TRADITIONAL RUSSIAN OLIVIE SALAD RECIPE

This is a traditional Russian Olivie salad – and it’s one of my favorites. O and the dressing? Mayonnaise – of course! First order of business is a lesson in pronunciation. In English this salad seems to be called “olivier” but that’s not how it’s pronounced in Russian. Phonetically it sounds like this, o-li-v-yea. And salad is sa-lat in Russian, emphasis on the second syllable. Traditionally this dish is made with potatoes, carrots, eggs, peas, pickles and some sort of meat. I had leftover chicken breasts and boiled carrots (from when I made homemade fat free chicken stock) so it was the perfect occasion for this salad.  Various meats can be used instead of chicken though – ham and a Russian type of bologna are frequently added. Yes the combination sounds a tad bit peculiar but it all comes together fabulously. When I was little I used to always eat this salad at large gatherings and celebrations – birthdays, holidays, etc. There would always be a huge batch of this dish present at the table. And you can make this ahead of time, even a couple days in advance – just save the mayo dressing for the day of. So, if you’re bored with your regular spring mix and romaine salad, give this one a try (I can’t promise that you’ll love it) but I know I do

Ingredients

• 2 potatoes, boiled, and peeled
• 2 small carrots, boiled
• 3 eggs, hard boiled
• 1/2 can sweet peas
• 2 pickles
• 1 chicken breast, boiled (or do I say poached?)
• mayonnaise (as much as you're comfortable with)

Instructions

1. Dice the potatoes, eggs, pickles, chicken and carrots (make the pieces as large or small as you like) Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Add mayonnaise (no more than a few hours before serving). Refrigerate until ready to eat.
3. *To prepare potatoes - add unpeeled potatoes to a pot of cold water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook until potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork (15-20 minutes) - drain, rinse with cold water, and peel the skin off
4. *To prepare eggs - add eggs to a pot of cold water (make sure water is completely covering the eggs) bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 10 minutes, rinse with cold water, and peel.
5. *To prepare homemade fat free chicken stock - add raw chicken breasts to a pot of cold water, bring to a boil, pour all the water out, fill the pot up with water again and bring to a boil. Using a spoon skim off the foam that forms on the surface when the water comes to a boil and add 2 peeled carrots, 2 celery sticks and 1 whole onion and simmer for 20 minutes. Use the chicken and carrots for the Salat Olivie.

source: https://avocadopesto.com