Olivier Salad
Olivier Salad was created in the 1860s by Lucien Olivier, a Belgian-French chef who ran the Hermitage restaurant in Moscow, one of the city's most exclusive establishments at the time. The original recipe, kept strictly secret by Olivier, included luxurious ingredients such as smoked veal tongue, caviar, lobster, and capers, completely different from today's popular version. After Olivier's unexpected death, in the absence of a complete written recipe, other chefs tried to reconstruct the dish, gradually simplifying it with more accessible ingredients, especially during the Soviet period, when luxury products were hard to find. Today, Olivier Salad is considered indispensable at the New Year's table throughout the post-Soviet space, cooked in enormous quantities several days before the holiday, and many joke that without this dish, New Year's Eve simply cannot begin.
Boiled vegetables cut into small cubes
Potatoes, carrots, and hard-boiled eggs are cut into small cubes, nearly identical in size, for a uniform texture in every spoonful.
Crunchy pickled cucumbers
Finely chopped pickled cucumbers bring an essential tangy note, balancing the richness of the mayonnaise.
Ham or boiled beef
Boiled ham or boiled beef, cut into small cubes, adds the protein that turns the salad into a substantial dish.
Canned green peas
Canned green peas, well drained, are mixed in last, keeping their shape and vibrant color among the other ingredients.
Ingredients 4 servings
- 4 boiled potatoes
- 3 boiled carrots
- 4 hard-boiled eggs
- 3 pickled cucumbers
- 200 g boiled ham
- 150 g canned green peas
- 200 g mayonnaise
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- Salt to taste
How to make it
- 1The potatoes and carrots boil whole, unpeeled, in a pot of salted water, for twenty-five minutes, until easily pierced with a fork.
- 2The boiled vegetables are drained and left to cool completely, then peeled.
- 3The eggs boil hard, exactly ten minutes after the water starts boiling, then cool under cold running water and are peeled.
- 4The potatoes, carrots, and eggs are cut into small cubes, about half a centimeter, using a sharp knife for precision.
- 5The boiled ham is cut into cubes of the same size, and the pickled cucumbers are finely chopped, removing excess liquid.
- 6All the cut ingredients go into a large bowl, together with the finely chopped red onion and the well-drained green peas.
- 7Mayonnaise is added gradually over the mixture, using a large spoon to gently combine all the ingredients without crushing them.
- 8The salad is mixed well until the mayonnaise evenly coats all the pieces, and salt is adjusted to taste, carefully, since the ham and pickled cucumbers are already salty.
- 9Olivier Salad rests in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving, allowing the flavors to fully combine.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
