as " Rus salatası " or " American salad " and is usually served as part of a meze platter along with Cerkez Tavugu- Circassian Chicken , Mucver - Crispy Zucchini Fritters, and Tirokafteri (Spicy Whipped Feat Dip) .

The Turkish version consists of diced and boiled carrots and potatoes, diced cucumber pickles, boiled peas, and mayonnaise.

This creamy potato salad recipe is also commonly used as a filling for sandwiches and  Kumpir  (Turkish-style jacket potato).

Russian salad has become popular in other countries as well, including Spain (Ensaladilla Rusa), and in many Latin American countries, where it is a common side dish.

Russian Salad - also known as Olivier Salad - Salad Olivier is a popular side dish traditionally served during special occasions or festive holidays such as Easter, Christmas, and New Year's Eve celebrations.

This popular dish originated in Russia in the 19th century.

It typically includes simple ingredients such as boiled potatoes, carrots, pickles, and peas.

The ingredients are mixed together and dressed with mayonnaise, along with other seasonings like salt, pepper, and vinegar.

Some versions of this famous salad contain cubed ham or chicken and hard-boiled eggs but I prefer it without them.

The original Russian Salad recipe was a closely guarded secret, and many variations of the dish emerged over time.

However, the basic ingredients included boiled potatoes, carrots, pickles, and either ham or beef tongue, all finely chopped and mixed together with a rich dressing made from mayonnaise, vinegar, and mustard.

Russian Salad quickly became a staple dish in Russian cuisine and was particularly popular among the wealthy aristocracy.

It was also served in other European countries, and its popularity eventually spread to other parts of the world.

Same as Russian Honey Cake - Medovik , this famous Russian Salad was and maybe still is the most traditional dish for the home New Year celebration for Russian people and former Soviet Union people.

• Russian Olivier Salad is perfect for family gatherings, special celebrations as well as BBQs and picnics.
• You can prepare the vegetables a couple of days in advance and mix them all up before serving.
• The leftovers of this traditional Russian potato salad would be kept for up to 3 days when refrigerated in an airtight container.
• This creamy, fresh, and light salad is the perfect alternative to standard potato salad.
• You can easily transform this vegetarian salad into a vegan-friendly one by using vegan mayonnaise for the dressing.

Ingredients You'll Need

Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.

• Potatoes - You can use any type of potatoes you would use for your regular Potato Salad recipes. Some recipes recall boiling the whole potato and dicing it after it is cooked. I prefer dicing them before cooking, saves me time and they keep their shape better.
• Cornichons , sweet pickles, or dill pickles
• Peas - I prefer frozen peas but you can use fresh peas (cooked until soft) or canned peas.
• Sweetcorn - Optional, I like the texture, color, and sweetness they add to this colorful salad.
• Fresh herbs - fresh dill and flat-leaf parsley are my favorite herbs for this Russian salad.
• Mayonnaise - Homemade mayonnaise provides the best flavor. However, you can use a high-quality good mayonnaise for the dressing with an addition of a teaspoon of mustard!

This recipe is very easy to make with a few ingredients you might already have in hand.

However, you need to follow a few simple steps - tips to achieve the best results:

Prepare the Vegetables

Peel and dice the carrots, place them in a saucepan filled with cold water, and bring them to a boil on medium heat.

• Let the carrots cook for 10 minutes while preparing the potatoes.

Peel and dice the potatoes and then add them to the pan with half-cooked carrots. 

Cook the potatoes and carrots together for another 10 minutes while preparing/chopping the rest of the ingredients. 

Chop the cornichons into small cubes and finely chop the herbs while the potatoes and carrots are cooking, set them aside. 

When the potatoes and carrots are almost cooked, add the frozen peas and sweetcorn to the pan, and cook them together for a few more minutes.

• You can check the doneness of the vegetables with a small knife.

Drain the cooked vegetables, place them on a colander, and let them cool down before building your salad. 

Combine and Serve

• When the vegetables are cooled down, place them in a large bowl and then add mayonnaise, salt, paprika, and black pepper along with the chopped dill and parsley.

Give it a good stir and transfer it to a serving bowl. 

Refrigerate your salad for at least half an hour before garnishing it with some fresh herbs and serving.

• If you have the time, cook the vegetables a couple of hours or a day ahead to give them enough time to cool to room temperature.
• Add some mustard to your Russian potato salad if using store-bought mayonnaise instead of homemade!
• Decorate your salad with hard-boiled eggs, black olives, and/or slices of cooked beetroot for an impressive presentation for your special gatherings.
• This recipe yields 6 portions as a side dish. You can half the recipe as well as double or triple it by using the buttons on the recipe card.

Russian Salad (Salad Olivier) is perfect on its own with a nice piece of Bazlama (Turkish Flatbread) .

You can also serve this versatile salad as a side dish with a variety of accompaniments.

Here are a few suggestions for what to serve with Russian salad:

Air Fryer Sausage , Lahana Sarmasi - Turkish Cabbage Rolls , Shish Tawook (Turkish Chicken Kebab) , Oven Roasted Turkey with Gravy , or Baked Turkish Meatballs.

Russian Salad is a versatile dish with various regional and cultural preparations.

In Turkey, the Russian Salad is known as " Rus salatası " or " American salad ". It consists of diced and boiled carrots and potatoes, diced cucumber pickles, boiled sweet peas, and mayonnaise.

In Spain, it is known as Ensaladilla Rusa, and it is typically made with boiled potatoes, carrots, and peas, mixed with mayonnaise, tuna, and olives.

The Italian version is called Insalata Russa, and it is usually made with boiled vegetables, such as carrots, peas, and potatoes, mixed with mayonnaise, and sometimes with tuna or ham.

In Pakistan, Russian Salad is known as Chicken and Vegetable Salad, and it is typically made with boiled chicken, mixed with boiled vegetables, such as potatoes, peas, and carrots, and mayonnaise

The leftovers of Russian Salad would be kept for up to three days when refrigerated in an airtight container. This can go up to five days if you use store-bought mayonnaise! I don't recommend freezing this salad.

Traditionally, Russian Salad is made with potatoes, carrots, cornichons, canned peas, celeriac, onions, apples, boiled eggs, mayonnaise, ham or chicken, dill, mustard, salt, and pepper. You can add any of these vegetables/ ingredients to your salad and adjust the amounts to your taste.

Yes, you can prepare your vegetables up to three days ahead. When ready to serve, mix the vegetables with freshly cut herbs and mayonnaise last minute.

For more colorful and delicious salad recipes why not try:

Did you make this recipe?  Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag  @ cookingorgeous  on Instagram and hashtag it   #cookingorgeous .

I hope you enjoy the process of making this colorful and creamy Russian Potato Salad as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂 

Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!

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• ▢ 1 kitchen scale
• ▢ 1 Sharp knife
• ▢ 1 measuring spoons
• ▢ 1 peeler
• ▢ 1 Saucepan

Ingredients   US Customary Metric   1x 2x 3x

• ▢ 300 g potatoes (cut in small cubes)
• ▢ 200 g carrots (cut in small cubes)
• ▢ 100 g frozen or fresh peas
• ▢ 100 g sweetcorn (optional)
• ▢ 50 g cornichons (cut in small cubes)
• ▢ 2 tablespoon fresh dill (finely chopped)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley (finely chopped)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon paprika
• ▢ 200 g mayonnaise
• ▢ 1 teaspoon mustard (optional)

Instructions  

• Peel and dice the carrots, place them in a saucepan filled with cold water and bring it to a boil on medium heat.
• Peel and dice the potatoes and then add them to the pan with half-cooked carrots.
• Cook the potatoes and carrots together for another 10 minutes while preparing/chopping the rest of the ingredients.
• Chop the cornichons into small cubes and finely chop the herbs while the potatoes and carrots are cooking, set them aside.
• When the potatoes and carrots are almost cooked, add the frozen peas and sweetcorn to the pan, and cook them together for a few more minutes. You can check the doneness of the vegetables with a small knife.
• Drain the vegetables, place them on a colander, and let them cool down before building your salad.
• Give it a good stir and transfer it to a serving plate.
• Refrigerate your salad for at least half an hour before garnishing with some fresh herbs and serving.
• The leftovers of Russian Salad would keep for up to three days when refrigerated in an airtight container.

