From the blog “Le Ricette di Gessica” 
From the blog “Fotocibiamo” 
From the blog “Le mille ricette” 
From the blog “Le Ricette di Claudia e Andre” 
From the blog “Anna on the Clouds”
The “Insalata russa”, a Russian salad which came to Italy to become a 80s classic Xmas starter!
As you can see it’s very open to any interpretation, you can shape it as a Christmas tree, Santa or Snowman for a more festive look or just go crazy with the decorations.
Apparently the original name of this dish is Olivier salad and it’s quite a traditional salad dish in Russian cuisine and many post-Soviet countries. It is usually made with diced boiled potatoes, carrots, pickled gherkins and green peas dressed in mayonnaise. The meat component of the dish deserves a bit of background: the first reported recipe in 1897 called for pricey delicacies such grouse and crayfish, but the Russian Revolution de-poshified the Olivier Salad by substituting grouse for chicken or Doktorskaya-type sausage and crayfish for hard-boiled eggs. In the Italian version you will often find würstel or no meat at all.
The recipe we are sharing with you it’s possibly the closest you can get in Italy to the original Olivier Salad, although we have suggested swaps to make it entirely plant-based for your vegan/vegetarian guests.
The recipe is simple and most of the time isn’t hands-on, but mostly spent boiling , cooling down and letting it set in the fridge. If you are really up-against with your Christmas dinner preparation you can use a bag of frozen veg mix (carrots, peas, potatoes)… just make sure you don’t overcook it as no-one likes a mushy veg in their Russian Salad.
Also, we are quite proud of our no-egg Cauliflower mayonnaise recipe from My Personal Trainer: it’s so versatile, perfect for the festive season and you will never be able to tell it is made from cauliflower, promise! So keep an eye on our Instagram for the recipe.
Insalata Russa
Ingredients
- 1 cup Green Peas
- 2 Medium Potatoes
- 2 Carrots
- 1 cup Pickled gherkins
- 2 cups Homemade Cauliflower Mayonnaise or regular mayonnaise for a non-vegan version
- 200-300 grams Doktorskaya Kolbasa, mortadella, cooked chicken, cooked beef or omit completely for a vegetarian/vegan version
Optional/Decorations
- 2 Hard-boiled eggs
- Sliced gherkins
- Carrot ribbons
- Black olives
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes and the carrots with the skin on until cooked-through. Peel and dice them and put aside.
- Cook the green peas either by giving them a quick boil or by microwaving them for a few minutes. It's very important that all the veg preserve their 'crunchiness'
- While the vegetables are cooling down, start preparing the meat. Dice the kolbasa or shred the chicken or beef. Skip this step of course for a vegan/vegetarian version: it will be just as delicious. Chop the gherkins.
- Once all ingredients have cooled down to room temperature, you can pour the Cauliflower mayonnaise (or regular mayonnaise if not vegan/vegetarian) and mix everything together. The mix should be creamy but firm.
- Pour the mix onto a serving plate, shape it and decorate it to your liking!
