Olivier Salad, or Russian potato salad, is a meal on its own. Loaded with lots of vegetables, meats and eggs and finished with creamy mayo, this Russian salad is so satisfying and filling!
While I was born and raised in Mongolia, I grew up in a small Russian community. And inevitably, Russian cuisine was part of my childhood.
You can’t imagine Russian cuisine without Olivier salad/Салат Оливье. Actually, it’s not just Russian, it’s a Slavic thing. And because Mongolia was heavily influenced by Russian culture, this Russian salad is also very popular in Mongolia.
It’s a staple at every holiday dinner table, especially on New Year’s Eve.
And I’m SO excited to share with you my version of this Russian potato salad recipe.
WHAT IS OLIVIER SALAD/RUSSIAN POTATO SALAD?
Russian potato salad, also known as Olivier Salad, is more than just a potato salad. It’s basically a loaded potato salad with lots of add-ins like meats, peas and carrots, hard-boiled eggs and fresh herbs.
I don’t believe there’s one and only traditional version of this salad. Every family has their own variation.
- Some use bologna, others use smoked sausage.
- And some use pickles, others use fresh cucumbers.
- Some cook the potatoes and carrots and then dice them. Some dice them and then cook them.
And that’s the beauty fo this salad. You can try it as written first, and then adjust it to your own liking.
- Not a dill fan? Add parsley then.
- Want more mayo? Add more mayo.
- Sub red onion for the scallions.
- Use your favorite sausage, salami, or even cooked chicken.
Choice is yours. I personally like to use summer sausage in my potato salad.
HOW TO MAKE RUSSIAN POTATO SALAD:
Step 1. Cook the vegetables.
- I like to dice the potatoes and carrots first and then cook them. It’s a sticky mess to cut cooked potatoes, I don’t like that.
TIP: Since it’s easy to overcook the diced potatoes and turn them into a mush. And to prevent that, add half a tablespoon of white vinegar in the water and your potato cubes will hold the shape perfectly!
Step 2. Hard boil eggs.
- And if you’re not a fan of peeling cooked eggs, try this genius trick for no-peel hard-boiled eggs!
Step 3. Prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- While potatoes and carrots are cooking, chop up onions, sausage, pickles and herbs.
Step 4. Mix everything up.
- Now, the easy part. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix everything up.
And your hearty Russian salad is ready to be devoured!
While you can serve this potato salad right away, I like it when it’s nicely chilled.
By the way, it’s a perfect make-ahead salad!
I love this Olivier salad! It brings warm and fuzzy feeling from my childhood and holiday spirit whenever I make it.
I usually make a huge batch, and enjoy bowlfull for several days. It keeps really well in the fridge. Actually, the longer it sits, the better it becomes.
Merry Christmas, my dear friends! May your home be filled with love, laughter and wonderful memories! Cheers!
Russian Potato Salad (Салат Оливье)
Ingredients
- 4 medium potatoes about 2lbs/900gr, washed and peeled, if desired
- 3 medium carrots about 10oz/300gr, washed and peeled
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ tablespoon white vinegar Note 1
- 4 hard-boiled eggs Note 2
- 7 oz 200gr summer sausage (Note 3)
- 4 oz 100gr dill pickles
- 1 can 15oz sweet peas, drained
- 1 teaspoon dill paste or fresh dill
- 4-5 green onions Note 4
- 1 cup mayo
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut the potatoes and carrots into small uniform cubes.
- Place them in a large pot and fill with water.
- Add salt and vinegar. Bring it to a boil over medium high heat, and then reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook until the potatoes are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and let it cool to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, cut the sausage and pickles into small cubes, and chop the green onions.
- Cut the hard-boiled eggs into small cubes as well.
- If using fresh dill, chop them as well.
- In a large bowl, combine potatoes, carrots, sausage, pickles, peas and green onions.
- Add mayo and dill and mix until well combined.
- Salt and pepper to taste. Cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Tips & Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on December 24, 2014, and last updated on May 11, 2020.
I made this for a 4th of July Party and it received rave reviews. It was absolutely delicious. I made it as written. It’ll be my go-to potato salad recipe from here. The sweetness of the peas and carrots plays so well with the salty from the summer sausage and pickles. The whole salad just works really well together.
So happy you tried and loved the recipe, Jeannine!! Thank you for your review!
How many servings does this make?
8-10 servings.
Love this version. I originally got this recipe from my Guatemalan born sister in law. Her version for ensalada russo (Russian salad) is cubed carrots, potatoes and green beans. I fell in love with this salad 30 years ago. amazing how recipes make it around the world even without the internet. Thank you for the true Russian version.
Aww, that’s so cool!! Thank you for sharing your experience with this salad, Tina. Hope you’ll give this a try!
Delicious! Thank you. Next time I’m going to try substituting some cauliflower for the potatoes just cos I need lower carbs. I’m sure it will be just as yummy.
I love to prepare russian recipe and i loved to eat russian food.
You’ll love this salad then, Nicolas!! It’s a classic!
Can I use chicken apple sausages?
Hi, Karen. I’ve never tried this with chicken apple sausage. But bologna, summer sausage, salami are typically best for this salad. Hope this helps.
DId you try it with the chicken apple sausage? I’d love to know how it turned out
Haven’t made it yet but I’m going too.
Yay, let us know your feedback, Harlan.
This was amazing! I love potatosalad in general, and this one is definitely one of the best I have ever tasted. Thank you so much for a great receipe!
Yay, so happy you tried and loved this recipe. Thanks for your feedback, Stian!
I grew up in a home where we kept kosher do we had it as a meat dish with diced salami or as a dairy dish with sour cream or with neither, veggie and mayo. OMG my mom had to make A LOT because we’d eat it 2 meals a daddy until it was gone.
Hi, Yudita! We make a huge batch of this salad as well. Never lasts long! 🙂
This recipe is on point!! Growing up Russian, this is a true classic & your recipe is pretty amazing!! Needed some comfort today(didn’t know all exact ingredients) & thankfully found your recipe 🙂 thanks for sharing!!!
So glad you loved it, Bella. This is definitely one of the best comfort foods. 🙂 Thank you for your feedback!
This looks so good. Can’t wait to try. BTW, beautiful pictures. What kind of camera do you use?
God bless
Hi, Rebecca. Thank you for your compliment! This was shot with my Canon 60D camera.