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Jo's Kitchen Larder

Published: Sep 7, 2021 · Modified: Nov 30, 2023 by joskitchenlarder · No Comments . · This post may contain affiliate links ·

Russian Salad or Olivier Salad (Vegan)

Russian or Olivier Salad recipe is well known all over Eastern Europe & beyond. Traditionally served at most family celebrations all year round this potato and vegetable salad is super simple to make and utterly delicious. Try my vegan take on it today!

I'm sure most of you would have heard of Russian Salad before as this simple potato and vegetable salad is well known not only in Easter Europe but well beyond too!

Other names for this traditional salad are Olivier Salad or Salad Olivieh (after guy who invented it - Lucien Olivier) or Ensalada Rusa (Spanish name for the salad where it is extremely popular too).

Growing up in Poland I was pretty much brought up eating this salad known as Sałatka Jarzynowa or Sałatka Warzywna (Vegetable Salad) . It used to be served at most family celebrations and get togethers including Christmas and New Year!

My vegan version of this salad is pretty much that of my mum's but without eggs and with vegan mayo in the dressing. I still make it on regular basis as it is my hubbie's favourite and I do hope you'll love it too!

If you enjoy potato salads make sure to also check out my Vegan Potato Salad as well as Warm Potato Asparagus Salad with Lentils .

✔️ Why should you make it?

🥘 ingredients & substitutions, 🍽 equipment, 📖 variations, 🥡 storing & freezing, 🍴 serving suggestions, 🔪 how to make russian salad, 😋 more delicious salads.

• Quick & easy to make
• Perfect for family get togethers, parties, BBQs etc.
• Great for making ahead as it tastes even better the following day
• Full of veggies and pretty healthy
• Nice twist on your standard potato salad
• It makes delicious stand by for lunches
• Easy to adapt

Potatoes - Despite being known as 'Russian Potato Salad', they are actually not a main but only one of the ingredients. You can use any potatoes you like here.

Tinned or Frozen Sweetcorn

Tinned or Frozen Peas - You could also use tinned giant marrowfat peas here, not traditional but I must say I do it quite often.

Apple - Any variety of eating apple will do.

Gherkins - Sweet and sour ones are the best. I love the ones from Biona.

Fresh Parsley, Dill or Chives - Feel free to choose your favourite herb or go with mixture of all three.

Vegan Mayo - Even though you could use homemade vegan mayo here I find the shop bought version the most authentic for this recipe.

Wholegrain Mustard - You could use Dijon mustard instead.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Maple Syrup - Agave nectar would also be fine.

Salt & Pepper

Medium or Large Pan to cook your vegetables in.

Slotted Spoon for checking on your veg and taking them out of the pan.

Chopping Board for chopping your veg, apple and gherkins.

Sharp knife for chopping. I love my large chef's knife.

Sieve to strain your tinned peas and sweetcorn

Large bowl to mix the salad in and serve.

Traditional and authentic Russian Salad contains hard boiled eggs that have been peeled and also chopped. If you're not vegan feel free to add these too.

Version of this salad you see here is my family recipe with lots of root vegetables added in. However, if you're not a fan of celeriac, parsnip or both or any other ingredient simply leave it out and make this salad your own.

Some versions of Olivier Salad include finely chopped onion but I always make it without. Love adding fresh chives when I have them to hand though.

In some parts of Eastern Europe Russian Salad would also include some sort of cooked meat (mostly ham). My family, however, have always enjoyed it as a vegetarian dish and I now make it vegan .

• Boil your vegetables for the salad only until just soft. You don't want for them to fall apart and be all mushy. Soft but slightly al dente vegetables are much easier to chop too.
• Feel free to take quantities of ingredients in my recipe as a guide and increase or decrease the amounts of certain veggies as per your liking.
• Feel free to cook potatoes, carrots, parsnip and celeriac in one pan but make sure to keep an eye on the veg as some will cook quicker than the others and will need taking out earlier.
• The best way to check whether your vegetables are cooked is to take them out with the slotted spoon and gently pierce with a knife to check their softness. They will be ready when the knife goes in easily with slight firmness in the middle.
• As celeriac is usually pretty large I tend to cut it into smaller chunks (not too small though). I might halve it or cut it into three chunks as on the photo above. This ensures more even cooking time for your veg.
• Make sure to leave cutting your apple up until all your veg is cool and you're ready to assemble your salad. This is to avoid it oxidising and going brown. Acidity from the vinegar in the dressing will prevent it from happening providing you add the cut apple to your salad right before you follow with the dressing.

Vegan Russian Salad will last in the fridge for 3-4 days.

It is not suitable for freezing.

Salad Olivier is perfect on its own with a nice chunk of homemade bread and perhaps some salad leaves on the side.

I love to serve it alongside my Christmas focaccia during festive family gatherings. Russian salad always had its place on our Christmas table when I was growing up.

As a little appetiser or party nibble you could serve it on individual lettuce leaves or on top of puff pastry vol-au-vents.

This delicious vegetable salad will work anywhere your standard potato salads would.

Ingredient quantities & detailed instructions to be found in recipe card at the bottom of the post.

One: Put all your peeled root vegetables in a medium or large pan with lightly salted water, cover and bring to boil.

Two: Cook until soft but holding their shape. Remove onto a plate and let them cool.

Three: Strain tinned peas and rinse them well under running water, add to large mixing bowl. Strain tinned sweetcorn and add it as well.

Four: Once cool, chop all the root vegetables you're using into small cubes. Add them to your mixing bowl.

Five: Wash, quarter and deseed the apple (no need to peel). Chop it into small cubes and add to the bowl.

Six: Chop your gherkins (no need to peel) and add to the bowl as well.

Seven: Give everything a thorough mix.

Eight: Prepare creamy dressing by adding mayo, mustard, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup and chopped herbs into a bowl and giving everything a good mix to incorporate. Alternatively, feel free to mix dressing ingredients in a separate bowl first and then add to the salad.

Nine: Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Feel free to adjust flavourings e.g. more vinegar, maple etc. to your taste as well.

Ten: Serve and enjoy!

Buckwheat & Beetroot Salad with Chickpeas Tabbouleh Salad Homemade Fresh Tomato Salsa (Pico De Gallo) Easy Grated Carrot Salad Vegan Egg Salad

Have you tried my Russian Salad aka Oliver Salad?  Please consider giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in recipe card below and share your views or tips in the comments.

Russian Salad aka Olivier Salad (Vegan)

• Medium saucepan*
• Large Glass Bowl*
• Large Chef's Knife*
• Large Chopping Board*

Ingredients

• 300 g celeriac cleaned and peeled (weight after peeling)
• 200 g carrots peeled (weight after peeling)
• 2 small to medium potatoes
• 1 parsnip
• ½ tin of sweetcorn (130g drained weight) drained; frozen sweetcorn can be used instead
• 1 tin of garden or marrofat peas (180g drained weight) drained and rinsed; frozen peas can be used instead
• 1 apple skin on, quartered and cored
• few gherkins (sweet and sour ones are the best)
• 4 tablespoons (heaped) vegan mayo
• 2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard
• 1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or to taste
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup or to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• Chopped fresh herbs of choice (dill, parsley or chives all work well)

Instructions

• Start by gathering all your ingredients and cleaning and peeling your root vegetables. Larger veg like celeriac should be cut into chunks.
• Next, put all your peeled root vegetables in a medium or large pan with lightly salted water, cover and bring to boil.
• Cook until soft but holding their shape. Bare in mind that some vegetables might cook quicker than others so keep checking for doneness (see Top Tips ) Remove onto a plate and let them cool.
• Strain tinned peas and rinse them well under running water, add to large mixing bowl. Strain tinned sweetcorn and add it as well. If using frozen sweetcorn and peas, cook according to package instructions and let them cool.
• Once cool, chop all the root vegetables you're using into small cubes. Add them to your mixing bowl.
• Wash, quarter and core the apple (no need to peel). Chop it into small cubes and add to the bowl.
• Chop your gherkins (no need to peel) and add to the bowl as well.
• Give everything a thorough mix.
• Prepare creamy dressing by adding mayo, mustard, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup and chopped herbs into a bowl and giving everything a good mix to incorporate. Alternatively, feel free to mix dressing ingredients in a separate bowl first and then add to the salad.
• Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Feel free to adjust flavourings e.g. more vinegar, maple etc. to your taste as well.
• Serve and enjoy!
• Nutritional information is approximate, per serving based on 6 servings and should be treated as a rough guideline only. Values will change depending on the amount and ingredients used.
• Russian Salad can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days.
• Not suitable for freezing. 
• Boil your vegetables for the salad only until just soft.
• Make sure to leave cutting your apple up until all your veg is cool and you're ready to assemble your salad. This is to avoid it oxidising and going brown. 

