Olivier salad with chicken is my go-to version of the classic Russian potato salad. Instead of Bologna, I use cooked chicken breast, and it comes out as good as the original. This recipe makes a big bowl, perfect for parties, celebrations, and potlucks.
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The salad everyone makes for New Year's
In many Ukrainian and Russian homes, Olivier salad is a must for New Year's Eve. It is also popular for other celebrations and family gatherings.
If you are not familiar with Olivier salad, it is made with diced cooked potatoes, carrots, pickles, bologna, eggs, pickles and canned peas and mayo as a dressing. If you enjoy classic potato salad, you will love Olivier. This salad is very nostalgic for me, as we always had it for every holiday, along with Shuba herring salad and Mimosa salad. I still remember how my job was dicing all the cooked vegetables and other ingredients.
When I first moved to the USA, I was not familiar with many of the local foods and had a hard time finding "Doctorska kovbasa". One day, I was talking to my aunt on the phone (who still lives in Ukraine), and I told her how much I crave Olivier, but I could not find the right meat. She suggested making it with poached chicken instead. That's how I started making this salad with cooked chicken. Later, I found out that the meat I was looking for was actually bologna, but I still prefer it making my Olivier with chicken. Chicken is very practical as I always have it on hand. It is also not processed compared to bologna or ham.
Ingredients
- Potatoes: I used Yukon gold potatoes. Any low starch, waxy potatoes are the best for this salad because they do not fall apart after cooking.
- Carrots: choose larger carrots as it will be easier to cube them after boiling. Do not use frozen carrots, they do not taste the same especially in a salad.
- Eggs: You will need hard boiled eggs.
- Chicken Breast: I usually use boiled chicken breast or boiled chicken thighs. Oven-baked chicken will work great too.
- Pickles: pickles give a crunch and a tangy tasty. Dill pickles are best for this salad. Avoid any sweet types, such as bread and butter.
- Canned Peas: Canned peas are best for that nostalgic classic taste. But you can also use frozen. Just boil and cool them down before adding to the salad.
- Chopped Chives: green onions will work too. The traditional recipe requires adding red or yellow diced onion, but I find the flavor is too strong for me.
- Fresh Parsley: A little bit of fresh parsley or dill add fresh taste to the salad.
- Black Pepper and Salt: add by taste. Take into consideration the sodium in pickles and mayo. Each person can season their own plate by taste later.
- Mayonnaise: full-fat or low-fat quality mayo. I always prefer a full-fat one for a more creamy salad. You can add a Tablespoon of mustard as well if you are used to American style potato salad. .
Instructions
- Cook the vegetables. Wash and scrub potatoes and carrots before boiling. No need to peel. In a large saucepan, add potatoes and carrots. Fill with enough water to cover. Bring to boil, cover and simmer on lo-medium heat between 20-40 minutes. Check the carrots by piercing the thickest part with the fork and remove them from the pot once tender. Potatoes will need more time to be fully cooked (about 40 minutes). Remove the veggies from the water and set them aside to cool down.
- Cook the chicken. In a medium pot, add chicken breast and about ½ teaspoon of salt (optional). Boil for about 15-19 minutes or until fully cooked and internal temperature reaches 165°F. Once cooked, remove from water and set aside covered (to prevent drying).
- Boil the eggs. In a small pot, add eggs, and water and boil them for about 10 minutes. The eggs must be hard-boiled. I always add one more minute of cook time, just in case.
- Dice the ingredients. Now, peel potatoes, carrots, and eggs. Dice all the ingredients into cubes (about half an inch). Drain canned green peas. Chop parsley and chives.
- Combine and mix the salad. In a big bowl or a container, add all the ingredients. Sprinkle your salad with a little bit of salt and black pepper. Add mayo and mix everything carefully with a spoon without smashing the vegetables. The salad tastes better if you chill it in the fridge for a couple of hours.
Recipe tips
- Avoid starchy potatoes such as Russet.
- Dice all ingredients into even small cubes.
- If you are making it ahead (for the next day's party), store chopped ingredients in the fridge without the dressing. Add mayo right before serving for a fresher taste.
- You can use leftover rotisserie chicken to make this salad.
- In spring and summer, along with the pickled cucumbers, add a fresh one as well.
Serving tips
- Holiday appetizer salad: Olivier is a great holiday dish when served with fresh french baguette or some crackers. Great for birthday parties, New Year's Eve, Labor day, and other holidays.
- Potato salad: whenever you need to make a potato salad for a potluck or a barbecue, try this one instead.
- Sandwich: it makes a great lunch sandwich, similar to how you would use chicken salad.
Storing
Store this salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
More classic Eastern European recipes
📖 Recipe
Olivier salad
Equipment
- 1 large pot
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 cutting board
Ingredients
- 4 large potatoes
- 2 chicken breasts
- 3 medium carrots
- 3 eggs
- 4 medium pickles
- 1 can canned peas drained
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt add more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper add more to taste
- 6-8 Tablespoons mayonnaise add more to taste
Instructions
- Boil carrots and potatoes until tender, for about 20-40 min. Boil chicken breasts for about 15-19 minutes or until internal temperature reached 165°F. Boil eggs for 10 minutes. Drain and let all the ingredients cool down.
- Peel the vegetables and eggs. Cube potatoes, chicken breast, carrots, eggs and pickles into roughly ½ inch cubes. Add them to the large bowl long with drained peas, chopped chives and parsley. Season it with salt and pepper.
- Add mayonnaise and mix everything carefully with a large spoon or spatula. Taste the salad and add more salt or pepper if needed. Chill it in the fridge for a couple of hour before serving.
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