I can’t even begin to express how much I love Salad Olivieh. I love it soo sooo so much! It is our version of potato salad. What I find interesting is that Russians have a similar salad as well upon a conversation that I had with my adopted Russian mom Mela, whom I have talked about in the Pirashki post.
For me Salad Olivieh will forever be associated with my birthday because that’s when my grandma made it for me. So it safe to say that it was a special treat! Today happens to be my birthday, so I think it is the best day to feature this dish!!
The picture above is from my 10th birthday party. I feel the need to point out my childhood best friend in this picture. The adorable girlie with the biggest smile to my left is Yassi. We were best friends from 1st grade until 4th grade when I left Iran. We lost touch for about 20 years until she found me and we realized we both live in So Cal!
My Grandma used to always have birthday parties for me and fill the table with delicious food. As I said Salad Olivieh was a staple. She always decorated the top to make it pretty. Follow the arrows in the picture above for the two platters! Maman Fakhri was so awesome for so many reasons.
It’s pretty amazing that I love this salad as much as I do because, to be honest, I am not a fan of Mayo. Oh no, not me. I am the ” hold the mayo and mustard only” type of girl on my sandwiches. And here is the thing, Iranians love to make this salad with plenty of mayo. And the worst part of it all? They even like to spread the top of the salad with mayo.
But not me! I use a lot less mayo in my own salad. Now, I have to warn you that my Salad Olivieh is slightly different than the traditional one. While all the ingredients are the same, the way I make it’s slightly different in the sense that I have cut down the prep time considerably.  This is a very time consuming dish to make and being an Aries, I can sometimes be inpatient. Don’t get me wrong, I am all about slow food movement and making everything from scratch, but between the cooking and cutting, this dish takes way too long. But thank God for my adopted Russian mom, she suggested a couple of shortcuts and I ran with them!
Ingredients
3 medium large potatoes, cooked
3 eggs, hard boiled
2 cups shredded chicken
2 cups frozen peas and carrots
19 oz can of Persian pickles
Dressing
2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tsp mustard
1/8 cup olive oil
salt & pepper
First short cut: pick your favorite roast chicken. My local Albertson’s makes a delicious Lemon Basil roast chicken. You can cook your own chicken from scratch, but the added flavor from the roast chicken is really good!
Removed bones and skin and shred chicken. Also give it a rough chop to make the pieces a bit smaller.
Small dice the eggs and pickles.
Dice the potatoes as well making them slightly bigger in size than the pickles and eggs.
Short cut two: Buy a bag of frozen peas and carrots. In the traditional Salad Olivieh the peas and carrots should be cooked. Mela informed me that the secret to a good Salad Olivieh is to not cook the peas. So I took this advice a step further and also saved the time spent on cutting the carrots. I just throw the peas and carrots in my salad raw, straight out of the bag.
Place all ingredients in a big mixing bowl.
In a different mixing bowl prepare the dressing by mixing mayo, mustard, lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper. I personally have a love affair with Dijon mustard, but you can use regular mustard too!
Mix ingredients and dressing well.
Taste and check seasoning. Cover and let rest in the fridge for a few hours allowing the flavors to come together.
Salad Olivieh is an excellent addition to your appetizers table, a great side dish, and a fantastic choice for a picnic. It is also delicious in a sandwich form, either with pita bread or French baguette!
April 9, 2010
Tavalodet Mobarak!!!!
I like the shortcuts your posted. That will have a lot of time next time I make some!
I hope you and the Sous Chef do something fun for your birthday!
April 9, 2010
lovely!
April 9, 2010
Happy birthday!!
April 9, 2010
First of all, Happy Birthday!!! Second, you have to share how you made the flower in the middle. I’ve tried and tried unsuccessfully to make these on my salad olivieh. I usually just end up carving a pickle into a flowery looking shape, but it’s nowhere nearly as pretty. I just made a huge batch for sizdebedar that we are finally finishing up. Next batch I’m trying your version. 🙂
April 9, 2010
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! I hope you have a wonderful day!!
Thank’s for this mouth watering post it looks delicious….I just love the pics, they take me by the hand and walk me through the receipe 🙂
Oh I wanted to ask and will since you mentioned “cups” tell me please when you say how many cups how do I know how big the cup should be? I have been confused by this.
