Russian Salad (Olivier Salad)

Russian Salad (also known as Olivier Salad, Salad Olivieh, or Rus Salatasi) is a simple, colorful, and delicious side dish originating from Russia.

This fresh and creamy Russian potato salad is perfect for holiday celebrations such as Easter, Christmas, or New Year's Eve.

It is also great to serve at BBQ parties, the perfect side dish to Air Fryer Sausage, or as a filling for delicious Turkish street food Kumpir - Turkish Baked Potato.

Jump to:

• What is Russian Salad Olivier?
• Why This Recipe Works?
• Ingredients You'll Need
• How to Make Russian Olivier Salad?
• Top Tips From the Chef
• How to Serve Russian Salad?
• Recipe Variations
• Recipe FAQs
• Related Recipes
• Russian Salad (Olivier Salad)

In Turkey, the Russian Salad is known as "Rus salatası" or "American salad" and is usually served as part of a meze platter along with Cerkez Tavugu- Circassian Chicken, Mucver - Crispy Zucchini Fritters, and Tirokafteri (Spicy Whipped Feat Dip).

The Turkish version consists of diced and boiled carrots and potatoes, diced cucumber pickles, boiled peas, and mayonnaise.

This creamy potato salad recipe is also commonly used as a filling for sandwiches and Kumpir (Turkish-style jacket potato).

Russian salad has become popular in other countries as well, including Spain (Ensaladilla Rusa), and in many Latin American countries, where it is a common side dish.

What is Russian Salad Olivier?

Russian Salad - also known as Olivier Salad - Salad Olivier is a popular side dish traditionally served during special occasions or festive holidays such as Easter, Christmas, and New Year's Eve celebrations.

This popular dish originated in Russia in the 19th century.

It typically includes simple ingredients such as boiled potatoes, carrots, pickles, and peas.

The ingredients are mixed together and dressed with mayonnaise, along with other seasonings like salt, pepper, and vinegar.

Some versions of this famous salad contain cubed ham or chicken and hard-boiled eggs but I prefer it without them.

The original Russian Salad recipe was a closely guarded secret, and many variations of the dish emerged over time.

However, the basic ingredients included boiled potatoes, carrots, pickles, and either ham or beef tongue, all finely chopped and mixed together with a rich dressing made from mayonnaise, vinegar, and mustard.

Russian Salad quickly became a staple dish in Russian cuisine and was particularly popular among the wealthy aristocracy.

It was also served in other European countries, and its popularity eventually spread to other parts of the world.

Same as Russian Honey Cake - Medovik, this famous Russian Salad was and maybe still is the most traditional dish for the home New Year celebration for Russian people and former Soviet Union people.

Why This Recipe Works?

• Russian Olivier Salad is perfect for family gatherings, special celebrations as well as BBQs and picnics.

• You can prepare the vegetables a couple of days in advance and mix them all up before serving.

• The leftovers of this traditional Russian potato salad would be kept for up to 3 days when refrigerated in an airtight container.

• This creamy, fresh, and light salad is the perfect alternative to standard potato salad.

• You can easily transform this vegetarian salad into a vegan-friendly one by using vegan mayonnaise for the dressing.

Ingredients You'll Need

Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.

• Potatoes - You can use any type of potatoes you would use for your regular Potato Salad recipes. Some recipes recall boiling the whole potato and dicing it after it is cooked. I prefer dicing them before cooking, saves me time and they keep their shape better.

• Carrots

• Cornichons, sweet pickles, or dill pickles

• Peas - I prefer frozen peas but you can use fresh peas (cooked until soft) or canned peas.

• Sweetcorn - Optional, I like the texture, color, and sweetness they add to this colorful salad.

• Fresh herbs - fresh dill and flat-leaf parsley are my favorite herbs for this Russian salad.

• Mayonnaise - Homemade mayonnaise provides the best flavor. However, you can use a high-quality good mayonnaise for the dressing with an addition of a teaspoon of mustard!

How to Make Russian Olivier Salad?

This recipe is very easy to make with a few ingredients you might already have in hand.

However, you need to follow a few simple steps - tips to achieve the best results:

Prepare the Vegetables

Peel and dice the carrots, place them in a saucepan filled with cold water, and bring them to a boil on medium heat.

Let the carrots cook for 10 minutes while preparing the potatoes.

Peel and dice the potatoes and then add them to the pan with half-cooked carrots. 

Cook the potatoes and carrots together for another 10 minutes while preparing/chopping the rest of the ingredients. 

Chop the cornichons into small cubes and finely chop the herbs while the potatoes and carrots are cooking, set them aside. 

When the potatoes and carrots are almost cooked, add the frozen peas and sweetcorn to the pan, and cook them together for a few more minutes.

You can check the doneness of the vegetables with a small knife.

Drain the cooked vegetables, place them on a colander, and let them cool down before building your salad. 

Combine and Serve

When the vegetables are cooled down, place them in a large bowl and then add mayonnaise, salt, paprika, and black pepper along with the chopped dill and parsley.

Give it a good stir and transfer it to a serving bowl. 

Refrigerate your salad for at least half an hour before garnishing it with some fresh herbs and serving.

Top Tips From the Chef

• If you have the time, cook the vegetables a couple of hours or a day ahead to give them enough time to cool to room temperature.

• Add some mustard to your Russian potato salad if using store-bought mayonnaise instead of homemade!

• Decorate your salad with hard-boiled eggs, black olives, and/or slices of cooked beetroot for an impressive presentation for your special gatherings.

• This recipe yields 6 portions as a side dish. You can half the recipe as well as double or triple it by using the buttons on the recipe card.

How to Serve Russian Salad?

Russian Salad (Salad Olivier) is perfect on its own with a nice piece of Bazlama (Turkish Flatbread).

You can also serve this versatile salad as a side dish with a variety of accompaniments.

Here are a few suggestions for what to serve with Russian salad:

Air Fryer Sausage, Lahana Sarmasi - Turkish Cabbage Rolls, Shish Tawook (Turkish Chicken Kebab), Oven Roasted Turkey with Gravy, or Baked Turkish Meatballs.

Recipe Variations

Russian Salad is a versatile dish with various regional and cultural preparations.

In Turkey, the Russian Salad is known as "Rus salatası" or "American salad". It consists of diced and boiled carrots and potatoes, diced cucumber pickles, boiled sweet peas, and mayonnaise.

In Spain, it is known as Ensaladilla Rusa, and it is typically made with boiled potatoes, carrots, and peas, mixed with mayonnaise, tuna, and olives.

The Italian version is called Insalata Russa, and it is usually made with boiled vegetables, such as carrots, peas, and potatoes, mixed with mayonnaise, and sometimes with tuna or ham.

In Pakistan, Russian Salad is known as Chicken and Vegetable Salad, and it is typically made with boiled chicken, mixed with boiled vegetables, such as potatoes, peas, and carrots, and mayonnaise

Recipe FAQs

Related Recipes

For more colorful and delicious salad recipes why not try:

Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

I hope you enjoy the process of making this colorful and creamy Russian Potato Salad as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂 

Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!