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Home » Olivier Salad Recipe – Classic Russian Salad

Olivier Salad Recipe – Classic Russian Salad

Last Updated on April 26, 2021 By Vicky 11 Comments

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Olivier Salad is a 7 ingredient traditional Russian salad – made with boiled veggies, eggs, and chicken or meat of choice. Think of this as a Russian potato salad. 

Olivier Salad

This is a traditional Russian Olivier salad – and it’s one of my favorites Russian recipes.

First order of business is a lesson in pronunciation. In English this salad seems to be called “olivier” but that’s not how it’s pronounced in Russian.

Phonetically it sounds like this, o-liv-yea, but in English is seems to translate as olivier salad. And salad is sa-lat in Russian, emphasis on the second syllable. Who knows where that additional R came from, but even if you call this a Russian salad, I am sure most people will immediately assume you’re thinking of this one.

What’s in Olivier Salad?

  • potatoes
  • carrots
  • eggs
  • peas
  • pickles
  • some sort of meat
  • mayonnaise

When I make this salad I prefer to use leftover boiled chicken from making stock.

Various meats can be used instead of chicken though – ham and a Russian type of bologna are frequently added. And every family has their own version of making this salad. Some people add apples, or crab or onions. My family has never added any of these ingredients so my ideal olivier salad will not have those present.

One thing everybody does agree on is the dressing – this has to always be mayonnaise, and a generous amount.

Yes the combination of boiled veggies, pickles and eggs may sound a tad bit peculiar but it all comes together fabulously.

When I was little I used to always eat this salad at large gatherings and celebrations – birthdays, holidays, etc. You simply cannot have a Russian New Years party without olivier salad at the table. It’s always there and in high demand. This iconic salad just makes me think of good time spent with family sitting around a table sharing stories and celebrating the holidays.

But the recipe is simple enough to serve daily as well, think of it as a different potato salad.

Why This Olivier Salad is the best:

  • classic family recipe passed down by generations
  • hearty potato salad
  • easy to make in advance and tastes even better the next day
  • perfect picnic or potluck dish

Can you make this salad in advance?

Absolutely! The flavors develop and I find it always tastes better the next day anyway. You can also combine the ingredients but add the dressing when ready to eat.

How to make my Olivier Salad:

To make this salad you first need to boil the potatoes, carrots and eggs. I always boil both the carrots and potatoes without peeling them. So you’ll need to add the potatoes to a pot of cold water, with enough water to cover them, bring that to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until soft when pierced with a fork. This should take around 15-20 minutes. You’ll do the same with the carrots.

The eggs will be boiled until hard boiled – about 10 minutes.

Once the veggies are cooked, and cooled you need to peel the carrots, potatoes and eggs and finely dice them.

The key to this salad is that every item is cut up the same. The size must be the same for you to be able to get a forkful of all the different ingredients all at once.

Dice the pickles and chicken breast or meat of choice and mix everything together in a large bowl with the peas. Add salt and pepper to taste and refrigerate until ready to serve. Add the mayonnaise when ready to serve and enjoy!

Recipe Tips:

  • Finely Dice all the ingredients to be the same size
  • Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving as this salad is meant to be served cold
  • Prepare the salad in advance and add the mayonnaise dressing within a few hours before serving
  • Salad leftovers will keep for a few days in the fridge and can be eaten plain or on bread
  • My family always makes this salad using Israeli pickles which are super briny and complement the boiled veggies perfectly.

Recipe Variations:

  • Diced green apples, onions and crab can also be added to this recipe
  • For a low carb version omit the potatoes and use cooked cauliflower instead
  • For a nightshade free version use diced gigante beans instead

While to the American eye this may seem like an odd salad it is a true Russian classic recipe that all Russians know.

Normally this is a frequent addition to gatherings and home parties but this olivier salad would make for the perfect picnic or potluck addition. Think of it as a cold potato salad with a bit of an Eastern European flair. This is hands down one of my favorite Russian traditional recipes and one that I’ve been eating ever since I learned how to chew.

Let me know what you think of this salad in the comments below!