April 9, 2010
Hello there…I have to tell you that all my friends and family LOVE salad olivieh….It’s always a request for parties…and they’re not even persian!! 😛 Ever since they tasted it at my house, it’s been a high demand dish….I love your site..I’m American,and been married to my Iranian husband for 22 years….I make Persian food quite often. I find it a lot of fun to make, and after years of practice, it comes very naturally to me now. Thank you for sharing all of your delicious recipes.
April 9, 2010
salam webloge zibai darin
vali dastooraye ghazatoon hame english bood
manam englisham ziyad khoob nist
vali az axash estefade kardam kheili ziba bood
movafagh bashin
April 9, 2010
This looks like a perfect salad for summer! Do you think I could sub half tha mayo with greek yoghurt, to make it a wee bit healthier? Also will any ole gherkin do if I can’t get hold of persian pickle? Thanks – and Happy Birthday!!
April 10, 2010
I love Salad Olivieh – and luckily one of the few Persian foods I can make :-). I had been looking forward for your recipe. Great shortcuts! Thanks. I have never heard of canned persian pickles. How are they different than dill pickles?
Happy Birthday! The pictures you posted look almost identical to the birthday parties my sister and I would have in Tehran! Salad Olivieh was a staple at our parties as well.
April 10, 2010
Happy Birthday, my fellow Aries. Don’t I know what you mean about being impatient. Ha! Like you, I’m not a big fan of mayo. At all. Except in this dish and maybe a couple of others, but that’s about it.
COOL that you took the shortcuts and ran with them. That just might mean I’ll be making this salad this week. Love your recipe. I’d probably add a few bits of diced celery to mine. 🙂
Enjoy your birthday weekend, hon!
April 10, 2010
love the photos-really cute. i love salad olivieh. youre lucky to have had a grandmother who loved you so much.
April 10, 2010
hey ^^
i love your blog
the pictures make it even better ^^
April 10, 2010
I also have a love affair with salad olivieh…. I have this on hand as a wonderful summer dish.. I remember the first time I had this my MIL was here and after watching her make so many dishes I thought it is potato salad (being from the south we love a good potato salad) I was amazed that she put chicken in it and then I thought what is that going to taste like ahhhhhhhh heaven that is what it tastes like … thank you for sharing your memories and recipes ….
Happy Happy Birthday or should I say:
tavalod tavalod tavalodet mobarak. mobarak mobarak tavalodet mobarak.
bia shamaro foot kon ta sad sal zende bashi. bia shama ro foot kon ta sad sal zende bashi.
mobarak mobarak tavalodet mobarak.
April 10, 2010
Thanks for the post. Happy birthday! 🙂
April 10, 2010
First of all Happy Birthday!!!!
I have just come across with your blog and I am delighted, yesterday I came back from my holidays in Iran. I spent two weeks travelling around the country and I came back amazed and stunned by the people I met there, It is an incredibly fantastic country, with which I got madly in love.
I am glad to have found your blog, so that I can learn even more about the great persian cuisine. Thanks for sharing
April 11, 2010
Happy Birthday, hope you had a great one. I remember having olovieh at most of my birthdays too, to this day I still make it for parties. I love to make it and keep it in the fridge overnight, it always tastes better the next day. I’ll be making it this weekend:)
April 11, 2010
Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your well wishes. It is always nice to see so many of you have similar memories of their childhood parties! It is always so exciting for me to read your comments and see your take on the dishes but also how you are as passionate about them as I am! Thank you for your love and support!
Here are answers to your questions:
@ Zahra, I wished I could tell you I am the queen bee of food decoration and I know all the ins and outs. But I don’t, I played with the flower until it looked decent. I peeled the skin of a tomato, then cut it into two pieces. Then I wrapped the first one around itself placed it on top of the salad. Did the same thing with the second piece and put it inside the first “flower.” Then I put a pea in there. Your comment gave me a great post idea. I am going to ask my friends who are experts in the field and post all about it!
@ Alexis, what I mean by cup is the traditional measuring cups, not regular drinking cups. I hope this helps. 🙂
@ Eric, Oh Persian pickles are different!!!! I might have to do a little feature about Persian pickles now!!
