Olivier salad - russian salad

Try this traditional Russian Olivier Salad recipe! Packed with delicious ingredients like potatoes, pickles, peas, and mayonnaise. Savory and satisfying!

Ingredients:

• 3 golden potatoes
• 3 medium carrots
• 1 C frozen peas
• 4 hardboiled eggs
• 6 small kosher dill pickles
• 1 – 1 1/2 C olive oil mayonnaise
• 3/4 C diced smoked ham (optional)
• finely chopped dill, to garnish

Instructions:

1. The initial step involves cooking the potatoes and carrots. Instead of using a steamer, you can opt for the traditional method of boiling them. Remember to peel the carrots but leave the potato skins intact. If you decide on steaming (or using a microwave to speed things up), make sure to pierce the potatoes with a fork. Though it's unlikely they will explode in a steamer, it's better to be cautious in order to obtain neatly diced potato cubes. Plus, did you know that poking potatoes with a fork can be a great stress reliever?
2. Begin by steaming the potatoes for around 30 minutes before adding the peeled carrots. Continue steaming for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until both vegetables are slightly firm but tender when pierced.
3. While the potatoes and carrots are cooking, prepare your frozen peas according to the instructions on the package. If you have microwave-safe packaging, you can steam them in the microwave. Once done, set the peas aside to cool.
4. Please note that while some insist on using canned peas for this salad, I believe that fresh or frozen steamed peas offer superior taste and color compared to the dull canned variety.
5. Once the potatoes and carrots are cooked, allow them to cool until they are easy to handle.
6. Peel the potatoes and gently remove the thin skin layer using your fingers or the back of a knife. Dice them into cube-ish shapes around 1/2-inch in size and transfer to a medium serving bowl.
7. Next, dice the carrots. There's a saying that a Soviet housewife's vegetable dicing skills reflected her housekeeping abilities. However, I won't judge you based on that. In fact, I'd appreciate slightly larger potato and carrot pieces for a chunkier salad.
8. Combine the diced carrots and a cup of steamed peas with the potatoes in the bowl.
9. Peel and dice the hardboiled eggs. While some prefer finely chopped ingredients in their salads, feel free to dice them to your liking.
10. Finely chop the pickles. If you're using small dill pickles like I did, you might need around six. For larger pickles, start with three and adjust to taste.
11. If using ham, add it to the mixture and gently combine everything before adding the mayonnaise.
12. Start by mixing in one cup of mayo and add more if necessary to bind the salad together.
13. Cover the salad and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight to allow the flavors to meld. Don't forget to garnish with dill – it is a Russian salad, after all.

Summary:

• Calories: 2109 kcal
• Fat: 119 g
• Protein: 77 g
• Carbs: 186 g
• Potassium: 4474 mg
• Magnesium: 253 mg