Some salads are a meal in themselves. Here is a salad Mama used to fix during Christmas instead of boiled vegetables and béchamel sauce. It is a blend of diced boiled vegetables, boiled eggs, and raw apples served chilled.
The salad was created in the 18th century by Lucien Olivier, a Russian chef of Belgian-French descent who owned a restaurant in the early 1860s in Moscow. It was called Olivier Salad or Russian salad. Variations of the salad spread all over Eastern Europe and eventually worldwide.
This recipe is one version of it. Please read the notes before you start.
Olivier Salad / Russian Salad
Some salads are a meal in themselves. Here is a versatile one—a delicious blend of diced boiled vegetables, boiled eggs, and raw apples served chilled.
Ingredients
- 6 hard-boiled eggs (peeled and cut into medium cubes - ½ inch more or less)
- 1½ cups boiled peas and carrots (cooked al dente - I use a 12 oz mixed frozen package)
- 2 large boiled potatoes (peeled and cut into cubes - about 3 cups)
- 2 medium Granny Smith apples (peeled and cut into cubes)
- 1¼ cup mayonnaise (homemade or store-bought, your choice)
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp black or white ground pepper
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 can sliced beetroot (for garnish - you can also boil a fresh beetroot, al dente, peel, and use)
Instructions
- When all the boiled ingredients are cooled, transfer them to a large bowl, except for the sliced beetroot.
- Add the mayonnaise, sprinkle with pepper and salt, then gently mix all the ingredients until well coated.
- Pour into a serving dish.
- Garnish the salad with the sliced beetroot any way you like. I like to circle them in the corners of the salad so that the beetroot does not stain the salad before it is set on the table.
Notes
The eggs and potatoes should be boiled separately.
If you are using separate packets of frozen peas or carrots or fresh peeled and diced carrots and peas, boil them separately (or zap them in the microwave).
The potatoes, apples, and eggs should be about the same-sized cubes.
The vegetables should be at room temperature or chilled before tossing the salad. This step can also be done a day ahead and refrigerated.
Transfer all the boiled vegetables, except the beetroot, into a large bowl, and refrigerate until ready to serve. Then garnish with the sliced beetroot.