RussiaEverything needs to be fully cold before mixing. Warm potato releases steam, warm egg does the same — the mayonnaise turns thin and the salad weeps liquid within an hour. Boil the ingredients the night before if you can.
Add the dressing in two stages: most of it when mixing, the rest right before serving. Overnight in the fridge the salad absorbs the first portion. That second addition brings it back.
Olivier Salad
By Sergei Martynov
The Russian potato salad — boiled potato, carrot, egg, pickles, peas, and chicken in a mayonnaise dressing. Cut everything to the same small dice. Tastes better the next day.
Key Ingredients
What you'll need
Ingredients
- 500 g
See recipes with potatoespotatoes, boiled in their skins
i - 2
See recipes with medium carrotsmedium carrots, boiled
i - 4
See recipes with eggseggs, hard-boiled
i - 300 g
See recipes with cooked chicken breast or thighcooked chicken breast or thigh, cooled
i - 3
See recipes with dill picklesdill pickles (cornichons), about 120g
i - 150 g
See recipes with canned green peascanned green peas, drained
i - 1
See recipes with small red onionsmall red onion, finely diced (optional)
i - 200 g
See recipes with mayonnaisemayonnaise, full-fat
i - 1 tbsp
See recipes with pickle brine from the jarpickle brine from the jar
i - 1 tsp
See recipes with dijon mustardDijon mustard
i - 1 tsp
- 0.5 tsp
See recipes with black pepperblack pepper
i - 2 tbsp
See recipes with fresh dill or parsleyfresh dill or parsley, chopped, for serving
i
How to make it
Instructions
- 1
Boil potatoes in their skins in cold salted water for 20–25 minutes until a skewer passes through without resistance. Boil carrots separately for 15–20 minutes. Hard-boil eggs for 10 minutes. Cool all of them completely before cutting — warm ingredients will melt the mayonnaise.
- 2
Peel potatoes, carrots, and eggs. Cut everything — potato, carrot, egg, chicken, and pickles — into the same small dice, about 1 cm. Uniform pieces are what give the salad its characteristic texture.
- 3
In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise with pickle brine, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.
- 4
Combine all the diced ingredients in a large bowl. Add the drained peas and red onion if using. Add two-thirds of the dressing and fold gently — you want to coat everything without mashing.
- 5
Taste and adjust seasoning. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Before serving, stir in the remaining dressing (it absorbs overnight) and top with fresh dill or parsley.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my Olivier salad turn out watery and the mayonnaise won't hold — how to make it properly?
The main cause is moisture from the boiled vegetables. Potato and carrot must be completely cooled before mixing — warm vegetables melt the mayonnaise and release steam. Pickles also release water — you can lightly squeeze them before dicing. The cut size matters too: uniform 1 cm dice coat evenly with dressing. Large uneven pieces don't absorb the mayonnaise the same way.
How long to boil potatoes and carrots for Olivier salad and how to check they're done?
Potatoes: 20 to 25 minutes in their skins in cold salted water. Carrots: 15 to 20 minutes. Check with a skewer or thin knife — it should slide in without resistance. Overcooked potato crumbles when you dice it and makes the salad mushy. Undercooked stays hard in the finished dish. Boil in their skins: less water is absorbed and the flavour is better.
What mayonnaise is best for Olivier salad — store-bought or homemade?
Homemade mayonnaise (egg yolk, mustard, lemon juice, oil) gives a fresher, lighter flavour — especially noticeable the next day. From shop-bought, choose full-fat — 67% and above. Light versions are watery and don't hold their texture. Add the mayonnaise in two stages: most when mixing, a little more just before serving, as it absorbs overnight in the fridge.
Can you make Olivier salad without meat — what to substitute for chicken in a vegetarian version?
Canned tuna is a classic substitute that gives similar density and saltiness. The boiled eggs already in the recipe can be increased. Cooked lentils or chickpeas add volume and protein without meat. Smoked tofu works surprisingly well — 1 cm cubes hold their shape and give a smoky note.
How long does Olivier salad keep in the fridge and why does it taste better the next day?
3 days in a sealed container. The next day it's better: the mayonnaise has had time to penetrate every piece, the flavours merge, and the pickles give a faint tartness to the dressing. After day three the potato starts to crumble. Store without fresh herbs — add dill or spring onion only just before serving.
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