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No matter how much you love your own potato salad recipe, you absolutely must try mine!! It’s everyone’s favourite and a Russian classic. 

This salad goes so well with our Homemade Burgers or Smash Burgers

top down view of Russian salad Olivier
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I’ve resisted sharing this potato salad recipe, my mother has been making for decades, despite the fact that absolutely no holiday table or a summer BBQ goes without my salad Olivier.

I struggled in vain. I believe it’s time I reveal my secret. 

What is Russian Salad Olivier?

You see this recipe is loved by all. The tradition and history of this creamy potato salad dates to the 19th century imperial Russia in all its glitz and glamour.

The golden century, when Russian nobility could afford only the best of the best, so they hired the cream of the crop staff from all over Europe. And that was especially true for chefs.

French cuisine was in vogue, and that is why many old  Russian recipes like Beef Stroganoff feature elements of it, especially in the the sauces.

Back to my potato salad recipe though. What is so special about it?

potato salad on a platter with a spoon, cream napkin, a bowl with salad dressing and a bowl with herbs, dill.

It’s been created by a French chef Lucien Oliver for an upscale Moscow restaurant. It soon became so popular that the owner could never take it off the menu or people complained.

Many other chefs were ever so envious and tried to duplicate the recipe but unsuccessfully. However Monsieur Olivier never revealed the secret recipe and took it to his grave.

side view of potato salad on brown platter

Despite the fact that the the original recipe was never known, Olivier salad continued to live on. To this day it is extremely popular in all parts of Russia and former Soviet Union. It is also known in many European countries simply as “Russian salad”.

I was quite surprised to see how ubiquitous “ensalada Rusa” was all over Spanish restaurant menus. It is apparently also very popular in Iran to the point where people don’t even know know it’s not a Persian potato salad! It truly became a part of their culture.

You learn something new every day!

undressed potato salad in a stainless steel bowl

The Ingredients

Anyway, due to this salad popularity, an abundance of recipes exist. So if you’ve ever tried a different version of it, please know that is how it’s supposed to be.

Everyone puts their own spin on this potato salad as long as core ingredients remain. If you mix boiled potatoes, eggs, pickles, some sort of meat and mayonnaise, you’ve got yourself the Russian salad Oliver.

Russian salad ingredients on a platter, green onions, cutting board, herbs and salad dressing.

Why This Recipe Works

Just a few words on how my version of this Russian salad differs from so many. First of all, if you live in Russia, go ahead and use any mayonnaise you prefer. But if you don’t, then you absolutely need to make my salad dressing.

Adding This is an affiliate link.Dijon mustard and white wine vinegar makes the mayonnaise like Hellman’s taste so much better and much closer to the version I grew up with.

Traditionally ham or boiled kolbasa is used in this salad. My mum always used chicken and I prefer that, which also happens to be more historically accurate. 

I usually buy rotisserie chicken or roast chicken pieces in my supermarket as they are more flavourful then plain boiled chicken. If you can get your hands on smoked chicken, try it. Even tastier!

You can also use leftover grilled chicken thighs!

And lastly, I always, always add apple and loads of fresh herbs to my potato salad and no peas!

closeup of Russian salad Oliver

Please let me know how you make yours!! And if you try my potato salad, let me see your photos! Just tag @vikalinka in your Instagram shots and I will see them! 

More classic Russian salad recipes

5 from 4 votes

Russian Potato Salad Recipe with Chicken aka Salad Oliver

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Servings: 8
A hearty and flavourful Russian potato salad also known as Salad Olivier is a welcome addition to any celebration! 
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Ingredients 

For the potato salad dressing

  • 1/2 cup / 125ml mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • tsp This is an affiliate link.Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp water, to loosen the dressing
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

For the potato salad

  • 4 waxy potatoes like red potatoes, medium, boiled and cooled
  • 6 eggs, hard boiled
  • 450g / 1 lb cooked chicken , such as rotisserie chicken
  • 4 dill pickles (not sweet), Polish gherkins in UK
  • 3-4 green onions
  • 1/2 apple , medium
  • 1 tbsp dill, fresh
  • 1 tbsp parsley, fresh
  • salt, to taste

Instructions 

For the salad dressing

  • In a small bowl mix all ingredients with a whisk until well blended. Add a touch more water for desired consistency. 

For the salad

  • Cook eggs and unpeeled potatoes, cool.  Peel both and set aside. Boil or roast chicken if not using already prepared chicken. Remove skin and bones. (You can also use any leftover chicken for this salad.) 
  • Dice all ingredients into a 1/2 inch dice and mix gently in a large bowl, add herbs and dressing last, then season with salt to taste. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavours to meld. Do not be tempted to skip this step as it does make a difference. 

Nutrition

Calories: 128kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 653mg | Potassium: 572mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 330IU | Vitamin C: 10.9mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1.6mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Julia from Vikalinka

About Me

Julia Frey is a London based recipe developer and photographer. Julia founded Vikalinka in 2012 with the main mission to provide her readers with delicious and accessible everyday recipes, which could be enjoyed by everyone.

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Recipe Rating




11 Comments

  1. Alice says:

    5 stars
    I made this salad and it turned out amazing – flavours and texture just make it unique! Thank you.

    1. Julia Frey (Vikalinka) says:

      What a great outcome! Thank you for your review, Alice.

  2. Wantt H. says:

    I couldn’t get this recipe to load so I could print it out, don’t know why??? I wrote it out in longhand I wanted to try it out so bad. I haven’t heard of this version before .I am looking forward to it!

    1. vikalinka says:

      Could you please let me know what issues you are having with printing it? There is a print button within the recipe card that needs to be clicked to print the recipe. My website lazy loads images to increase the speed, so it will only load as much of the content as you’ve scrolled through. So if you are hitting print without scrolling to the recipe card, it won’t load. In other words, use the print button in the recipe card. I hope it helps.

      1. C MacDonald says:

        5 stars
        This is a great potato salad, wonderful blend of flavors and textures. I got an additional bonus for trying this reciepe, I too was having problems saving and printing but your suggestionto print and save from the card has fixed everything.
        Thanks

        1. vikalinka says:

          So pleased you gave my potato salad a try and enjoyed it!

  3. erin brandt says:

    5 stars
    This was the very first recipe I made from the blog and I was NOT disappointed. I LOVED it. great flavor and textures!

    1. vikalinka says:

      This salad is my potluck secret weapon! ๐Ÿ™‚

  4. Jared @ Matcha Me says:

    5 stars
    This dish looks amazing, will definitely be adding it to my list!

  5. San says:

    I MUST try this. You’re right, I have my own favorite potato salad recipe, but this looks too good NOT to try! ๐Ÿ™‚ Thanks for sharing!

    1. vikalinka says:

      Oh I am so excited, San! Do let me know what you think once you do! ๐Ÿ™‚