Salad Olivier

If you ever search for classic Russian dishes you will inevitably come across Salad Olivier. In my lexicon “salad” is generally greens, chopped vegeatble, and vinaigrette, so calling this a salad feels like a stretch. But, I get it, we have potato salad, ambrosia salad, three bean salad, and so on, and none of them have a green or fresh thing in sight either. This salad is in many ways very reminiscent of a classic American potato salad, but the addition of carrots and peas and the simplicity of mayonnaise and dill pickles makes it a really delicious, if simple, dish.

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

2 pounds Russet potatoes (2-3 large Russets)
2 eggs
1 carrot, diced
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 small red or white onion, finely diced
3/4 cup mayonnaise (or a mixture of mayo and sour cream)
3 Tbsp finely diced dill pickles
Salt and pepper

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 20-30 minutes, until a fork easily pierces to the center of the potato. Drain, cool, peel, and dice into 1/4 to 1/2-inch cubes. Set aside.

2. Hard boil eggs by adding the eggs to a small pot and covering with water, bring to a rolling boil, turn off heat and let sit with a lid on for 8-10 minutes. Take eggs out and place immediately into a bowl of ice water to cool down. Once cool, peel and dice. Set aside.

3. In another small pot bring 1 inch of water to a boil, add chopped carrots and cook for 2 minutes, add frozen peas and cook for 5 more minutes until both are tender. Drain, set aside, and let cool.

4. Mix diced onion, mayonnaise, and chopped dill pickles in a large bowl. Once all other ingredients are cooked and cooled, mix everything together and season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. Chill in fridge until ready to serve.