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Russian Salad

Recipe from vladimir ocokoljic, adapted by gabrielle hamilton.

Basically a vegetable-studded potato salad with mayonnaise, Russian salad is hugely popular all over the world for family gatherings and festive events. It’s a beloved, traditional party dish riffed on almost everywhere but my own home: I’d only ever seen pasty, congealed versions I would never wish to eat until I tried this one from Vladimir Ocokoljic, served at his Serbian restaurant Kafana in New York City. While not quite as demanding as his aunt back in Belgrade, who used to slice even the peas in half, Mr. Ocokoljic insists on the tiny dice (each ingredient should match the size of a pea) and emphatically dislikes any sweet pickles (only gherkins or cornichons are a fit), making the finished dish delicate, luscious and savory. Whisking pickle brine into the mayonnaise creates a liquidy slurry, loose enough to dress the salad without its becoming smushed and gluey. —Gabrielle Hamilton

Featured in: Rediscovering Russian Salad

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Ingredients

• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 3 medium yellow potatoes (about 1 pound), washed
• 5 thin carrots (about ½ pound), washed
• 10 ounces frozen peas
• 4 large eggs, fridge-cold
• 3½ ounces boiled ham
• 1 cup drained cornichons and ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons of their brine
• 1 scant cup Hellmann’s mayonnaise

Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

220 calories; 17 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 11 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 321 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Preparation

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Season with salt.

Add whole potatoes to the boiling water, and cook 15 minutes. Add whole carrots to the cooking potatoes, and cook both another 10 minutes. Remove potatoes and carrots with a spider when easily pierced with a cake tester or a very thin knife blade, and set aside in a bowl.

Add frozen peas to boiling water, and using the spider, remove them to a separate bowl as they float, until all peas have floated and been transferred to the bowl.

Gently add the eggs, and allow to boil 10 minutes.

While the eggs cook, peel the potatoes and carrots under cold running water by rubbing them gently with your fingers. Rinse the peas under cold running water to cool.

Once the eggs are cooked, drain them, and peel under cold running water.

Neatly dice the potatoes, carrots, ham, eggs and cornichons to the same approximate (and rather small) size as the peas, aiming for uniformity. Gently toss them all together in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise with the cornichon brine, and pour over the salad. Toss gently with rubber spatula or using your fingers until the salad is well coated. Season with several hearty grinds of black pepper.

Refrigerate overnight, and serve cold.

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Private Notes

Cooking notes.

My Polish family makes a variation of this. The differences: 1. No meat because it gets served with ham, kielbasa, porkloin, etc. Add: 2. A bit of finely sliced fresh chives 3. Diced peeled apple 4. Finely chopped fresh parsley To serve, we spread a thin layer of mayo over the top to create a canvas for the decoratively cut veggies that we arrange to look like pressed flowers and grasses.

I grew up in the Former Soviet Union. The Olivier salad was a staple at every family gathering of any significance. Over the years, the combination of my laziness (or lack of time) and the desire to eat more healthily led me to make a few shortcuts. First, I peel the potatoes before boiling them. Second, I use raw carrots (diced). Third, I use low-fat sour cream for dressing, instead of mayo. Last (and this was the norm in many homes when I was growing up), I use canned green peas, drained.

The first time I had and heard of this salad, it was an on-the-house gift from a restaurant owner in Buenos Aires. She consoled our small group of Americans just days after 9-11 with it, and I still think of her and her loving kindness when I run across it. Thanks for sharing this and making it possible to recreate it at home.

Beware, o fellow Americans! You shouldn't use Hellman's mayo for this salad; you have to use sunflower oil-based mayo such as Mr. Kensington's, Thomy, or Dijamant - the devil is in that detail! Also, xtra gherkin brine is puzzling; it might separate and ruin the salad. Instead of it, to add light zing, peel and cut up a Granny Smith apple, and mix it in! Finally, if you find red potatoes which are golden inside, bingo; if not, stick with Russets. Garnish with parsley. Prijatno!

For my French mother, this was salade russe, made with homemade mayonnaise and served in a large platter at parties, garnished with ham, anchovies, smoked salmon, olives, etc. It was one of my favorite leftovers, if there were any. Interestingly, the potato-carrot-pea combination was called macedoine (Macedonia) de legumes and a regular side dish at dinner.

My Georgian family makes it with these ingredients producing a homerun every time: Potatoes (Yukon preferred), diced and boiled carrots and beets, scallions, sweet peas, dill, parsley, mayonnaise, salt, freshly cracked pepper, chopped cornichons, and hard boiled eggs. If you know Eastern European cooking and recipes, it would be hard to say that Georgian cuisine isn't anything but extraordinary and flavorful, and they deliver that with their version of Olivier salad too!

A spider is a long-handled spoon with a fine-mesh basket in the shape of a shallow bowl.

In Spain they call it Ensaladilla Rusa. I follow a low carb diet so instead of potatoes, I use streamed cauliflower florets

This salad used to be a staple in our house, when I was growing up in Russia. Variations we had were: canned peas instead of frozen, boiled chicken breast or canned crab meat instead of ham, fresh cucumbers and/or Granny Smith apple for a bit of acidity if not adding pickles and brine. We also always added finely diced white onion, about 1/4 cup or less.

One third cream fraiche and two thirds mayonnaise makes it lighter yet.

If you swap out the ham for high quality canned tuna in oil (well drained) this could be the Spanish version of ensalada Russa. I lived in Spain and a friend would always bring it to potlucks. So good! There are versions with and without tuna at many Spanish bars, but they all have peas.

FYI the brine will not cause anything to separate. In my family it us always added to any mayo based "salad" as it thins the mayo a bit and adds a great flavor. I am making this Saturday. It reminds me of a very similar dish my German grandmom made.

I ate this salad all over Buenos Aires. No ham however. It was great for a low sodium diet. It might be even tastier with Japanese mayonnaise.

I will say that I absolutely love all the posts aka reviews on this particular recipe. I love how a recipe transports us to another time and place - reminds us of our beloved families even specific gatherings. :-) Thank you all for a smile and chuckle.

Gherkins. They cannot have added sugar at all. The clearer the brine, the smaller the pickles, the better. If in an ethnic market, look for the ones from Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, N. Macedonia, Bulgaria. And get sunflower oil mayo when you're at it because that is the key. (Avocado oil mayo will probably do too.) I wouldn't add extra brine, better add extra gherkins!

I peeled and diced potatoes and carrots prior boiling. Added a few capers and a grind of salt to the finished salad. Delicious!

This recipe is much improved by using Japanese Mayo instead of Hellmans!

Madeline made and said it was good. Her picture looked so tasty!

Madeline made….said it was good. Her picture made me want to eat some!

No ham, diced watermelon radish, diced apple based on comments, dill pickles substitution (didn't have cornichons) plenty of fresh dill and parsley. Everyone really liked it.

A Swiss friend of mine used to make this with a bag of frozen mixed vegetables, the kind with corn, peas, carrots, etc. He would vary the protein with almost any kind of meat, seafood, or poultry. Sometimes he would leave out the protein and serve it as a side dish. He just called it Winter Salad.

