This Salad Olivieh is a Persian twist on the classic Russian Olivier salad and a childhood favorite. It’s a creamy delicious potato salad filled with peas, eggs and crunchy pickles. Perfect to serve at picnics, parties, and even great for meal prep lunches.
Salad Olivieh is one of the most popular staple Persian dishes and so nostalgic for me. You’ll see it as an appetizer at almost every gathering, I don't think I can remember any family party not serving it! Iranian's usually present it on a mezze table or platter alongside flatbread such as barbari bread or lavash which pairs so well with the creamy texture. Everyone always comes back for more, and here I'm sharing my mum's recipe!
Typically salad olivieh is considered a Persian chicken salad, as it usually contains cooked chicken. I’ve however kept it vegetarian with the same mixture of potatoes, peas, carrots, hard boiled eggs and pickles which are the best part! It all comes together with a tangy mayonnaise dressing which makes it creamy and bursting with flavors and textures. Some more Persian dips you must try are my eggplant dip, cucumber yogurt dip or smoked eggplant tomato dip.
You can serve salad olivieh in many different ways. Whilst its popularly served as an appetizer or side dish with bread, you can also enjoy it with crackers, pita chips or veggie sticks. It also makes a nutritious and filling main meal in a sandwich, perfect for meal prep work lunches or school lunchboxes. My mum would make me a yummy Persian sandwich with the salad, tomatoes and cucumbers for school…yum the best lunch!
Salad olivieh may look and sound familiar as its a Persian take on the popular Russian potato salad, also known as Olivier salad. There are a few distinct differences between them. In the Persian salad, we roughly mash the potatoes rather than dicing them, also the pickles are one the biggest differences. Persian pickles are more tangy rather than sweet, and we also add acidity in the dressing. Some variations of the olivier salad also include ham.
Table of Contents
Why you'll love this recipe
- Delicious! Packed with flavor from the mashed potatoes, veggies and crisp pickles with a tangy creamy dressing that makes you want more with every bite!
- Easy to make: Simple steps with no fancy ingredients, anyone can make this!
- Versatile: A crowd pleaser as an appetizer or side dish with bread, pita chips or veggie sticks or you can make it a main meal in a sandwich or wrap
- Traditional: Experience a taste of Persian and Russian food traditions with a mash up of the Russian olivier salad and salad oliveh in one beautiful dish
What is Olivier Salad?
The original Olivier salad, also known as a Russian salad, originated from a Belgian chef named Lucien Olivier in Moscow, Russia in the 1860’s. Its now, however, enjoyed across many countries all around the world! Across eastern and southern Europe, Asia and the Middle East, all of which have their own variations with similar names such as olivye salad, Ruska salata, and of course salad Olivieh in Iran.
The base of the traditional Russian potato salad usually remains the same with boiled potatoes, eggs, pickles, peas and usually cooked chicken and sometimes ham or bologna, with a creamy mayonnaise dressing.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Potatoes are the base of this salad providing a hearty and satisfying texture when boiled and slightly mashed. I usually use yukon gold potatoes
- Eggs as in hard boiled eggs which are high in protein and richness. I always opt for organic pasture raised eggs
- Dill pickles are tangy and savory with the perfect crunch that also helps balance the creaminess of the mayo. I prefer using Persian dill pickles which are more tangy and salty rather than regular sweet pickles
- Pickle brine / juice is a little secret ingredient that my mum taught me, you can also use vinegar or lemon juice for some acidity
- Mayonnaise is the base of the creamy dressing. I recommend using a good quality creamy mayo. For a lighter option, you can use low-fat or also use a mix of mayo and Greek yogurt
- Green Peas give a burst of sweetness and color. You can use fresh peas or frozen sweet peas, both of which don't have to be cooked. I wouldn’t recommend canned peas as they can be a little too soft and soggy
- Carrots bring a pop of vibrant color and subtle sweetness. I cook the carrots half way so they’re not raw or too soft
Other popular additions:
- Chicken breast is usually cooked with white onion as a main ingredient in olivieh and the olivier salad. You can use Rotisserie chicken as a short cut
- Fresh herbs such as fresh dill or parsley for freshness
- Other veggies such as celery and green onions for more crunch
How to make Persian Salad Olivieh (Olivier Salad)
You can make this delicious salad in no time and it will impress everyone. Follow my simple steps below.
