Russian Salad with Ham, Vegetables and Mayonnaise
This Russian salad is a very popular recipe in Bulgaria and Eastern Europe. It is also called Olivier salad. I know how to prepare it ever since I was a child and I’ve been making it my entire life. Bulgarians make it yearlong for birthday parties and family gatherings. It is always on our Christmas or New Year’s menu.
There are different variations of this salad in Bulgaria and in Europe. Some people add eggs, olives, mustard, onions, or parsley. In this blog post I’m going to offer you my recipe. The one that I know from my mother and grandmother.
Why should you make this recipe?
This salad is not difficult to make, and the ingredients are well known. For this recipe you are going to need:
- potatoes
- carrot
- canned peas
- cooked ham
- pickles
- mayonnaise
Most of these ingredients are probably already in your pantry and fridge.
This recipe is very convenient because you can make it ahead of time. I usually prepare a big bowl of the Russian salad and we eat it for several days. You can serve it for breakfast, on a piece of toast or with any meal as a side dish.
Helpful tips
I don’t usually add salt to this salad because the pickles and the ham are very salty.
Best potatoes to use for this salad are Russet or yellow potatoes.
My favorite ham to use in this salad is the Classic ham by Hormel. This is not an affiliate link.
I boil the carrot with some vinegar and salt to make it slightly pickled. My mom used pickled carrots in her Russian salad.
I like to make my own mayonnaise for this recipe. I use this recipe but I don’t add the chipotle salsa. You can use whatever mayonnaise you like.
The longer you keep the salad in the refrigerator the better it tastes. This salad needs some cooling in order to develop a more complex flavor.
The amounts of the ingredients in this recipe are optional. When I make this recipe I never measure the ingredients I use my own judgment. My husband is not a big fan of carrots and peas. That is why I add less of them and more of the things he likes (ham, potatoes and pickles). You can also adjust the amount of mayonnaise.
Russian Salad with Ham, Vegetables and Mayonnaise
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs potatoes Russet or yellow
- 1 Medium sized carrot
- 2 tsp salt
- ¼ cup vinegar
- 1 16 oz jar dill pickles
- 1 8.5 oz can canned peas drained and rinsed
- 1 lb cooked smoked ham
- 1 cup Sunflower mayonnaise or the one you like
Instructions
- Wash the potatoes very well. You don’t need to peel them. Place them in cold water with a teaspoon of salt and bring to boil. Boil them until they are fork tender. Then drain the water and allow them to cool off.
- Wash, peel and chop the carrot to small cubes. In another pot add a cup of water, ¼ cup of vinegar and a teaspoon of salt. Then add the chopped carrot in that mixture. Boil until it is cooked. Drain and cool off.
- While you cook the potatoes and carrots you can cut your pickles and ham to small cubes. Add them in a large bowl.
- Once the carrots are cooled off add them to the same bowl. Then peel the boiled potatoes and chop them to small cubes. Finally drain and wash the peas and add them with the rest of the ingredients.
- Add the mayo in the bowl and stir until everything is well combined. You can add more or less mayonnaise depending on your preference.
- Taste the salad and add salt or pepper if needed. It usually doesn’t need salt because the ham and pickles are salty. You can consume the salad right away, but I recommend to cool it off for a few hours.