In Spain, we call it ensaladilla rusa, as another reader mentioned, but instead of ham we use tuna and we add olives to it, preferably the anchovy filled ones for some brininess.

What I love about this salad is all of the variations people make--and they're all good. To feed 20 or so (where there are a lot of other side dishes and salads) I may only use 2 or 3 largish potatoes, along with all or many of the other things mentioned below: gherkins, fresh cucumber, thawed frozen peas, onion or green onion, cooked or raw carrot, mayonnaise, sour cream, ham or chicken or bologna (or no meat). There can be as much or as little of any of these things as you want.

Made as is without meat (added half a green apple) and served after refrigerating for only an hour. The bowl was wiped clean. Will make again!

A tip I got from a food blogger and stick to it 》 boil whole potatoes and carrots with skin on the night before , cool in the fridge and then peel and chop 》》makes the salad taste so much better! I tend to use freshly squeezed lemon juice in place of brine as that's how my mum has always made it. I love the ham-less version with granny smith apple which adds zest and crunch to it. My Russian friend likes to add herbs like dill to the salad , which I'm yet to try.

I first encountered this salad when I was 18 and visiting a friend in Copenhagen. His grandmother served. Over a decade later it turned up again when I met my future wife's grandmother in Genoa, Italy. So it truly is an international dish.

In my Hungarian family growing up, this was French salad, made with no meat, and served with deviled eggs, casino eggs to Hungarians, at Easter with our ham. A tradition I keep to this day.

Made it lower carb by subbing riced cauliflower for potatoes, which I microwaved with a bag of frozen peas and carrots. The rest as written. So good!

I read this recipe and realized I had all the ingredients on hand, right down to the Hellman's! I was surprised how what seemed to be an odd combination of veggies, pickle and mayo was absolutely delicious! I followed the recipe with only 2 minor changes - I had small yellow potatoes, so I just weighed them out (it did take quite a while to slip them out of their skins). I also wasn't sure about the boiled ham part, so I used sliced deli ham instead. Served with fish, and it was terrific.

Salad Olivier--such a treat. I like using diced, cooked chicken in place of ham, which my Russian friends say is legit. They grew up having chopped hot dogs in it (!) but no, I wouldn't. Also, I'd use Duke's mayo, or even the Kewpie mayo found in Asian markets. Good mayo makes all the difference. This, and "Herring Under a Fur Coat" are my favorite Russian dishes.

Adapted from Vladimir Ocokoljic, Kafana restaurant, New York City

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Russian Salad or Salad Olivier

Published: Oct 15, 2020 · Modified: Apr 1, 2022 by Aida

Russian salad or Salad Olivier (ruska salata, insalata Russa) is a holiday staple in Balkan homes. Delicious, rich, and filling, this salad is at once an appetizer, side dish, and the main course. Can another salad say the same? We didn't think so!

Russian Salad Ingredients

Ingredient notes for salad olivier, russian salad dressing, lightning-fast instructions for salad olivier, expert tips, serving, storing, freezing, recipe faqs.

• More Salads You'll Be Crazy About

Can You Do Me a Solid?

• Let's Combine This into a Meal!

Russian salad, or Salad Olivier, is probably the best salad to come out of Russia. (We'll be using the terms interchangeably!) It's a hearty, filling dish made with veggies, meat, and a dressing. Very much a New Year's Eve kind of thing!

It's delicious. It lasts a long time... and it's a salad with a story! Invented by the Belgian chef Lucien Oliver in 19th century Moscow (who was also the owner of the then-famous restaurant Hermitage ), it was hugely popular.

Original salad Olivier involved interesting ingredients like caviar, veal tongue, and smoked duck. However, the exact recipe isn't known even today. Olivier was a paranoid guy. He kept the ingredients and cooking directions a secret.

With good reason!

At some point, his sous-chef Ivanov figured out most of the recipe. Ivanov then: 1. left Hermitage , 2. opened up the restaurant Moskva , and 3. served the salad under a new name. To add insult to injury, he also sold his adapted version to the newspapers!

As time passed, Olivier salad spread through the Soviet and post-Soviet countries until it found its place in kitchens all over Europe, including the Balkans.

Of course, much changed during the decades of this transition. The salad took on a new name (Russian salad or ruska salata ), dropped a few ingredients, and became what we have today.

Eggs: More is more here, so 4 minimum. Eggs balance out and soften heavier ingredients. Sub with duck, goose, or quail eggs, but be aware that each has a different taste.

Vegetables: Peas, carrots, and potatoes, plus pickles are all you need. If using frozen, cook for a shorter period of time. Canned works too.

To make it easier on yourself, get the same type of veggies (either frozen, fresh, or canned). Try to avoid canned veggies though, as they're too mushy.

Meat: Smoked beef or cured smoked or baked ham are the best choices. Sub with chicken or turkey breast, prosciutto, canned, fried, or baked fish, and bologna or salami. (Bologna or salami should be your last option!)

Herbs and Seasonings: Less is more. Don't overwhelm this already rich salad. Salt and pepper to taste, as well as minced parsley garnish, are perfect. (Some like to add dill, which overpowers the taste. Be careful!)

Dressing: Look below!

Mayonnaise is the foundational Olivier salad dressing. Yup, good ol' mayo is all you need!

• The best kind is homemade . However, if you don't have the time, mayo from your grocery store will do just fine. Get plain mayo from a brand that makes it on a milder side, otherwise it will hijack the salad taste.
• Some like to spice the mayo up with lemon and mustard , but this is optional.

If you're no fan of mayo here are ideas for substitutions for the Russian salad dressing:

• Half mayo half sour cream. Mix the two, then mix them into the salad.
• Sour cream. A pinch of olive oil and lemon is optional.
• Sour cream and soy sauce.
• Greek or plain yogurt. Look for a consistency similar to mayo.
• Kefir with yolks from boiled eggs.

The best way to add the dressing is to add a little at a time until you are happy with the consistency. Check and add more before serving if necessary.

(Our lightning-fast instructions are here to give you an idea of how to make this dish. For more detailed information look at the recipe card below!)

1. Layer ingredients in a large bowl starting with veggies, then eggs, pickles and meat.

2. Add mayo in batches, and continue stirring until integrated. Cover with saran wrap, and leave in fridge 3-4 hours (preferably overnight).

Here are the dish variations:

• French Salad: Vegetarian version of Olivier salad (no meat or fish).
• Muslim and Jewish friendly: No pork.
• Orthodox fast friendly: Remove eggs and meat (fish is ok) and make sure dressing (mayo) is homemade and fast approved.

Here are a few tips that make my Olivier salad the best in the family!

Ingredient size: The smaller the better. Ingredients should match in size. If using frozen veggies it's easiest to use them as a guide as they're usually diced. Otherwise, think half the size of a sugar cube, or smaller. Mixing: Mix ingredients in batches and thoroughly. First the veggies, then add eggs, pickles, and meat. When all are integrated, add the dressing.

Make ahead: Olivier salad tastes best on day 2 after the flavors have settled together in the fridge.

Add your signature: This is one of those salads you should make your own. Add and subtract ingredients until you think it tastes perfect. For me, I add less mayo and more eggs. For you, it may be less meat and more pickles, etc.

So, less mayo is more! And also, more eggs is more!

Serving:  Serve as a side or a main dish for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Take it to a potluck, picnic, or barbeque. It goes splendidly with bread, toast, buns, and crackers. Best if prepared at least the night before.

Storing:  Store in the fridge for up to 7 days. 

Freezing: Don't even think about it!

Russian salad was originally called Oliver salad based on the Moscow-based Belgian chef who invented it. During the 20th century, the dish spread throughout Europe and adopted the name Russian salad.

Russian salad calories greatly depend on its dressing. For example, it'll be more caloric if you use mayo versus if you were to use sour cream.

Too many to count! Russia, former Soviet countries, Ex-Yugoslavia states, the remainder of the Balkan countries, and finally, Mediterranean countries. Also, other countries with the diaspora populations of the abovementioned countries. (We heard it reached Argentina!?!) So, people all over the world eat Russian salad. You should too!