April 17, 2010
Tavalodet mobarak, inch’allah ta 120 sal.
The trick to get perfect velvety texture, chef Rahman from Cafe Naderi or Leon from the russian grill room used was to add sour cream to the homemade mayonnaise, I guess they didn’t care much about cholesterol :-0
You Camelia-tomato is just perfect.
April 18, 2010
Merci Vivi Khanoom!
May 5, 2010
Words cannot describe how much I love salad olivier. My Persian friend’s grandmother made it for us and it was all over. I had to have the recipe and make it for myself. Your recipe is very similar to the one she shared.
I did a post on it as well, but focused on the history, which is fun story.
Thanks for sharing your recipe and story.
May 14, 2010
Well, this salad originated in Russia – a Frech chef created it for some VIPs of the time. The name of the chef was… Olivier!
It truly spread in all of the Eastern Europe and further – apparently in the Persian land as well, and with a twist of name. Because indeed, many places found their own name for it: where I come from we call if “salata de boeuf” = bouef salad or beef salad – although, believe me, I’ve never seen anybody making it with beef! Many times the meat is left out altogether, while other times, like in communist Russia, they used a sort of bologna.
Thanks for reminding me of it!
August 24, 2010
Thank-you for the colourful ”Salad olivier” Recipie , I added corn as a veg, and cooked a fresh chicken instead of using cooked-meats (jamboon) etc. The food tasted olly and we ate it for ”eftah”. Was I supposed to use a Roasted Chicken?
The other question was about ”KASHK’ How much water to how much kask do i use for all meals containing ” Whey”? And how long to i need to boil the pasturised versions in jars? Thanks
Catherine.
August 24, 2010
Catherine, we don’t use Jamboon for Salad Olivieh, we only use chicken. I have never made Kashk myself, so I don’t’ know the ratio. I just buy mine from the store. 🙂
October 27, 2010
This recipe is great – can’t wait to make it for my boyfriend’s birthday. Can you tell me the serving size (how many people it feeds roughly), using the above ingredients? Thank you!
October 27, 2010
Mara, this recipe is for about 6 to 8 people. If you are making it just for the two of you I would only make half of it…enough for one round and some more for a second round the day after!
January 28, 2011
Thanks.
oh actually i liked your recipe.
January 28, 2011
Dropped in to use your recipe (yet again) and decided to comment to let you know how much my husband and I love your olivieh salad! Thanks for posting it, and have a great birthday in 2011.
February 15, 2011
I made this today for an international potluck at work. It came out delicious. Several persons asked me for the recipe. For someone who usually just contributes the chips and soda, it was awesome to get so much praise for a dish I made. Of couse I gave you credit and told them all about your website. Thank you so much for all the time you take to teach us. I especially love learning about the Persian culture and traditions. Kindest regards.
February 16, 2011
M Mobarak, Fantastic!!! I am so happy that your Salad Olivieh was a success!!! Thank you for passing the word along about MPK! I really appreciate it!! 🙂
March 7, 2011
Hi Sanam! I love your website and all the great tips and recipes, merci!! Have you tried using Vegenaise in place of regular Mayo? That has been my new ‘discovery’ and I too dislike mayo.
March 7, 2011
Hedie, no I have it, but I will give it a try!!
March 10, 2011
I made this sometime last week and I always leave my chicken cooking in a crock pot and the chicken is ready and so easy to shread actually there is no need it falls apart. Just thought I would give a heads up on that :).
March 10, 2011
Beverly, thanks for the heads up!!!
March 17, 2011
سلام
کاش نسخه ÛŒ Ùارسی هم داشت وبسایتتون
واسه ما که میخوایم بریم خونه بخت کلی مادر بزرگه این سایتتون
May 17, 2011
I’m currently living in China, have been for the past 4 months, and i’ve been missing home a lot lately. My mom never made Salad Olivieh, but my aunt did. And when i found your recipe, i thought, “No way! Mustard?! That’s lunatic!”
However, I tried it, and goodness… It’s sooo good. I made about 3 KG of it… it’ll be lasting me a LONG time…. Thanks for recipe!! It made my week!
