Olivier salad: the tasty recipe

Olivier salad is a very easy recipe to make the traditional Russian potato salad or side dish throughout the year.cold appetizer, or as Christmas

Creamy and tasty, Olivier salad is basically made up of carrots, potatoes, peas, to which you can add other mixed vegetables and pickles, and mayonnaise. The vegetables are already cooked and then combined with mayonnaise, which will add flavor to the dish and help bind the vegetables thanks to its creaminess.

The Russian salad has an uncertain origin, although its creation is attributed to Lucien Olivier, a French chef of Belgian origin who worked in a famous restaurant in Moscow and who created this recipe in the second half of the 19th century.

This dish also has different names. In Germany and some Balkan countries it is called “Italian salad”, in Italy it is called “Russian salad”, while in Russia it is called “Olivier salad”, after the chef who invented it. Below we explain how to prepare this tasty recipe to delight your guests.

What is Olivier salad?

Olivier Salad (pronounced uh-li-vee-ay sa-luhd) is a classic Russian recipe for a delicious, creamy potato salad. It is better known as Russian salad or Olivye in the Ukrainian community.

Boiled potatoes, eggs, peas, carrots, onions, pickles and meat are mixed together thanks to a creamy mayonnaise.

When to Serve Russian Potato Salad
Olivier Salad is a popular recipe to enjoy during winter holidays like Christmas and New Year’s. However, you can also serve it on other special occasions or festivities such as Easter.

Tips for the best Olivier salad
If you have time you can make the mayonnaise yourself or use a store-bought one.

The vegetables should be cut gently and should be slightly crispy on the outside and not soggy. If using pickles, let them drain before adding them.

Choose fresh or frozen peas: Avoid jarred or canned peas because they contain a lot of water and are too soft.

To keep the vegetables compact and with good color, as soon as they are boiled, put them in a container with ice water for a few seconds and then let them dry on a clean cotton cloth.

Russian potato salad variants
For a vegan Olivier salad, omit the eggs and ham. Don’t omit the mayonnaise as it’s the key ingredient in this recipe, so replace it with soy or vegan mayonnaise. To add more texture, you can add boiled cauliflower.

For a vegetarian Russian salad, omit the meat.

For the protein ingredient in the Olivier salad, you can replace the ham with cooked chicken or tuna.

You can prepare Olivier salad without hard-boiled eggs.

For a light Russian potato salad, substitute Greek yogurt for the mayonnaise.

How to Store Olivier Salad
You can keep Olivier Salad for about 3 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container, but only if you have used store-bought mayonnaise. But if you have used homemade mayonnaise, it will be better to eat it the same day you prepare it or at least the next day, because the raw egg is likely to spoil.

Can you freeze Russian salad?
, just keep in mind that it will be soggy and will not retain its texture once thawed.one month

Ingredients
MEDIUM POTATOES
3 to 4
EGGS
1 a 2
SWEET ONION, CUBED
1
GREEN PEAS
150 gramsHow to make Olivier salad3PICKLED, DRAINED AND CUBED PICKLES2CARROTS150 grams MAYONNAISECAPERS150 grams
SMOKED HAM

Step 1
Boil the potatoes until soft.

Step 2
Remove the ends of the carrots, peel them and boil them until fork tender.

Step 3
Chop the boiled carrots.

Step 4
Cut the boiled potatoes into cubes.

Step 5
Boil the eggs.

Step 6
Cut the hard-boiled eggs into cubes.

Step 7
In a large bowl, add the chopped ham, potatoes, carrots, egg, drained and chopped pickles, and diced sweet onion.

Step 8
Add mayonnaise.

Step 9
Mix until combined.

Step 10
Serve and enjoy!