Olivier salad, called салат Оливье (salat Olivye) in Russian, is a chilled potato salad mixed with carrots, eggs, peas, pickles, sausage, and mayonnaise. It is a familiar dish on Russian holiday tables, and its simple, make-ahead method makes it practical for gatherings or a hearty lunch. Recipes vary by household; this version uses fully cooked sausage and crisp pickles for a balanced, easy-to-find combination.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) waxy potatoes, such as Yukon Gold, scrubbed
- 2 medium carrots (about 5 oz / 150 g total), scrubbed
- 4 large eggs
- 8 oz (225 g) fully cooked bologna-style sausage, preferably Doktorskaya if available
- 1 cup (150 g) drained canned peas, or thawed frozen peas
- 1 cup (150 g) finely diced dill pickles, drained; use naturally fermented salted cucumbers if available
- ¼ cup (25 g) finely chopped scallions or mild yellow onion
- ½ cup (120 ml) mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) sour cream, optional, for a lighter, tangier dressing
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt, plus more for the cooking water, to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons (6 g) chopped fresh dill, optional, for serving
Instructions
- Set up the vegetables. Put the whole potatoes and carrots in a large saucepan and cover them with cold water by about 1 inch (2.5 cm). Add a generous pinch of salt. Keeping them whole while they cook helps prevent waterlogged pieces and makes it easier to dice them neatly later.
- Cook the vegetables. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a steady simmer. Cook the carrots for about 18–22 minutes and the potatoes for about 20–25 minutes, checking each with a paring knife. The knife should slide in without much resistance, but the vegetables should not be falling apart. Remove each vegetable as it becomes tender; they may finish at different times. Drain and let them cool for 20 minutes, until comfortable to handle.
- Boil the eggs. While the vegetables cook, place the eggs in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, cover, turn off the heat, and let stand for 10–12 minutes. Transfer the eggs to cold water to stop the cooking. For whole boiled eggs, cook until the yolk and white are firm. Once cool enough to handle, peel them.
- Dice the salad ingredients. Peel the cooled potatoes and carrots. Cut them, the eggs, and the fully cooked sausage into small, even cubes, about ¼ inch (6 mm). Drain the peas well and pat the diced pickles with a paper towel if they are especially wet. Uniform pieces help every forkful have a little of each ingredient and keep the salad from turning mushy.
- Mix the dressing. In a large bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream if using, salt, and pepper. Add the diced vegetables, eggs, sausage, peas, pickles, and scallions. Fold gently with a large spoon or flexible spatula, scraping the bottom of the bowl, until the dressing coats the ingredients. Avoid vigorous stirring, which can mash the potatoes.
- Chill and adjust. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the salad for 1 hour so the flavors can settle and the mixture becomes thoroughly cold. Taste before serving, then add more salt or pepper if needed. Pickles and sausage vary in saltiness, so it is better to season after mixing than to add a lot at the start. Finish with dill if you like.
Tips
- Choose potatoes that hold their shape. Waxy or all-purpose potatoes are easier to dice cleanly than very floury baking potatoes. If using russets, cook them gently, check early, and stop as soon as a knife passes through; overcooking can make the cubes crumble when folded with dressing.
- Use a sensible sausage substitute. Doktorskaya is a mild Russian cooked sausage sometimes sold at Eastern European grocers. Fully cooked bologna is a practical substitute with a similar mild, smooth texture. Cooked ham or leftover roast chicken also works, though either gives the salad a different flavor and less of the classic sausage character. Do not use raw sausage in this cold salad.
- Mind the pickle style. Dill pickles are easy to find and provide acidity and crunch. Traditional Russian salted cucumbers are often fermented rather than vinegar-pickled; they taste less sharply vinegary and can make the salad more rounded. Drain either kind well, and add a little less salt if the pickles are very salty.
- Keep the dice small, but not tiny. Pieces around ¼ inch are small enough to mix evenly while still staying distinct. If you cut the vegetables while hot, they can smear into the dressing, so allow them to cool first. A sharp knife and a gentle folding motion make a noticeable difference.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Olivier cold as a side dish alongside roast meat, baked fish, grilled sausages, or a spread of other salads and breads. It is substantial enough to make a light lunch with rye bread, sliced tomatoes, or a bowl of soup. For a buffet, transfer it to a chilled serving bowl and garnish with dill, a few peas, or thin slices of boiled egg. A small serving spoon is useful because the salad is creamy and the diced ingredients can separate if guests scoop from the edge.
