Classic Olivier Salad
Diana Diaz
Olivier Salad
A classic Olivier salad with diced potatoes, carrots, eggs, pickles, peas, bologna, and a light mayonnaise dressing.
Nutrition (per serving)
Olivier salad is the familiar Russian holiday salad built from small, even cubes of tender potatoes, carrots, eggs, pickles, peas, and bologna bound with mayonnaise. The flavor is mild, savory, and gently tangy, with every spoonful getting a little starch, crunch, and richness.
The most important detail is texture. Boil the vegetables until they are just tender, cool them completely, and cut everything into similar pieces so the salad feels neat rather than mashed. Pickles bring the needed brightness, while a little Dijon mustard keeps the dressing from tasting heavy.
This version follows the classic home style made with bologna or cooked sausage, canned peas, hard-boiled eggs, and a simple mayonnaise dressing. It tastes best after a short chill, which lets the potatoes absorb the seasoning while the cubes still hold their shape.
Serve Olivier cold as a starter, side dish, or part of a holiday table with bread, roast meats, smoked fish, or other salads. Leftovers keep well for a day or two when refrigerated, though the texture is best on the day it is mixed.
Ingredients
- Yukon Gold potatoes:1 1/2 lb
- Carrots:3
- Large eggs:4
- Bologna or cooked sausage:12 oz
- Dill pickles:1 1/2 cups
- Canned peas, drained:1 1/2 cups
- Mayonnaise:3/4 cup
- Dijon mustard:1 tsp
- Fine salt:3/4 tsp
- Black pepper:1/4 tsp
- Fresh dill, chopped:2 tbsp
Instructions
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Place the potatoes and carrots in a saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to a steady boil.
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Cook for 18 to 25 minutes, removing the carrots when tender and continuing the potatoes until a knife slides in easily without breaking them apart.
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In a separate small saucepan, cover the eggs with water, simmer for 10 minutes, then cool them in cold water and peel.
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Drain the vegetables, cool completely, and peel the potatoes if the skins are tough or loose.
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Dice the potatoes, carrots, eggs, bologna, and pickles into small, even cubes about the size of the peas.
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Add the diced ingredients to a large bowl with the drained peas and chopped dill.
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Stir the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then fold the dressing gently through the salad.
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Taste and adjust with more salt, pepper, or a spoonful of pickle brine if the salad needs more brightness.
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Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving cold.
Tips & Notes
- Cool the cooked vegetables fully before dicing so the cubes stay clean and do not crumble.
- Use firm dill pickles rather than sweet pickles for the classic savory-tangy balance.
- For a slightly lighter salad, replace a few tablespoons of mayonnaise with plain yogurt or sour cream.