More Salads You'll Be Crazy About

• The prettiest of them all: Beat & Carrot Salad
• So tasty everyone fights over it: Shopska Salad
• Garlicky to starve off energy vampires: Red Pepper & Garlic
• How about some cabbage baby: Fermented Cabbage
• You can't say no to tuna and egg: Tuna & Egg

If you make Russian Salad  and like it, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5-star) rating. This will help others find the recipe more easily!

You can also leave a comment, I read EVERY one! Otherwise, if IG is more your thing, consider tagging us  @balkanlunchbox .  

Prijatno and bon appetit!

Ingredients   US Customary Metric   1x 2x 3x

• ▢ 10 ounces carrots medium, peeled, diced, cooked until fork tender
• ▢ 10 ounces potatoes peeled, diced small, cooked until fork tender
• ▢ 10 ounces sweet peas cooked until fork tender*
• ▢ 5-6 eggs hard boiled, peeled, diced
• ▢ 7 ounces ham or dried/smoked beef, cooked skinless chicken or fish, diced
• ▢ 3 ounces pickles about 5-7 medium, diced small
• ▢ 10-12 tablespoons mayonnaise plain, milder brand, use 10 tablespoon first and 2 more before serving after fridge
• ▢ Salt and pepper to taste
• ▢ 2-3 tablespoons fresh parsley minced

Instructions  

• In a large bowl start layering ingredients. Start with cooked vegetables, add eggs, pickles, and meat. As you're adding them mix them until they're thoroughly integrated.
• Add mayo in batches (about 10 tablespoons), and continue stirring until integrated. Cover bowl with saran wrap and leave in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours, preferably overnight. If necessary, mix in two more tablespoons of mayo before serving.

Let's Combine This into a Meal!

Reader Interactions

Katya @ Little Broken says

November 17, 2014 at 8:08 pm

Ahh...yes! The popular Olivie salad. It's a holiday must and tradition in our household. Love the pickles w/ham decor 🙂

November 17, 2014 at 8:14 pm

Welcome Katya! Yes, indeed a holiday must... although I try to make it more often too, it such a comfort food. I will try your perogis soon.

December 02, 2014 at 10:06 pm

Francuska salata is a family favorite for us! Thanks for sharing that bit of its history; I'm pretty sure I would have done the same as Ivanov--this salad is delicious! 🙂

December 03, 2014 at 7:22 am

Ahahaha! Yes, if it wasn't for Ivanov we'd have no "cold" salad for every single holiday.

Mary | Cooking Reporter says

December 05, 2014 at 6:31 am

I love love Russian salad. It brings so many memories. When we were little, my mother used to make a big bowl of it as a New Years special treat. Thanks for sharing!

December 05, 2014 at 6:51 am

My pleasure Mary. Thank you for visiting the blog!

May 09, 2015 at 9:44 am

Familiar recipe! I remember you made this for your book club last year and it was delicious! I've tried making the recipe myself but it's never turned out well. Next time I'll try your version!

May 09, 2015 at 10:27 am

You're an expert cook and I'm sure it will turn out great. I still yearn for those stuffed mushrooms you made for book club back while you were in ARL.

April 01, 2018 at 7:57 pm

What type of pickles - dill, bread and butter, sweet or Kosher?

April 02, 2018 at 5:43 am

I like dill. Others are fine too, except the sweet.

January 03, 2019 at 12:57 am

This just sounds delicious. I have printed the recipe. I will have to try it.

January 03, 2019 at 1:49 am

Let us know how you like it!

Dawn @ The Kitchen and a Latte says

June 02, 2019 at 12:09 pm

I am in the USA so we never tried this before but it sounds amazing 🙂 Your salad makes our traditional potato salad seem pretty boring haha! Definitely going to try this, I never thought to put pickles in salad (I put cucumbers in my pasta salads so why not pickles, right?) And I planted a bunch of pickling cucumber plants this year so maybe I can even make this with homemade pickles.

June 02, 2019 at 5:43 pm

Hi Dawn! Yes, pickles are the best, especially homemade! I think you'd like this salad!

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Home › Recipes › Salads

Russian Salad Olivier

By Neli Howard

on Apr 16, 2021, Updated Apr 22, 2024

This post may contain affiliate links for which I earn a commission. Read my  disclosure page here .

Learn how to make the popular Russian Olivier salad Olivier, a delicious and hearty dish perfect for any occasion. This recipe includes step-by-step instructions and helpful tips for a perfectly balanced and flavorful salad. With just a few ingredients, you can whip up this classic Eastern European potato salad and impress your friends and family.

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If you love the traditional American potato salad, you will also love this Eastern European Olivier salad – Russian Salad Olivier (or sometimes spelled Olivye). It is very popular among all Slavic people and in Eastern Europe. Growing up in Bulgaria, I remember this salad was always on our table for New Years Eve when we were kids. Now, I love to bring it to friends gatherings because everyone loves it and it’s perfect for large crowds. This recipe makes enough for 25+ people.

This Russian salad Olivier is a traditional Eastern European potato salad. It’s creamy and full of flavor and makes for a great side for picnics, potlucks, cookouts, family gatherings, and holidays . It makes a lot and it’s easy to prepare. Don’t miss out my quick & easy method of making this salad in no time . Dicing the potatoes and carrots beforehand saves you a lot of time.

It’s perfect to serve alongside your favorite mains like grilled chicken kebabs and sous vide steak .

Why is this the best Russian potato salad?

For me, this Russian salad is an elevated version of the creamy potato salad we all know and love. It’s so much more flavorful, a little tangy and a little sweet and it takes just about as much time to make. It’s always a hit whenever I serve it!

Olivier Salad Origins

Based on my research, the original salad was created by the French/Belgian chef Lucien Olivier in the 1860s , while he was the chef at the Hermitage, one of Moscow’s most famous restaurants. The salad became one of the restaurant’s most popular dishes. Over the years, the salad has become a staple on the dinner table across Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria and many other former Soviet Union countries. In many European countries (including Bulgaria), this salad is know as Russian salad ( руска салата, Ensaladilla Rusa, Salada Russa, Rus salatası, Ensalada Rusa ) or some refer to it as French salad . You’ll find versions of Olivier Salad all over the world but it’s best known in Russia and Eastern Europe.

Russian Salad Olivier Ingredients Needed

• Potatoes – waxy potatoes work best because the hold their shape after cooking. Yukon Gold potatoes work well too.
• Carrots – use large carrots. Don’t use baby carrots.
• Eggs – boil the eggs using my tips and tricks
• Ham – traditionally the salad is made with bologna but a less processed meats like ham and even chicken have become popular.
• Pickles – It is best to use dill or savory pickles but sweet pickles work well too.
• Green sweet peas – I prefer to use frozen green peas and defrost them under a cold running water. But you could also use canned green peas.
• Apple – Traditional Oliver salad doesn’t use an apple but it adds a really nice texture and fresh flavor to the salad.
• Mayonnaise – I prefer to use avocado oil mayo or homemade mayo but you can use your favorite.
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh herbs – I like to use fresh dill and green onions for garnish.

How To Make Russian Salad Olivier

• Peel and dice the carrots and potatoes in small dice and add them to a large pot with water. Cook them in boiling water until fork-tender, only about 5 minutes. Drain water and transfer vegetables to a large bowl.
• Meanwhile hard boil the eggs in another pot.
• While the potatoes and carrots are cooking, dice ham and pickles in small dice. Add them to the mixing bowl. Also, add thawed peas.
• Season vegetables in the mixing bowl with salt and pepper, and stir well. Again, season and stir until all vegetables are well seasoned.
• Lastly, finely chop the hard-boiled eggs and add them to the bowl. Add the chopped apple to the salad, 2 cups mayonnaise and stir well. Let cool for at least 30 minutes in the fridge. Serve in a large salad bowl or platter. Enjoy!

