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 more elegant 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 chef later 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 original have been replaced by ham, and maybe chicken. The fabled dressing gave 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. Your grandmother'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 Eve dinner 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 Rusa and Salada 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 as Ensalada Rusa and Salada 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
- 1 Large pot
- 1 Chef's Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Small saucepan
How to make Russian Olivier Salad
Prep the vegetables
If using frozen peas, remove from package and thaw in room temperature.
In a large pot, place carrots and potatoes with plenty of water (you can peel them first, but I like to peel them after to keep the nutrients). Bring to a boil, and cook potatoes and carrots until easily pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes.
Cook three hard boiled eggs in a small pot of water. Cool to room temperature.
Peel potatoes, carrots and eggs (I use the back of a sharp paring knife to peel the potatoes and carrots). Dice into small cubes of uniform size.
Mix everything together
Combine diced vegetables in a large bowl with the remaining ingredients - onions, pickles, peas and the salad dressing ingredients. Mix until well combined – eggs will break a little, and that's OK – they will help flavour the sauce. Taste and correct seasonings.
Chill salad
Let sit In the fridge for at least a couple of hours, preferably overnight.
Serve Olivier Salad
Serve with a little bit of fresh dill on the side. Some households also decorate with parsley.
Storage and Make Ahead
This Russian salad is a favorite of mine because it's an easy recipe to prepare way ahead! In fact, it's best if allowed to marinate for at least a couple of hours, and preferably overnight. It's also the best salad to eat the day after a big party!
Leftover salad will keep well in an airtight container for 4 days in the refrigerator.
Top Tips
- Lighten it up! - mix half the mayo with half sour cream for a lighter, healthier Olivier salad.
- Uniform cuts - try to cut all your vegetables into uniform small cubes to avoid any single vegetables from overpowering the rest. It's also more elegant that way!
- Cool ingredients completely - set your eggs and boiled vegetables aside to cool before mixing with the dressing. This makes for a better texture and doesn't add sogginess to the salad.
- Chill salad overnight - letting the salad chill overnight in the fridge helps mellow the flavors and blends everything together. The resulting salad usually tastes better, fresher and more interesting than if you serve it the day you make it. So next time you make Russian potato salad, store Olivier salad in the fridge for a few hours, or even overnight.
Variations
If you love this classic Russian dish, here are some small variations you can try to this flexible recipe:
Latin American style - add a pinch of cumin or even chilli powder to the salad dressing for a Latin American take on this delicious salad.
Vegan Olivier Salad - when I have vegan friends joining us for dinner, I make Olivier salad with vegan mayo and omit the eggs.
Add meat - if you need more protein, you can try adding diced cubed chicken or Russian kolbassa to this salad.
FAQ
Truth be told, I wouldn't recommend it. I find that it changes the texture of the vegetables, especially the potatoes.
These days, it's common across both Russian and Ukrainian households, as well as in many other households all over the world!
It is believed that the name Russian Salad was given to the dish by French chefs who had seen it served - originally 'Salade a la Russe'.
For more Russian recipes:
For more Russian New Year's Eve food:
Make my Russian Olivier salad? Rate and comment below, pin for later, and share your creations with us on @immigrantstable!
Recipe
Tried and loved this recipe? Please leave a 5-star review below! Your reviews mean a lot to me, so if you've got any questions, please let me know in a comment.
Vegetarian Russian Olivier salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 potatoes washed and cleaned
- 2 carrots washed and cleaned
- 3 eggs
- 2 large dill pickles chopped finely
- 1 onion chopped finely
- 1 cup frozen peas defrosted
- 2 tablespoon mayonnaise or half mayo and half sour cream
- 1 tablespoon grainy mustard
- 2 teaspoons French white wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic
Instructions
- In a large pot, place carrots and potatoes with plenty of water. Bring to a boil, and cook potatoes and carrots until easily pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes. Cook three hard boiled eggs.
- Peel potatoes, carrots and eggs (I use the back of a sharp paring knife to peel the potatoes and carrots). Chop finely. Combine in a large bowl with onions, pickles, peas and dressing ingredients. Mix until well combined – eggs will break a little, and that's OK – they will help flavour the sauce. Taste and correct seasonings. Let sit In the fridge for at least a couple of hours, preferably overnight. Serve with a little bit of fresh dill on the side.
