Salads
Olivier salad
For many Russian-speaking families, Olivier is the taste of New Year and every home celebration. This version, with mild cooked sausage, dill pickles and green peas, is the one most people grew up with. It is simple, but it has rules: cool the vegetables completely before dicing, cut everything the same size, and dress it with mayonnaise just before serving. Follow them and the salad stays neat and creamy instead of soggy. These amounts fill a big bowl for a family table.
Method
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Scrub the potatoes and carrots and boil them whole in their skins in salted water: potatoes 20 to 25 minutes, carrots 25 to 30, until a knife goes in easily.
Hard-boil the eggs for 10 minutes and transfer to cold water.
Let the vegetables and eggs cool completely, ideally in the fridge, about 30 to 40 minutes. Then peel them.
Cut the potatoes, carrots, eggs, sausage and pickles into even dice of about 0.7 to 1 cm. Squeeze the diced pickles lightly to remove excess juice.
Chop the onion very finely. Drain the peas in a sieve.
Put everything in a large bowl. If not serving right away, cover and chill without the mayonnaise.
Just before serving, add the mayonnaise, season with salt and pepper and fold gently. Garnish with dill.
Tips for success
- Do not dice warm vegetables: the potatoes crumble and the salad spoils faster.
- Watery Olivier comes from pickle and pea liquid. Drain both well.
- Dress only what you will eat right away. The undressed mix keeps longer.
- For a lighter taste, use half mayonnaise and half sour cream.
Serving and storage
Serve chilled in a bowl or shaped with a ring mould, garnished with dill, a few peas or half an egg.
Undressed, it keeps in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Once dressed with mayonnaise, eat within 12 hours.
Variations
- Use 300 g boiled chicken breast instead of sausage.
- Add a fresh cucumber for extra crunch and freshness.
- Replace some of the pickles with a tart apple for a lighter version.
Calories and macros
Per serving (about 290 g):
Per 100 g: 169 kcal, P 4.9, F 13, C 7.7. An estimate based on average ingredient values. Your daily calories ›