- Peel and chop potatoes and boil in salted water along with the carrots (leave uncut). Remove carrots 50% of the way, they should still be firm but not raw. The potatoes must be fork tender. Then drain in a colander
- Hard boil 4 eggs for 10 minutes. Allow to cool in an ice bath or in the fridge
- Defrost frozen green peas in a colander under warm water
- Whilst the potatoes are still warm, mash with a potato masher in a large bowl. A little texture is ok, they don't need to be fully mashed or creamy. Allow to cool on the side
- Grate carrots and the boiled eggs (I used the largest blade on a box grater). Dice up dill pickles into small cubes
- Add carrots, peas, eggs and pickles with the mashed potatoes
- For the dressing add mayo, 2 tablespoons of the pickle brine and season with S & P
- Gently stir the salad so all is well combined (use a spatula or wooden spoon). Taste for seasoning and add a 3rd spoon of pickle brine if you prefer it more tangy
Tips and Tricks
- Roughly mash the potatoes so they are broken down well, but don’t over mash to a creamy consistency. A little texture is good to keep
- Drain ingredients well - excess moisture can make the salad soggy. Ensure to use a sieve/colander or paper towels to remove any extra liquid or juices if needed
- Chop uniformly. This ensures even distribution of flavors and ingredients in every bite, you can use a chopper rather than a knife
- Use a spatula and gently fold the ingredients together so they still keep their texture and don’t overmix as this can make the salad soggy
- Serve it up cold or at room temperature, both are great!
Storage Instructions
- Store any leftover olivier salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days
- There's no need to reheat it, you can serve it at room temperature or cold depending on your preference
- I don't recommend freezing as it will be too wet and soggy once defrosted
FAQs
Yes absolutely! Prepare and store in the fridge ahead of your next celebration such as Easter or Christmas to save you time on the busy day
Mayonnaise is the base of the dressing, however you can switch it up and make it lighter by mixing it with Greek yogurt or even sour cream
Different countries make it slightly varied, however they mostly all have a base of boiled potatoes, eggs, peas, pickles, chicken and a mayoinnaise dressing
The Russian salad was invented by a Belgian chef named Lucien Olivier in a restaurant named Hermitage in Moscow, in the 19th century. Its now commonly known as the Olivier salad, Olivye, or other similar names all across the world
More Easy Dips
More Persian Recipes
I love seeing your creations and remakes, so be sure to rate the recipe, comment and share your Persian Salad Olivieh (Olivier Salad) photo on Instagram so I can share the love!
Recipe
Persian Salad Olivieh (Olivier Salad)
Ingredients
- 25oz / 700g large potatoes - approx 4
- 4 eggs
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- 1 cup diced dill pickles
- ¾ cup good quality mayonnaise
- 2-3 tablespoons pickle brine or fresh lemon juice
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel, chop and boil the potatoes in a large pot of salted water until they're fully cooked and fork tender, then drain through a colander.In the same pot, cook the carrots however only cook them 50% of the way, they should still be firm but not raw
- At the same time, boil the eggs for 10 minutes to become hard boiled. Allow them to cool in an ice bath or in the fridge
- Thaw the frozen green peas in a colander under warm water so they fully defrost
- In a large bowl, mash the potatoes with a potato masher while they're still warm. They don't need to be fully mashed or creamy but should be all broken up, a little texture is ok.Allow the potatoes to cool to room temperature while you prepare the rest of the ingredients
- Using the largest blade on a box grater, grate the carrots and the boiled eggsAlso dice up the dill pickles into small cubes
- Add the peas, eggs, carrots and cubed pickles to the bowl of mashed potatoesAdd the mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons of the pickle brine and season with salt and black pepper
- Using a spatula or wooden spoon, gently stir the salad so that all the ingredients are well combined in the dressing. Taste for seasoning (if you prefer it more tangy add a tablespoon of pickle brine)Serve up your creamy Salad Olivieh with flatbread such as barbari bread, pita bread or crackers and enjoy!!
Maryam says
Looks great can’t wait to try it❤️
Ayeh Manfre says
Yay 🙂
Debbie says
My family has been making this potato salad for decades, except we boil the potatoes in their skin and peel when cool enough to handle. We cube in smallish uniform size when potatoes are very cool. They will mash slightly when all ingredients are mixed together. No need to “mash” beforehand. We used a can of drained & rinsed peas & carrots, which is easier, quicker & tastes great. We dice in a bit of red onion to taste. A must is adding prepared yellow mustard to taste. We NEVER add meats into the salad.
Ayeh Manfre says
Great to hear Debbie 🙂 I have to try it with some mustard next time too x