Serve this versatile salad as a side dish with other Spanish tapas, Artisan bread, or as part of a large Charcuterie board.
Also known as Olivier salad, for its eponymous creator, Ensaladilla Rusa holds season tickets on dinner tables from Peru to Madrid, and Mongolia to Tehran. Based on the choice of ingredients, it can be simple or fancy and makes a wonderful side at any holiday or potluck. I was first introduced to this potato salad dish while living in Spain (here’s my collection of Spanish recipes inspired from my time there). It’s universally popular in Spain, Latin America, and other countries, with each country and even region having its own variant. Its intriguing history actually begins in imperial Russia, where Lucien Olivier, chef at the prestigious Hermitage Restaurant in Moscow, introduced it in the 1860s.
Olivier Salad was an immediate hit and the carefully guarded recipe was alleged to contain all manner of exotic ingredients. Nonetheless, the recipe was reverse engineered by competitors and different versions were released to the public by the culinary publications of the day. Muscovites began to prepare it at home and it was soon a mainstay for Novy God (Russian New Year). From there it rode the waves of history and emigration, surging across the Soviet Union into Central Asia and the Middle East, inundating Europe and finally across the Atlantic, to wash up on the shores of the Americas.
Ingredients for Ensalada Rusa:
Base veg: carrots and gold potatoes (¼” cubed), chopped fresh green beans, peas (fresh or canned). The protein: 4 hard boiled eggs, 1 can white Tuna (and/or ham, bologna, or chicken). For flavor: chopped red, white or green onion, black or green olives. The dressing: white vinegar, mayo, sour cream, salt. The garnish: parsley, dill or cilantro finely chopped. Other popular additions: Beets, corn, cooked crab (the original calls for crayfish tails), capers, (traditionalists should reach for a grouse!), tart apples, dill pickles, cucumber.
How to make Ensalada Rusa:
Pro Tips:
Cook veggies and eggs ahead of time so they have time to cool completely before assembling the salad. Add mayonnaise to the salad just before serving. To speed things up, use a vegetable chopper—easy, fast and yields even sized cubes.
Make ahead and storage instructions:
Prepare and chop all ingredients. Make the dressing and store separately. Store everything in the refrigerator for a few days. Add the dressing just before serving. Leftover, fully prepared Ensalada Rusa will keep in the fridge for a few days, but again it tastes best if dressed just prior to serving. Ensalada Rusa does not freeze well. You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for more great recipes! RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience. This post contains affiliate links.
