Russian Salad “Olivie” – Салат “Оливье”

If I had to name the most traditional Russian dish, it would be the “Olivie” salad. It used to be made for holidays, parties and other special occasions. New Year’s Eve is the biggest holiday of all, and “Olivie” would be on almost all the tables as the clock would strike midnight.

The ingredients are quite common and are pantry staples for most. It resembles a potato salad, of sorts, with the addition of other cooked vegetables and meat. In the original salad, cooked wild meat was used, but now most people use bologna or some other type of sausage meat. This is as traditional as the Thanksgiving turkey. One of the best advantages of making a big batch of “Olivie” is the leftovers the next day. All the components of the salad mingle and meld to create a hearty, comforting salad.

Serves: 10-12 cups

Ingredients

• 3 small, medium potatoes
• 4 medium carrots
• 8 eggs
• 1 lb bologna
• 8 small pickles
• 1-2 small cucumbers
• 1 can (14-15 oz) peas
• 1 - ½ cups mayonnaise
• 1 small onion, optional
• fresh chives, optional

Instructions

Cook the potatoes with the carrots in a medium pot just until tender, 20-30 min, depending on the size of the vegetables. Cook the vegetables in their skins. Do not overcook.
Hardboil the eggs.
Drain the peas well.
Cut the potatoes, carrots, eggs, pickles and cucumbers, if using, into small ¼ inch dice.
Mince the onions finely, if using. (I don't like raw onions, so I never put them in. Another option is to use chives or green onions.)
Mix all the the ingredients with the mayonnaise.

Make Ahead:

Just like most potato salads, "Olivie" is made ahead of time. Sometimes, I chop all the ingredients and store them in the refrigerator and then add the mayonnaise a few hours before serving. This way, you will have your prep done a few days before the event.

Source:

http://www.olgasflavorfactory.com/ontheside/salads/russian-salad-olivie/