Best way to cook the vegetables

Even though the original recipe calls for the potatoes and carrots to be cooked whole, I find that it takes longer and they don’t cook evenly. I prefer to dice them first and then cook them. It takes a fraction of the time to cook the vegetables, and they are evenly cooked.

Other variations and additions to the Olivier Potato Salad

The traditional salad doesn’t call for an apple but I like the sweetness, crunch and tartness of a Granny Smith apple. You can omit it if you prefer.

You can also add a little bit of Dijon mustard for a little bit of spicy kick.

I also like to add a little bit of lemon juice for a bright and fresh taste.

To make this salad healthier, use half mayonnaise and half sour cream for lower fat content. You can also make your own homemade mayonnaise with olive oil.

Can you make it ahead of time?

You can dice and cook the carrots and potatoes ahead of time and keep them covered in the fridge. You can also cook and dice the hard boiled eggs ahead of time, as well as the ham and pickles, and store them in the fridge until it’s time to assemble the salad.

Serving suggestions

• Holidays : This salad is usually enjoyed at Christmas, New Year’s Eve or Easter.
• Potlucks or Bbq – You can substitute an American Potato Salad with Olivier on your next celebration.
• Appetizer – It’s great to serve it as an appetizer with baguette slices or large crackers.
• Side Dish – This is the perfect side dish alongside any meal, like steaks, grilled chicken, burgers, or lamb Shashlik or kabobs. You can scale down the recipe if you are preparing it only for your family.
• Snack – Everyone loves leftover Olivier salad on a sourdough bread or baguette as a snack
• Sandwich – You can even serve it as a sandwich on bread slices.

Storing the salad

This salad keeps well in the fridge for 3 to 5 days, just store it in an airtight container. Because it contains mayonnaise it shouldn’t be kept at room temperature for more than a couple of hours.

Crucial tips for success

• Cut the carrots and potatoes into similar sizes so that they cook evenly. Use a vegetable chopper for uniform vegetables and for best results.
• Don’t overcook the vegetables . Because they are cut in smaller size, they don’t require a lot of time to cook. Check the potatoes and the carrots regularly with a fork, and remove them from the water when they are fork-tender. The fork should pierce through the center easily.
• Cook the veggies ahead of time. If you have the time, cook the veggies the day before or a couple of hours ahead to give them enough time to cool.
• Make sure the salad is well seasoned. It is hard to season a large salad properly, and that’s why I find it is easier to season each vegetable/ingredient separately as I add them to the salad bowl. If you taste the salad and it feels like something is missing, add a little bit more salt and black pepper.
• For a fresh flavor, sometimes I also add a little bit of lemon juice.
• Let the salad sit in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving, this will really help the flavors to blend together.

More Potluck Salad Recipes

• Potato Salad
• Greek Salad
• Broccoli Salad
• Caprese Salad
• Three Bean Salad
• Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad
• Cowboy Caviar

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Ingredients   0.5x 1x 2x 3x

• ▢ 5 medium russet potatoes , about 2 lbs
• ▢ 10 medium carrots
• ▢ 10 eggs
• ▢ 2 lbs ham
• ▢ 10 whole pickles
• ▢ 2 cups of thawed frozen peas
• ▢ 1 Granny Smith apple , finely chopped
• ▢ 2 cups homemade mayo , or Paleo mayonnaise
• ▢ salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ ⅓ cup green onions , optional

Instructions 

• Peel and finely dice carrots, then peel and dice potatoes the same size as carrots. Place carrots and potatoes into a medium pot and cover with water. Add 1 tsp salt and bring to boil. Continue cooking uncovered for about 10-12 min or until tender then rinse with cold water and drain. Transfer to paper towels to remove any excess water. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

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About Neli Howard

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Neli Howard and the food blogger behind Delicious Meets Healthy. I started Delicious Meets Healthy in 2014 while working in public accounting. While everything I did at work was very analytical and detail oriented, I have enjoyed cooking because I get to use my creativity and experiment with flavors and textures of different foods.

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Thanks for stopping by, Mira! In Bulgaria, this salad is also known simply as Russian salad. 🙂 I’ve heard that people in Russia usually call it Olivier or Olivye salad, so I had to include that name as well. I m heading over to check out your blog. 🙂

Thanks for sharing your version. I’ve never had an Olivie salad with apples!! That’s totally new to me!! How interesting.

Thank you for stopping by, Shinee! Yes, making a large batch is always a good idea! 🙂 Apples add a nice sweet and fresh flavor, I think you will love it!

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“Olivie” is one of the most popular and well known Russian salads. It resembles a potato salad, with the addition of other cooked vegetables and meat. All the components create a hearty, comforting salad.

If I had to name the most traditional Russian dish, it would be the “Olivie” salad. It used to be made for holidays, parties and other special occasions. New Year’s Eve is the biggest holiday of all, and “Olivie” would be on almost all the tables as the clock would strike midnight.

The ingredients are quite common and are pantry staples for most. It resembles a potato salad, of sorts, with the addition of other cooked vegetables and meat. In the original salad, cooked wild meat was used, but now most people use bologna or some other type of sausage meat. This is as traditional as the Thanksgiving turkey. One of the best advantages of making a big batch of “Olivie” is the leftovers the next day. All the components of the salad mingle and meld to create a hearty, comforting salad.

Ingredients:

3 small, medium potatoes

• 4 medium carrots
• 1 lb bologna
• 8 small pickles

1-2 small cucumbers

1 can (14-15 oz) peas

1 – 1/2 cups mayonnaise ( Homemade Mayonnaise Recipe)

1 small onion, optional

fresh chives, optional

Instructions:

Make Ahead Instructions

Russian Salad “Olivie”

5 from 4 reviews

• Author: Olga's Flavor Factory
• Prep Time: 40 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 70 minutes
• Yield: 8 1 x
• Category: Salad

Ingredients

• 3 small – medium potatoes
• 1 – 2 small cucumbers
• 1 (14oz) can (peas)
• 1 – 1/2 cups mayonnaise
• 1 small onion (optional)
• fresh chives (optional)

Instructions

• Cook the potatoes with the carrots in a medium pot just until tender, 20-30 min, depending on the size of the vegetables. Cook the vegetables in their skins. Do not overcook.
• Hardboil the eggs.
• Peel the potatoes, carrots and eggs and cool them completely.
• Drain the peas well.
• Cut the potatoes, carrots, eggs, pickles and cucumbers, if using, into small 1/4 inch dice.
• Mince the onions finely, if using. (I don’t like raw onions, so I never put them in. Another option is to use chives or green onions.)
• Mix all the the ingredients with the mayonnaise.

Make Ahead: Just like most potato salads, “Olivie” is made ahead of time. Sometimes, I chop all the ingredients and store them in the refrigerator and then add the mayonnaise a few hours before serving. This way, you will have your prep done a few days before the event.

39 Comments

Just read this recipe and it made me crave some of this salad so bad. Haven’t made it in a long time. 🙂

By the way, I love your site! Great Job! God bless, Larisa

I make this salad too but instead of eggs I add chicken breast. It’s delicious.

My hubby boiled potatoes and carrots last night without even saying a word, so i guess i’m making this salad today after work, lol! 😀 He did boil quiet a bit of those, so i might make olivie and shuba (since he boiled beets too, and bought seledka) :-p i wonder how do YOU make shuba? there are so many recipes out there, i haven’t seen one on your site.. yet. Hope you will post it one day 😉 Also, my whole life i did olivie with only picles, so now i want to try with cucumbers and picles! Thank you so much Olichka!!! <3

Wow! I guess he was craving some Russian salads:). Very smart of him. I’ll have to post my shuba recipe sometime. It’s definitely a classic. Here’s how I put it together: Seledka, a tiny bit of onions (not a big fan of raw onion, so I add only a smidge), potatoes, mayo, eggs, mayo, carrots, mayo, and top it off with beets. Another way is to place the seledka in the center, it turns out great! Potatoes, mayo,eggs, mayo, seledka, onion, carrots, mayo, and beets. I’ll put up step by step instructions sometime. I actually already took pictures of it and wrote out the recipe, but never posted it:).

