Ruska Salata/Russian Salad

I bet you’re wondering why I’m posting a recipe called “Russian Salad” if this is a blog dedicated to Balkan recipes. Well let me tell you just how Balkan Russian Salad is.

Based on my research, this salad is known more commonly as Olivye or Olivier salad and may include poached chicken, diced apples, and other items. In the Balkans, if you were to order Ruska Salata at a restaurant, you would be getting a slightly different version. Every hostess has her own version of this salad, and over the years I’ve encountered ones with sour cream, mustard, corn, and other ingredients.

For all major holidays, celebrations, and special occasions (such as Slava in Serbia), you will find Ruska Salata on the menu. It’s very well known as a salad served for special occasions or fancy dinners.

Until recently, I did not eat Ruska Salata. The one time I would consume this dish would be on trips back home and made only by my aunt Ruža. She makes hers the same way I make mine now, with just the traditional, basic ingredients. But no matter how hard I try, mine will never taste as good as hers.

My husband is the reason I’ve started to enjoy it recently. He loves this salad. We enjoy it as side salad with various meals and especially with grilled meats or skillet pork chops. But our favorite way to enjoy this is as a sandwich. Think egg salad sandwich but with this salad. Because they are both mayo-based they’re really similar in texture and appear (there is egg in it after all).

One of the best things about this recipe aside from the taste, is that it’s very easy to make. As you’ll see below, it’s made up of equal parts of a few ingredients so no complicated measuring. As you’ve made it a few times, you begin to adjust according to your taste. Personally, I prefer mine to have more potato so sometimes I’ll add in a little extra. Feel free to customize to your liking!

Ruska Salata/Russian Salad

Recipe by The Balkan HostessCourse: Sides & SaladsCuisine: Balkan/Serbian

Servings

5

servings

Prep time

45

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup (150 g) hard boiled eggs, diced (3 medium eggs)

• 1 cup (150 g) frozen or canned peas, boiled,and drained

• 1 cup ( 150 g) carrots, boiled, drained, & diced (2 medium carrots)

• 1 cup (150 g) potato, boiled, drained, & diced (3 small potatoes)

• 1 cup (150 g) dill pickles, diced (5 or 6 pickles)

• 1 cup (150 g) chicken bologna (or ham), diced

• 1 cup (230 g) mayonnaise

• Salt to taste

Directions

• Peel carrots and potatoes and boil them in water until soft but not falling apart (just soft enough for a knife to go through easily). Remove from water and cool completely, set aside.
• In the same water, add frozen peas if using frozen and cook until soft. Remove from water and add to the dish with potatoes and carrots to cool. If using canned peas, just rinse them.
• Cook eggs until they are hard-boiled, peel, and set aside to cool.
• Once all ingredients have cooled, dice the carrots, eggs, pickles, potato, and bologna so they are all the same size. Add to a large bowl. Add in the mayonnaise. Add salt to taste and stir all the ingredients really well until evenly coated with mayonnaise.
• Chill mixture in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours, but best overnight. Serve cold.

Notes

• This dish is best served the next day, a perfect make-ahead recipe.

I hope you give this recipe a try. If you do, please let me know how it turns out and don’t forget to hashtag #thebalkanhostess so I can see your creations!