We make Olivier Salad all the time! We make it for a birthday party, a dinner gathering with our friends and, of course, for a New Year’s dinner feast! It is a must-have for the traditional Russian New Year’s party. Cannot have the party without this on the table!
My recipe is the non-traditional Olivier Salad. My mom always made it this way and I personally like it more than the traditional Russian Potato Salad.
The difference in ingredients is not significant, but it makes a whole lot of difference in taste. The traditional salad includes cooked carrots and does not include scallions and cucumbers. I find the cucumbers give the salad a nice fresh flavor! Let me know how you like it!
Ingredients and Preparation for the Olivier Salad:
- Eggs:You will need 3 large hard-boiled eggs. Place eggs in a small pot and fill the pot with cold water, just enough to cover the eggs with about 1 inch of water over the top of the eggs. Heat the pot on high heat and bring the water to boil. Turn the heat down to low and let cook/simmer for another 12 to 14 minutes. Drain the water and run cold water over the eggs for a few minutes. Let the eggs stand in cold water until fully cooled. Once cooled, mash the eggs in a large mixing bowl.
- Potatoes:Place 2 potatoes (skin on) in a medium pot and fill the pot with cold water, just enough to cover the potatoes with about 1 inch of water over the top. Heat the pot on high heat and bring the water to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and add about 2 pinches of salt. Let cook/simmer for another 20-25 minutes. Pierce the potato with a toothpick or a fork – if they pierce easily, then they are ready. Let potatoes cool before dicing. The best way is to precook the potatoes the day before making the salad and refrigerate them overnight. Peel off the skin and dice into small cubes.
- Meat for the Olivier Salad:I used chicken bologna for this recipe. Half a pound will do, but you can add more at the end if you feel it calls for more deli. The type of meat to use for this recipe can be totally up to you. So long as it is not spicy and not dry. The best meats to use would be cooked chicken breast or deli meats, such as ham, turkey, or chicken bologna. If you are purchasing the bologna from the deli department, you can ask them to slice the deli (not too thick, in order to dice into smaller cubes). This will save you some time and make the pieces more even.
- Peas: Canned peas work great. Add one cup of drained peas. Select smaller peas if you can.
- Scallions: Wash off your eye makeup and prepare tissues! Then, and only then, thinly slice two scallions, including the white part of the green onion. Discard the root end.
- Cucumbers: Dice two medium-size cucumbers.
- Pickles: Dice 2 large pickles – I only had cute little pickles available, so I diced 7 mini ones.
- Dill: I used one tablespoon of chopped dill, but you can use as much or as little as you like.
- Mayonnaise: 2 tablespoons. If you feel the salad is too dry for you, then add a bit more. Be careful because the pickles and cucumbers release their juices and too much mayo may make the salad runny.
Dicing and Slicing the Main Ingredients:
Because there are so many different ingredients in this salad, I find it tastes better when everything is diced and sliced into small pieces rather than larger ones.
By small pieces I mean approximately 1/4 inch. This way, when you take a forkful of the salad, you have the perfect mix of all ingredients and a mouthful of flavor!
Let us know what you think of this non-traditional salad.
Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Any potato that holds its shape after being cooked works best. You don’t want any mushy potatoes in your salad! Well, at least not in this one. I always use Yukon Gold potatoes. You can use any waxy potato. They are more firm and will hold well.
Yes, you can make Olivier Salad one day ahead and store it in a container in the refrigerator. The salad can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days after preparation.
You can, but the texture may be a little different. The peas from the can are softer. If you prefer using fresh peas, make sure to buy the frozen ones and thaw.
Try these salad too:
Olivier Salad
This Olivier Salad, or Russian Potato Salad, is a must-have for the New Year's eve feast. Cannot have a party without this on your table!
This is the non-traditional recipe that I use.
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs, hard boiled
- 2 large potatoes, cooked and cubed
- 2 pinches salt, to boil potatoes
- 250 grams (0.5 lb.) chicken or turkey bologna, cubed
- 2 medium cucumbers, cubed
- 2 large pickles, cubed
- 2 scallions, diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, or to taste
- 1 cup canned peas
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Instructions
- Preparing the Eggs: Place 3 large eggs in a small pot and fill the pot with cold water, just enough to cover the eggs with about 1 inch of water over the top of the eggs. Heat the pot on high heat and bring the water to boil. Turn the heat down to low and let cook/simmer for another 12 to 14 minutes. Drain the water and run cold water over the eggs for a few minutes. Let the eggs stand in cold water until fully cooled. Once cooled, mash the eggs in a large mixing bowl.
- Preparing the Potatoes: Place 2 large potatoes (about 300 grams or 0.6 lbs), skin on, in a medium pot, and fill the pot with water, just enough to cover the potatoes with about 1 inch of water over the top. Heat the pot on high heat and bring the water to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and add about 2 pinches of salt. Let cook/simmer for another 20-25 minutes. Do not overcook. Pierce the potato with a toothpick or a fork - if they pierce easily, then they are ready. Let potatoes cool before dicing. The best way is to precook the potatoes the day before making the salad and refrigerate them overnight. Peel off the skin and dice into small cubes.
- While the eggs and potatoes are cooking, cube the bologna, cucumbers, and pickles (my personal preference is the smaller the cubes the tastier), dice the scallions and dill, and add the canned peas to the mixing bowl.
- Add two tablespoons of mayonnaise and mix all ingredients together. Add more salt and mayo to taste.
Notes
- Some like to add a little ground black pepper, to taste
- Refrigerate leftovers and consume within 2-3 days
Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 2020Total Fat 147gSaturated Fat 40gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 98gCholesterol 734mgSodium 9886mgCarbohydrates 68gFiber 8gSugar 29gProtein 107g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