Thanks a lot for your reply, my olivie turned out to be soo good! the only difference was that i added fresh cucumbers per your recipe, and that make this difference HUGE! Sooooooooooo good! I’m glad i tried 😀 So as far as shuba, yes, you do put it together differently and i’d like to try it your way too… Will wait for your post though, i want to see maybe you have a special technique on applying mayo, as it is such a hassle… 😀

Try some mayo in a zip loc bag with corner snipped off, just squeeze in a square or circle patterns all over each layer. What I like about this method is that you can control the amount of mayo with size of the hole you cut.

Not sure my family will go for bologna. Would diced hap be okay or is bologna essential for the flavor?

Sure, you can use whatever you like, it will just have a different flavor.

THANK YOU for this recipe i loved it my hubby loved it too i use to do the same salad but different and i loving it

GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!!!!!

Hello dear could you please post salad Shuba? Holidays are almost here and want to practice making this.

I’ll try to do it soon, Oksana.

Hi Olga! I happened upon your blog while looking for a recipe for salad Olivier. Your blog is just beautiful, and my curiosity was piqued, so I read your “About” section and saw your adoption story. We adopted our beautiful sons from Russia (in 2003 and 2007), and my heart just breaks for families like yours whose dreams were crushed, and of course for all the kids who are left in orphanages there. I know you’ve moved on to foster care, and I pray that you are finding happiness, and hopefully a child to forever be yours. I, like you, just felt compelled to adopt. There was something so balanced about it, to me, to parent a child who already needs a parent, rather than just to create more children. God bless you and your husband. You are both adorable, and I can tell you’ll be wonderful parents. By the way, one of my very good friends, who also gave Russian lessons to my son for several years, is from Belarus, near Minsk. Small world! 🙂

Hi Alicia! Thanks for stopping by:). I appreciate your kind words. We are very happy and love fostering. It’s very rewarding.

When I was growing up my mom made Russian salad using diced beets instead of bologna. The salad has a beautiful pink color. Delicious.

I think you mush be talking about “Vinegret”. It IS an awesome salad. My Mom made it a lot when I was growing up. You just got me craving it, Lizzie:).

I made this for my Russian language class and they loved it! Thank you for the recipe!

We are having a baby shower with about 60 people, half are from Russia. I am making American potato salad and Olivie salad. How much Olivie salad should I make?

That’s hard to say, Rose. It depends on how much other food you are going to be serving and if your guests will like the “Olivie” salad. I personally would make 3-5 times the amount of this salad, but like I said, it would depend on the people I was having at the shower and how many other food I was serving.

Peggy McNary

My son-in-law is Russian (a naturalized American citizen now), so we make this traditional salad every New Year in honor of his beginnings. The salad is so much better if pickles cured in brine are used, rather than pickles cured in vinegar. Unfortunately, you might have to locate a Russian store or market with European food offerings to find them, but I highly recommend it! We also use chicken instead of game or hot dogs/sausage. Good stuff!

This is certainly a traditional salad to have on New Year. I like it with chicken too:).

If you have to choose sweet pickles or dill pickle, which should I go with? Thank you

I made this exactly as posted. I used ring bologna, it was fantastic! Used more mayonnaise at table. Thank you for a great recipe. Your photos are gorgeous and so is that beautiful uniform dice.

Greg Buchanan

Thank you so much for this recipe — just made a quadruple batch of it for an event at my college tomorrow but I fear that more than a little will have disappeared by then. Used a mix of sweet and sour gherkins and a mixture of ham, bolgona and olive loaf for the meats. It’s amazing and I’m shoveling it in my mouth as I type. Thanks again.

I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the Olivie salad, Greg! That’s awesome:). We make it a lot for family parties and holidays.

Hello Olga:

I didn’t see instructions to peel the potatoes or carrots, although your photo shows them unpeeled while being cooked. Do you peel them after, or use with the skins?

Peel the carrots and potatoes after cooking them, before chopping them. I will clarify it in the instructions.

Hi Olga, We made this salad for my daughters girls scouts around the world party where each child brought a dish from somewhere of there choosing. I can say without a doubt it was the best ,most tasty dish there! People were scraping the empty pans just to get another taste 🙂 We have made it for ourselves now on several occasions. It is simply delicious, thank you for sharing you great recipes!

That’s wonderful, Stacey! I’m so happy to hear it was such a big hit:). Thank you for taking the time to write.

This salad came out soooo good! I came here from your sister Milanas video. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

Welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed this Russian recipe:).

Donna Murray

I will definitely make this, what type of pickles do you use, sweet or dill?? Thank you so much. I have never seen your videos, I will look them up. Saw the salad on Milana volg. I’m excited to follow you!!…thank You

Welcome! We use dill pickles.

Nancy G Le Claire

Loved it! I would make this again in a heartbeat!

Left out the cucumbers and onions.

So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Nancy. Thanks for taking the time to write.

Angelica Kaner

My mother, Olga, would make a combination of Olivie and Vinegret. She would not use meat or sauerkraut. She’d use eggs and beets. Add them to potatoes, carrots, onions, peas. A light mayonnaise. To that I like to add sweet pickles (not too much) and fresh dill. I might add some ham next time. Thank you for this site!

Olga, I love peas, but hate canned peas. Have you ever used thawed frozen peas?

I have used frozen or fresh peas as well, so you can use those instead, Libby.

Love this salad. Made several times. Always comes out perfect

I have had this salad. Can’t wait to make it at home! Thank you.

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Russian Salad

Recipe and photo by Monica Kass Rogers

I laughed when I saw it. Delightedly chortled, more like, to see that the New York Times was running a recipe story featuring that thousands-of-renditions Slavic home food: Russian Salad. I’d just confessed my love for the stuff the day before to a friend as if whispering a guilty pleasure. And now the Times had legitimized it. Classically a mosaic of colorful and carefully diced carrot and potato, plus peas and ham, bathed in sour cream and mayo, I’d long ago found making variations on the Russian Salad theme to be a “treaty” way to eat veg. I make it using everything from trimmed stalks of broccoli (steamed the tiniest bit to tender them) or with celery root, jicama, radish, kohlrabi, and maybe a little cheese, skipping any meat inclusions entirely. But the classic version is good, too.

Near my house, Russian Salad is everywhere. Just travel up the road in Skokie-Evanston to the various mom-and-pop grocers and you’ll find it ready-made both plain and fancy. Layered in clear bowls with piped swirls of cream on top, the fancy versions look like frilly parfaits.

As it turns out, fancy is actually a throw-back: The salad’s genesis was quite gourmet. Food historians place its origins in Moscow where a French chef named Lucien Olivier served it starting in the 1860s at the Hermitage restaurant, mixing in everything from caviar and crawfish tails to capers and veal tongue. Oh, and Lucien slathered his in Provencal dressing.

Post-Russian Revolution, the salad took on the proletariat stylings that survive today.

With a nod to Olivier, my version of the current classic dolls things up a bit with homemade mayo, sour cream, dill, and quail eggs. Plus, pickled beets that you mix in at the very end.

My recipe also relies—as the NYTimes version does—on careful, even dicing. Trimming and cutting the ingredients to a uniform size makes for good balance, mouthful, and presentation. P.S.—Don’t hold back on your own variations! Let me know what you come up with—I’d love to see.

RUSSIAN SALAD

Ingredients.

