Make the Perfect Russian Salad

Russian salads are a very good substitute for your mid-morning cravings for something creamy and wholesome food. And to add to its one of many benefits, it is also stuffed with loads of vitamins and minerals making it a very healthy option in comparison to your other supplements! Russian salads are absolutely tasty and creamy and rich in fibres. This is a simple salad invented in the 18th century by Lucien Olivier and has been widely recreated throughout Eastern Europe since then. It is known by many names such as “Ensalada Rusa” or “Olivier Salad” or “Salad Olivieh” over the globe. 

Origin Of The Russian Salad

Russian Salad (Ensalada Rusa) was invented by Lucien Olivier in a Moscow restaurant called Hermitage in the 1860s. It became very popular in Russia and now has made its way around the world as people started to look out for healthy detoxifying dishes which can also be tasty. Now it has become a main dish even on Holidays, gatherings, birthday parties etc., for people who prefer a nutritional diet intake. The Russian salads are customized according to the country people’s needs. Some recipes are pure veg, some include eggs in it although the original Russian Potato Salad is said to have included cubed meat or ham, making it a complete meal. Its local variations can be found in almost any Eastern European Country from Ukraine, Bulgaria to Poland and Hungary.

Russian Salad – A Brief

Russian salad is a popular Russian entree made with diced vegetables and mayonnaise dressing.

It is plainly called the veg salad and also sometimes as the Olivier salad as the original version was invented by Lucien Olivier. It is a very easy salad which can be swiftly made for any last-minute gatherings or meal options. The Russian salad can be also prepared as a complimentary dish along with your regular meals as it offers a refreshing and light feel on the stomach and to your body. Over the course of the centuries, different regions of Eastern Europe and the world have developed their own variations of this salad so you are free to experiment with your own ingredient choices but the core ingredients being: potatoes, carrots, pickles, onions, peas, and a mayonnaise-based dressing for a pure vegetarian salad.

Variations Of The Russian Salad

In countries like Ukraine and Bulgaria, the original recipe of the Russian Salad is followed which will consist of some kind of meat, ham or bologna included in it. In Poland, the Russian salad is famously known as “Salatka Jarzynowa”, but don’t bother with it if you don’t like root vegetables in your food like parsnip or celery root or occasionally even a chopped apple. 

Some like their salad spicy and some like it sweet so do your experiment on it with your favourite ingredients dipped in some sweet mayonnaise and enjoy! 

The Russian Salad – Recipe

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: European, Russian

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Cooling off: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

 Servings: 8

Calories: 335 kcal

Ingredients

The list of ingredients for this Russian Olivier Salad is very short and is always available in your pantry. This nutritionally rich bowl of Russian salad is packed with eggs but it can be an optional ingredient since a lot of people might prefer it while some not.

• 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

The preparation of the Russian Salad is effortless. However, it is a little time consuming as the recipe requires for every ingredient to be chopped and the eggs and vegetables to be cooked separately. The eggs need to be cooked and cooled off before the chopping. Once all the ingredients are ready for mixing, the recipe comes together within a minute. 

Step 1: Place eggs in a pot of cold water and bring to a boil before cooking it for 10 minutes. Remove the eggs from the water and let them completely cool off before peeling the outer shell off.

Step 2: Place the potatoes and carrots in a pot of water without peeling or chopping them. Add a teaspoon of salt and bring them to a boil. Cook them for about 20-25 minutes or until the vegetables are fork-tender. Remove water and let them cool off fully before peeling.

Step 3: Peel and chop the pickles (peeling is optional for pickles)

Step 4: Chop the onions into sizes that you desire.

Step 5: Strain and rinse the canned peas.

Step 6: Peel and chop the eggs, potatoes and carrots into cubes.

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

Step 8: In a small bowl make the dressing sauce by combining mayonnaise with mustard

and pepper. Add them into the salad ingredients and mix it all together.

Step 9: Add salt to your mayonnaise mixture if needed after dressing the salad.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 335 kcal

Carbohydrates: 20 g  

Protein: 9 g 

Fat: 24 g 

Saturated Fat: 4 g 

Cholesterol: 134 mg  

Sodium: 486 mg 

Potassium: 596 mg  

Fibre: 5 g  

Sugar: 5 g 

Vitamin A: 4360 IU  

Vitamin C: 27.3 mg  

Calcium: 76 mg  

Iron: 4 mg

Purchase Links to Equipments Needed To Make The Russian Salad:

Large pot for boiling vegetables and medium pot for boiling eggs – Boiling Pot

Cutting Board- Cutting Board

Set of Knives- Knives set

Colander – Colander

Large Glass Bowl – Large Mixing Bowl

Small mixing bowl – Small Mixing Bowl

Large mixing spoon to combine all together- Neem Spoon set

Russian salad will stay at its best quality for about 6 to 9 months when it is refrigerated continuously. The Russian dressing is similar to the Thousand Island or French dressing. Feel free to experiment with different ingredients that you like. Some people omit the creamy sauce of mayonnaise and rather have it clear. So you do you and happy eating!