Russian Olivier salad recipe (салат оливье) (2024)

Russian Olivier salad is the classic Russian potato salad with eggs, carrots, pickles, sweet peas and a fresh, bright mayonnaise dressing. Make this vegetarian olivye Russian salad recipe and fall in love with Russian food!

Russian Olivier salad was one of the first dishes I learned to make as a child. My vegetarian Olivier salad is both an ode to the original, but made into a lighter, healthier and meat-free modern Olivier salad. Instead of plain mayo, my Russian Olivier salad recipe uses white wine vinegar and grainy French mustard. We set aside the ham, bologna, chicken and calf's liver that are used in the meat recipe, but keep the hard-boiled egg that give the salad its protein. And for pickles, I use my homemade spicy garlic pickles, though you can use your favourite store-bought brand.

My vegetarian Russian Olivier salad is a filling, hefty meal that will satisfy any household.

What is so special about this Olivier salad recipe?

This is my favorite way to make this traditional Russian salad, because it is:

• vegetarian
• full of good veggies
• quick to make - I have a simple method for cooking all the vegetables at once
• healthier - I make some suggestions how you can lighten this salad
• becomes a moreelegant salad - I use white wine vinegar in my salad, which is completely unique
• has more zest - I use grainy mustard in my dressing, try it and fall in love!

What is Russian Olivier salad?

Russian Olivier Salad (салат оливье) is as native to Russian cuisine as potatoes. In fact, the famous salad is the Russian version of the American potato salad - but zestier, mellower and more full of sweet, contrastic flavors!

Russian Olivier salad is a classic salad dish that originated in Russia during the 19th century. It is also known as "Russian Salad" or "Olivier Salad". The ingredients usually include boiled potatoes, diced vegetables such as carrots and peas, eggs, pickles, and either beef or chicken. It is usually dressed with mayonnaise and served cold.

While it originated in Russian, Olivier salad has since become popular all over the world due to its easy preparation and delicious taste. The flavors of the vegetables combined with the tangy dressing make it a favorite side dish for many people. Russian Olivier salad is a great way to liven up any meal and can be customized with different types of vegetables or proteins to suit your tastes.

The history of Olivye Salad

The traditional Russian potato salad, Olivieh salad, is full of myth and legend. I have heard stories that it came from the estate of a Russian nobleman, whose French chef constantly regaled him with fantastical French dishes. When one salad became so well-liked it turned into a regular feature, the nobleman name it after the chef - Olivier salad. However, any relation between the dish and classical French cuisine remained completely accidental.

The true story was likely quite a bit different. Olivier salad was allegedly born out of the hands of a Belgian chef, Lucien Olivier, who worked at the fabled Hermitage restaurant in Moscow. Though the original recipe was a closely guarded secret, one of Olivier's entrepreneurial sous chefs once spied the salad ingredients needed for its preparation; that sous cheflater left Hermitage and went to work for another Moscow restaurant, where he began to serve a salad of a dubiously similar make-up. The rest is history.

Today, no one serves Olivier salad as it was originally made. The seven or so meats of the originalhave been replaced by ham, and maybe chicken. The fabled dressinggave way to store-bought mayonnaise. And the recipe is far from being a guarded secret anymore.

When to Serve Olivier Potato Salad?

Olivier potato salad is most often served on Russian New Year's Eve.

The twinkling light of candles. Yourgrandmother's laughter. The clinking sound made by two glasses of champagne, meeting. Your sister's sigh of exasperation. The scrape of a fork over a porcelain plate. Your mother's gentle reproach. Juice pouring from a carafe, ice and liquid mingling into one rhapsody. Your father's loud, booming voice, halfway through a joke.

Just like no Russian New Year's Evedinner would be complete without these, so it wouldn't be complete without Olivier salad. My vegetarian Olivier salad is so good, it won't have you missing the cow's tongue and crayfish tails of the original.

A Russian hit in Latin America: Ensalada RusaandSalada Russa

Though salad Olivier may have originated in Russia, by now this salad made its way all over the globe. It's understandably popular in Ukrainian cuisine, but I was most surprised to find it in Argentina.

This Russian recipe is known across Latin America asEnsalada RusaandSalada Rusa. It is a common delicacy in Colombian cuisine, where my husband is from, as well as in Peru, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Brazil and Argentina.

In these countries, Olivier potato salad has been adapted with local ingredients to fit the palate of Latin American cuisine. The addition of spices like cumin and chili powder gives the salad an extra kick that makes it stand out from other salads. The creamy texture of the mayonnaise is often combined with sour cream to make a crema, and the different textures of the vegetables make Ensalada Rusa a popular choice amongst locals and tourists alike. Whether served as an appetizer or side dish, Ensalada Rusa is sure to be a hit at any Latin American gathering!

Ingredients for a vegetarian Olivier Salad

• Potatoes- Any type of tater will do! I prefer Yukon gold or red potatoes as they hold their form when cooked and don't get too mushy if you accidentally overcook them.
• Carrots- Any form of carrots are acceptable here, excluding the mini peeled ones.
• Eggs - hard boiled eggs are the protein in this vegetarian version of the beloved Russian classic. You can omit them for a vegan Olivier Salad.
• Dill pickles - these give a great zing and acidity to the salad. Don't skip them! I recommend using homemade dill pickles. For another Russian salad using pickled vegetables, try my Vinaigrette salad.
• Onion- you can use a sweet white onion or a yellow onion.
• Peas - I usually use frozen peas because I like their firm texture and sweet flavor, but you can use also canned peas is that's what you have on hand.
• Mayonnaise - Russian mayonnaise is the classic dressing for this simple salad. You can lighten your salad by using half mayo, half sour cream.
• grainy mustard- this is one of my two secret ingredients. Otherwise, you can also use spicy Russian mustard or horseradish.
• French white wine vinegar - this works to make the salad sweeter and more effervescent. Much better than white vinegar, and takes the salad to a new level!
• Fresh garlic - adds depth to the salad
• Fresh dill (optional) - this adds freshness to the salad, and makes it look nice. But you can skip if you find it too strong!

Equipment

• 1Large pot
• 1Chef's Knife
• 1Cutting Board
• 1 Small saucepan

How to make Russian Olivier Salad

FAQ

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