June 7, 2011
Salad “Olivier” – a Russian salad, and canned peas there lies a sweet and soft. Every holiday table in Russia is not without “Olivier”. Your – this is our recipe of authentic Russian cuisine.
http://www.say7.info/cook/recipe/194-Salat-Olive.html
June 7, 2011
سالاد “اولیویه” — سالاد روسی!
June 14, 2011
‘Olivieh’ in spite of it’s ‘french’ name is 100% Russian salad, even Soviet=). In Russia it’s the most popular salad. There is no New Year without olivieh.
The difference is in pickles – Russians use only pickled cucumbers. And green pea must be canned in R. version.
“Pirashki’ is a plural for ‘a pie’. In fact, correct spelling is ‘pirojki’ (pl), ‘pirojok’ (sg). It’s funny how many words from Russian came to Farsi, from ‘samovar’ to this ‘pirashki’, ‘sukhari’ etc.
ps. I’m Russian, my husband is Persian. We do love Olivieh! =)
August 1, 2011
salam . weblogetun aliye. be dustam ke italiaiye moarefi kardam unam koli khoshesh umad , mamnun . kheiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiili khube kheyli
August 10, 2011
thanks for sharing this recipe – I am rubbish in the kitchen but seem to have produced a lovely dish, thanks to you!
October 2, 2011
this is my favorite salad, my friend always makes it for me, now i can save her some time…. thank you so much
October 25, 2011
For most of my persian cooking, I’ll just call my mom or sister. But I always check this recipe when I’m making Salad Olivieh!!
October 30, 2011
I really enjoyed your recipe! please keep them coming.
November 2, 2011
My sister is married to an Iranian guy and we were doing some work together years ago when he invited me round to their house to have lunch as we were starving. He took this huge bowl out of the fridge and put a loaf of bread down on the table. I asked what it was, it looked similar to potato salad, and he said it was Russian Salad. It was absolutely wonderful and we ate almost the whole loaf of bread with loads of the salad. Great website:) Thanks for the recipe.
November 24, 2011
When I was in Iran i love d to eat this salad regularly u can say I was mad about it
December 6, 2011
Dear Lady:
I thoroughly enjoyed your site and do appreciate the information you share with all of us. My aunt and mother were two fantastic Persian cooks. My mom passed on and my aunt at 100 is the formeost authority on Persian cooking and still cooks up a storm. I just called her asking her which of two pots is more favorable for the Quince to turn red, the aluminum pots or the stainless steel pot. I just made a bunch of Morabaye beh and had difficulties getting it dark red color. At the end, I cheated by adding a few drops of red food color. (I am an excellent cook myself. My specialties are various torshis, Morabas, Fesenjoon, Khoreshte Karafs, Ghorme Sabzi, Lubia Polo (with zereshk, Kalam Polo with zereshk and Morabaye Zereshk). She gave me a tip. She said although the Perisan Quince are much sweeter and yellower than the Quince we buy in here (US), you need to use “Damkoni” to get the color more red. I knew putting the cover on top at the end would facilitate making it darker. However, I did not realize using towel would enhance the darkness of the red color. If you knew, I apologize for wasting your time. If you did not, I am glad I shared it. Since I abstain from red meat, I am going to use your recipe with chicken instead of lamb shank for abgousht. My aunt once made it and that was absolutely divine.
Again, I wish to acknowledge your generosity of time with us all.
Ghorbane shoma,
Kombiz Salehi
January 8, 2012
ممنون از راهنمایی هاتون:)
January 8, 2012
اما اگه Ùارسی بود بهتر بود
February 6, 2012
I cooked it first at this weekend and I like it sooo much! My husband also! It’s very easy to make and its taste is very close to the Hungarian cuisine. 🙂 Thank you for every details and for the lovely pictures!!!! 🙂
February 11, 2012
I made this for a potluck at work and everyone loved it! This is one of my favorite Persian dishes and I have made it before using other recipes and it never turned out as good. I used your shortcuts and they saved me so much time! It turned out delicious!! Thank you for making Persian cooking less intimidating for me. I have also tried a couple other recipes and can’t wait to try more!
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