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Russian Salad (Bulgarian)

bulgarian-russiansaladIf there is an appetizer that is loved all around the world, it has to be the classic Russian salad. This recipe is the absolute must for New Year's Eve celebration in Bulgaria. It is very easy to make, creamy, rich and tasty. This recipe is for a Bulgarian-style Russian salad: the way most local families prepare it at home. You will also find several variations popular in other countries, including vegetarian, so that you can adapt it to your taste and diet. Originally the Russian salad, also known as Olivier salad, was invented in the 19th century in Russia by the Belgian chef Lucian Olivier. The first version, however, had little to do with the recipes that are popular nowadays. The special thing about the original was that the recipe of the dressing remained a secret. The salad became popular after another chef who worked with Olivier, Ivan Ivanov, tried to steal the recipe. He sold it to several publishing houses in the country. But apparently the version Ivanov made was lacking something from the original. He also served a similar salad in restaurants he worked in, naming it Stolychny or Metropolitan salad. In the next decades the recipe has been gradually modified to exclude rare and seasonal ingredients. Nowadays it is known around the world by few different names and with slight variations of ingredients.

3 large potatoes
3 large carrots
4-5 pickled gherkins
7 oz ham (300 g)
1 cup green peas, drained from a can or frozen and thawed (130 g)
⅞ cup mayonnaise (200 g)

Cook the potatoes and carrots in boiling water, until soft but firm. Let them cool until room temperature.

Dice finely all the vegetables. Make sure the green peas are drained very well.

In a large bowl combine all ingredients. Mix very well until the mayonnaise is distributed evenly all around.

Serve the salad on a plate or in a bowl, with some bread or crackers aside.

Cook's Notes:

  • Vegetarian Russian Salad: skip the meat and optionally increase a bit the quantity of the other ingredients.
  • If you want to diversify this salad, you can make a Classic Olivier by adding 5 eggs, 1 small onion, half fresh cucumber and sprinkle with dill.
  • Another alternative is the Stolychni salad: similar to Olivier but with chicken, instead of ham. For this version you can also substitute ⅓ of the mayo with sour cream and add some finely chopped sausages.
  • Keep the Russian Salad in airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.