Notes
Nutrition
Lily @GastroSenses says
I could totally eat this every.single.day! There’s something about a big and frequent bowl of Olivye that’s SO comforting!
kseniaprints says
I know exactly what you mean. My boyfriend, who has not tasted Olivier until we started dating, at first eyed it suspiciously... But since he had his first taste, he keeps asking me to make big vats of it for the week! I feel like a Russian grandmother.
Francis says
I use lightly browned cubed-style hash browns for the potatoes and thawed peas & carrots mix for the veggies. A real time saver! BTW, the Olivier salad I enjoyed in Russia was served for breakfast & included chopped bologna, no onion.
kseniaprints says
Such a good shortcut! Yes, bologna is a typical addition.
Simi Jois says
When I read your blog and look at the pictures, I feel I am sitting at a dear friend's kitchen and enjoying a meal. So comforting.
kseniaprints says
Simi, you have no idea how much that means coming from you! I admire your photography so much, this is really a boost to my ego 😉
Elena says
Agree with Simi Jois! Olivier reminds me of the family New Year's dinner this year and in my mind it's paired with champagne and clementines. And sparklers! 🙂
kseniaprints says
You guys have clementines for New Year's? I never knew that was a thing until I started doing Christmas with my boyfriend's family, and his mom is British... And she explained to me that they would always get an orange in their stockings because they were so rare in the midst of winter! Coming from Israel, I guess I've been a bit spoiled - we're inundated with citrus in winter, and nothing feels more ordinary in December than eating bowlfuls of citrus.
Faith (An Edible Mosaic) says
This is such a lovely recipe, probably my very favorite type of potato salad...the addition of pickles wins my heart. Beautiful post too, and gorgeous photos! I felt like I was there with you experiencing this dish and your dinner party. And how funny, my mom used to have those same brown-rimmed, specked white plates! They remind me of my childhood. <3
kseniaprints says
Ha! I love those plates. I had a bunch in Winnipeg that I picked up from a vintage shop, but I left them behind with a friend... I now came across a few new ones in a shop. So happy with them!
As for this salad... It truly brings back so memories. The pickles are unforgettable and shouldn't be missed. So glad you like it!
Kathryn @ The Scratch Artist says
I've never heard of Olivier salad, but reading the description I know that I would like your version better. I love how this salad looks and all of the flavors you used. I also loved your opening paragraphs. Your writing is always so evocative <3
kseniaprints says
Kathryn, for some reason I identify with you so much I always forget you're not Russian! So i was really confused when you said you've never heard of Olivier salad. Ha! I do hope you'll give it a try - I'm making another batch as I'm writing this.
Berta says
Oh how much I love your photos!! It always makes me so happy to see Russian and other Eastern European foods beautifully presented, because they often seem to be overlooked 😉
I'm so excited to see how you take over The Huffington Post account!! May I ask how you received this opportunity? 🙂
kseniaprints says
Berta, I know exactly what you mean! I have a few other Russian bloggers I follow for how well they present our food. It's so heart warming to see my favourite dishes beautifully packaged for the world to see!
As for Hunffington Post, they just approached me... I'm honestly not sure! It's definitely from Instagram though.
Rose says
I, a random American, first heard about this salad in a description of Soviet New Years' traditions in some book years ago, and have been curious (albeit a little apprehensive) to try it ever since. I decided this NYE was as good a time to make it as any. It was delicious!! My grandma described it as "potato salad for the gods," haha. Thank you for the lovely recipe, and happy 2024!
kseniaprints says
This makes me so happy! I find that whenever Americans taste this salad, they really change their minds about it. It's honestly the best mayo potato salad I've ever tried, and I'm happy you (and your grandma) agree!
Francis says
They served this at breakfast every day when I was in Russia. No onion, though, and I don't use it. I use a comparable amount of frozen peas & carrots blend, steamed to cook, and cubed hash brown potatoes steamed till soft.
kseniaprints says
Very interesting! I've never seen olivier without onion.