The name Olivier refers to the salad, not to one fixed list of ingredients. In Russian, салат (salat) means salad, картофель (kartofel) means potato, морковь (morkov) means carrot, яйцо (yaytso) means egg, горошек (goroshek) means peas, and колбаса (kolbasa) means sausage. Огурцы (ogurtsý) means cucumbers; солёные огурцы (solyonyye ogurtsý) are salted or fermented cucumbers, while маринованные огурцы (marinovannyye ogurtsý) are vinegar-pickled cucumbers. These words are handy clues when reading Russian-style menus or labels.
Olivier salad takes its name from Lucien Olivier, a chef associated with a 19th-century Moscow restaurant. The early restaurant version was quite different from the everyday potato salad made today, and accounts of its precise ingredients vary. Modern recipes have also changed over time and across families, so this version is a recognizable home-style interpretation rather than a claim to be the sole traditional formula.
Variations
Make it without meat: Leave out the sausage and increase the peas to 1½ cups (225 g). For more savory flavor, add ½ cup (75 g) finely diced cooked mushrooms, cooled before mixing. The result is lighter and lets the pickle, dill, and vegetables come forward.
Use chicken: Replace the sausage with 8 oz (225 g) cooked, cooled chicken breast or thigh, diced. Chicken is a common alternative in some versions, but it makes a less deli-style salad. If cooking chicken specifically for this recipe, check with a food thermometer that it reaches the USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F (74°C), then cool it promptly before dicing.
Adjust the dressing: For a richer salad, use ⅔ cup (160 ml) mayonnaise and omit the sour cream. For a tangier, less mayonnaise-forward result, use ⅓ cup (80 ml) mayonnaise plus ¼ cup (60 ml) sour cream. Add dressing gradually if you prefer a less creamy mixture; the vegetables should be coated, not swimming in sauce.
Make a vegetarian version with a different texture: Replace the sausage with 1 cup (150 g) diced, firm smoked tofu. It is not the same as the mild cooked sausage, but it adds a savory note. Taste the tofu before adding extra salt, since smoked products can already be salty. Keep the other ingredients and method unchanged.
Storage and Reheating
Because this salad contains mayonnaise, cooked eggs, and other perishable ingredients, refrigerate it within 2 hours of mixing; if the room is above 90°F (32°C), refrigerate within 1 hour. Keep it covered in a clean, airtight container at 40°F (4°C) or below. Properly chilled leftovers are best within 3–4 days. Do not leave the serving bowl out for a long meal; set out a smaller portion and replenish it from the refrigerator as needed.
Olivier salad is meant to be served cold, so reheating is not recommended. If you have leftovers that you want to use in a hot dish, reheat that portion to 165°F (74°C), the USDA FSIS safe temperature for leftovers, and eat it promptly; the mayonnaise dressing may separate, so the texture will not be the same. For the best quality, store the dressing separately from the diced ingredients if preparing more than a day ahead, then combine and chill before serving. Do not freeze the finished salad: potatoes and mayonnaise-based dressing tend to become watery or grainy after thawing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Olivier mean in Russian food names?
Оливье (Olivye) is the Russian name for this salad, commonly written in English as Olivier salad or Russian salad. It is a dish name linked to the chef Lucien Olivier, not a general Russian word for potato salad. Recipes bearing the name can differ in their choice of sausage, meat, pickles, and dressing.
Can I make Olivier salad a day ahead?
Yes. Cook and cool the vegetables and eggs, dice the ingredients, and refrigerate them in a covered container. You can mix the salad with its dressing the day before serving, or keep the dressing separate and combine everything a few hours before serving for a slightly fresher texture. Keep it refrigerated and do not exceed the 3–4 day storage window.
Do I have to use Russian sausage?
No. Doktorskaya sausage is a useful traditional-style choice when available, but fully cooked bologna is an accessible substitute. Cooked ham or chicken can also work, with a different flavor. Whichever you choose, use a product that is already fully cooked and dice it small enough to mix evenly.
Are salted cucumbers the same as dill pickles?
They are similar in how they add crunch and acidity, but they are not always made the same way. Russian salted cucumbers are often fermented in a brine and usually taste less vinegary than many commercial dill pickles. If using vinegar pickles, drain them well and taste the salad before adding more salt.
Why did my salad turn watery?
Common causes are wet peas, undrained pickles, or vegetables that were mixed with the dressing while still warm. Drain the peas and pickles carefully, cool the potatoes and carrots before dicing, and fold rather than mash. If the salad is already loose, chill it briefly and stir gently; a small spoonful of mayonnaise can help bind it, though it will not restore overcooked vegetables.
What can I serve with Olivier salad?
It pairs well with rye bread, roast or grilled meats, baked fish, and other cold salads. For a lighter meal, serve it with fresh vegetables and bread. Since it is filling and creamy, a simple, crisp side helps balance the plate.
Related
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- Pelmeni: Traditional Russian Dumplings From Scratch
- Russian Vinaigrette Salad: A Traditional Beet Recipe
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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes
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