For Russian Salad

• 4 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼-inch cubes 
• ½ bag baby peeled carrots, (look for nice chubby ones) each cut lengthwise into four strips and then diced into small pieces 
• 1 cup cornichons or baby garlic dill pickles, diced into ¼-inch pieces 
• 1 cup pickled beets, drained of juice, diced into ¼-inch pieces 
• ½ lb. good quality boiled ham, diced into ¼-inch cubes 
• 1 Tbsp finely snipped fresh dill 
• ½ cup good quality mayonnaise OR ½ cup homemade mayo (recipe follows) 
• 2 Tbsp. pickle juice 
• 6 quail eggs 
• 1 lb. bag frozen peas, thawed 
• ½ cup sour cream 
• 1 tsp salt 
• 1 tsp finely ground fresh cracked black pepper 
• Sprig of fresh dill for garnish 

FOR HOMEMADE MAYO (makes 2 1/2 cups) 

• 2 large eggs (use pasteurized for food safety) 
• ¼ tsp salt 
• 1 Tablespoon sugar 
• 1 ¼ teaspoon of mustard powder 
• ½ teaspoon paprika 
• pinch of celery salt 
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper 
• 1/3 cup white vinegar 
• 2 cups vegetable oil, divided

Instructions

• Set five medium-sized bowls and one large bowl on your work surface. If using homemade mayonnaise, make that first. In a 1 quart container, combine all mayonnaise ingredients except the oil. Add ¼ cup of the oil. Using an immersion blender, blender, or food processor blend this mixture for three minutes. Slowly add the remaining oil in a steady stream until the mayonnaise has whipped into a fluffy consistency. Refrigerate. 
• Make Russian Salad: Using care and aiming for a consistent ¼-inch cube size, dice the peeled potatoes, carrots, pickles, beets, and ham, placing each in its own separate bowl once diced. Place potatoes in a heavy-bottomed pot; cover with water to 2 inches above the surface of the potatoes. Heat to slow boil over medium heat. Once just fork tender, scoop potatoes out of the boiling water and into the large bowl with a slotted spoon. Leave the boiling water in the pot on the stovetop. Add 1/2 cup mayo, pickle juice, and dill to the warm potatoes in the large bowl. Add the diced carrot to the boiling water and simmer until just tender. Scoop cooked carrot out with a slotted spoon and add to the potato mixture. Add quail eggs to the boiling water, lower to a gentle simmer and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove eggs and run under very cold water for two minutes. Set aside. Once cool, peel eggs. Reserve one egg to use as a garnish on top of the finished salad. Chop remaining eggs and add to the salad. Stir in the ham, peas, and pickle. Add sour cream. Season with salt and pepper. Slice the reserved boiled quail egg in half and arrange on top of the salad in the serving dish. Add a sprig of dill. To serve, present the beets at the table with the salad and allow guests to mix in as desired. 

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Jamie Oliver Russian Salad

Russian Salad is one of the best Jamie Oliver salads ever. This easy, creamy Russian Salad is made only with eggs, potatoes, carrots, pickles, peas, ham, and mayo. It’s perfect to eat with grilled meats or fresh bread. Feel free to leave a comment about this classic Russian Salad.

What Is Russian Salad 

Russian Salad is a traditional Russian salad that contains potatoes, carrots, eggs, pickles, peas, and ham and is dressed with mayonnaise and fresh dill (or parsley).

Russian Salad is considered one of the healthiest salads. This is because it contains carrots, which are rich in beta-carotene and good for vision, and peas, which are a great source of protein and dietary fiber. It’s also full of vitamins and minerals.

Russian Salad Ingredients

• 6 potatoes, peeled
• 1 carrot (or more to taste)
• 4 whole eggs
• 6 large pickles, cut into cubes
• 1 (15 ounce) can of peas, drained
• ½ cup cubed fully cooked ham (or to taste)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (or to taste, optional)
• ½ cup mayonnaise (or to taste)

How To Make Russian Salad

• Fill a big pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add the peeled potatoes and let them boil for 5-10 minutes. 
• Next, add the carrot and eggs, continuing to boil for another 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are soft. 
• Drain the water and let everything cool for a bit. Cut the potatoes and carrots into small pieces. Remove the shells from the eggs and chop them up. 
• In a big bowl, mix together the potatoes, carrots, eggs, pickles, peas, ham, and dill. Finally, add the mayonnaise and stir until everything is well-coated.

What Is Russian Salad Dressing 

The dressing of Russian Salad is made from a combination of mayonnaise, fresh dill, and pickles, giving you a creamy and tangy flavor. However, if you’re looking for alternatives, you can use dressings such as ranch or vinaigrette. 

For a simple option, just  buy a bottle of ready-made Kraft Russian Salad Dressing from Walmart .

What To Serve With Russian Salad 

Russian Salad is traditionally served as a side for BBQ chicken, grilled steaks, or roasted lamb. You can also eat it with fresh bread, crackers, or as a filling for sandwiches.

How Long Does Russian Salad Last

Cooked Russian Salad can last in the fridge for about 3-4 days. Simply ensure it’s stored in an airtight container, then place it in the fridge.

Can You Freeze Russian Salad 

No, Russian Salad cannot be frozen. This is because it contains mayonnaise, which can separate and change texture when frozen and then thawed, affecting the overall taste and consistency of the salad.

Russian Salad Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 261
• Protein: 8g
• Saturated Fat: 3g
• Cholesterol: 82mg
• Sodium: 1307mg
• Dietary Fiber: 5g
• Total Sugars: 4g

Try More Recipes:

• Jamie Oliver Carrot Salad
• Jamie Oliver Barley Salad 
• Sweet Potato Salad
• Avocado Potato Salad

Description

Russian Salad is one of the best Jamie Oliver salads ever. This easy, creamy Russian Salad is made only with eggs, potatoes, carrots, pickles, peas, ham, and mayo. It’s perfect to eat with grilled meats or fresh bread. Feel free to leave a comment about this classic Russian Salad.

Jamie Oliver Russian Salad Ingredients

How to make jamie oliver russian salad.

• Fill a big pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add the peeled potatoes and let them boil for 5-10 minutes. 
• Next, add the carrot and eggs, continuing to boil for another 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are soft. 
• Drain the water and let everything cool for a bit. Cut the potatoes and carrots into small pieces. Remove the shells from the eggs and chop them up. 

Hamdi Saidani

Hamdi Saidani has been a food and recipe blogger for more than 5 years years. He specializes in creating and recreating recipes from top chefs, making them easy to follow and accessible for home cooks.

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Russian / Olivier Salad

Russian / Olivier Salad. Maria Polna / pxhere / 2020 / CC0 1.0

Russian Salad, aka Olivier Salad, is a bound potato salad with many variations.

Russian Salad is incredibly popular in Russia, where it is referred to as “Olivier Salad”. There, it is a staple at all celebrations that involve food, particularly at New Year .

Russian Salad bears no relation to Russian Salad Dressing .

See also: Bound Salads , Salad Potatoes

In its most basic form, Russian Salad is diced potatoes and cooked vegetables mixed in mayonnaise . The vegetables are usually diced carrot and green peas , often canned or frozen.

Chopped meat is sometimes added. Any further root vegetables used in addition to the potato are usually diced as well. Beyond that, all bets are off, and anything can be put in. The mayonnaise might be even swapped for oil and vinegar . This is not a contemporary whim; oil and vinegar as an alternative dressing dates from the 1800s — see Literature and Lore section.

Up until the mid-20th century, North American recipes for it almost always called for various meats to be added, along with a plethora of other things. In the last half of the twentieth-century, there seems to have been a trend to simplify it down to potatoes, peas, diced carrot, and perhaps one other vegetable.

Russian Salad has also has become popular in Spain, where tuna is added. Iranian versions usually add chicken .

Literature & Lore

“Household Hints — Russian salad is made by cutting up raw apple and every kind of available vegetable into small slices, and laying them in a shallow dish with salt, a little vinegar and pepper and the best oil. The dressing must thoroughly maturate the mixture for at least twelve hours, and then the effect will be found very agreeable.” — The Herald And Torch Light. Hagerstown, Maryland. 5 January 1880. Page 3.

“Take the breast or drumsticks of a cold roasted or boiled fowl and cut fine; slice and cut four slices of ham or six of tongue; cut the meat in slivers; slice six good-sized potatoes; mince finely one sour apple; mix all these together; make either a Mayonnaise sauce or an oil and vinegar dressing; decorate with beetroot and olives; an excellent addition is two anchovies cut fine; do not add an onion, though the true Russian salad ought to have it.” — Russian Salad. In “Domestic Matters” column. Racine Daily Argus. Racine, Wisconsin. 9 November 1880. Page 3.

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