For more Russian recipes be sure to check out my beet salad and my vinegret.

5 from 1 vote
Print
Olivier Salad
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
 

A classic Russian salad also known as Olivier salad present at all family gatherings and holidays. I have literally been eating this salad since I started chewing so this is a classic and a favorite! 

Course: Entrée Salad, Salad
Cuisine: Russian
Keyword: russian salad
Servings: 4
Calories: 189 kcal
Author: Vicky
Ingredients
  • 2 potatoes boiled, and peeled
  • 2 small carrots boiled
  • 3 eggs hard boiled
  • 1/2 can sweet peas
  • 2 pickles
  • 1 chicken breast boiled (or do I say poached?)
  • mayonnaise as much as you're comfortable with
Instructions
  1. *To prepare potatoes - add unpeeled potatoes to a pot of cold water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook until potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork (15-20 minutes) - drain, rinse with cold water, and peel the skin off.

  2. *To prepare carrots - add unpeeled carrots to a pot of cold water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook until carrots are soft when pierced with a fork (15-20 minutes) - drain, rinse with cold water, and peel the skin off.

  3. *To prepare eggs - add eggs to a pot of cold water (make sure water is completely covering the eggs) bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 10 minutes, rinse with cold water, and peel.
  4. Dice the potatoes, eggs, pickles, chicken and carrots (make sure everything is diced to be the same size) Add salt and pepper to taste.

  5. Add mayonnaise (no more than a few hours before serving). Refrigerate until ready to eat.
Nutrition Facts
Olivier Salad
Amount Per Serving
Calories 189 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Cholesterol 158mg53%
Sodium 428mg19%
Potassium 821mg23%
Carbohydrates 17g6%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 19g38%
Vitamin A 5350IU107%
Vitamin C 14.9mg18%
Calcium 77mg8%
Iron 4.4mg24%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Comments

  1. Mary says

    May 12, 2011 at 8:17 pm

    Love this salad! It is very popular in Russia, to be sure. Over there, they always diced up the ingredients very small.

    Reply
  2. Diana says

    May 13, 2011 at 6:56 am

    Hello, Vicky!!) Its Diana, your brother`s girlfriend.I try to practise my English a little))
    If it is interesting to you, in my family we add onions with it salad gets more interesting taste, but this my opinion.

    Reply
    • AvocadoPesto says

      May 13, 2011 at 8:16 am

      Hey Diana, my dad doesn’t like the salad with onions so my mom never added them, but I have heard of a lot of people adding onions.

      Reply
    • Maria says

      October 6, 2019 at 11:31 am

      Hello,
      I have eaten this salad many times in Georgia (Tbilisi), I love it.
      But I’m missing the fresh dill in your recipe .
      It’s the finishing touch to it in my opinion.

      Reply
      • Vicky says

        October 7, 2019 at 7:34 am

        Great point! Dill is a key herb in all Russian recipes!

        Reply
  3. mila furman says

    November 23, 2015 at 5:26 pm

    I think I must be the only Russian I know that does not like Olivye 🙂 I like how you use chicken in yours and not doctoskaya like some people 🙂

    Reply
    • Vicky says

      November 23, 2015 at 9:51 pm

      Oh no I can’t believe you don’t like it! I love it, though I rarely make it nowadays and usually only eat it at big Russian family gatherings now! But I always use chicken – NOT a fan of doctorskaya kolbasa – something about it just freaks me out.

      Reply
  4. Jelena says

    February 16, 2017 at 8:56 am

    Here in Serbia we call it Russian salad 🙂 it’s a must for every family event, slava or Christmas, I’m so glad you posted this recipe! In the picture you posted it looks like you went easy on the mayo, here we serve it completely drenched in mayo. It is often used as a sandwich filling, too. And I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like it 🙂

    Reply
    • Vicky says

      February 21, 2017 at 3:41 am

      That’s interesting that you call it the Russian salad in Serbia! Did not know it was so popular there! Definitely one of my favorite Russian recipes!

      Reply
  5. Allison says

    March 26, 2018 at 1:56 pm

    5 stars
    This looks yummy!

    Reply

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