Persian Salad Olivier/Olivieh/Olvieh

I don’t care how it’s spelled; this is Persian (and also Russian… see the facts at the end) potato/chicken salad. In Persian, it’s written “سالاد الویه”, and is usually pronounced salad olvieh.

My Russian and Polish friends all know this dish, and that’s because it originated in Russia, but made its way across a few borders.

Making salad olvieh is technically easy — it’s just combining a few basic ingredients with mayonnaise. But it’s time-consuming because you have to separately cook chicken, potatoes, and eggs. If you’re making your own mayonnaise, you have to make that. Plus, I like to serve it with fresh bread. So it reallly can add up in time!

Ingredients

• 600 g potatoes (about 3–4 medium potatoes), peeled and cut into chunks
• 500 g chicken breasts (about 2 medium breasts)
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 4 eggs
• 150 g frozen peas
• 180 g dill pickles (about ¾ cup), diced into small cubes
• Dressing:
  • 1 cup mayonnaise (a high-quality one… many are no longer made with whole egg)
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided (not necessary if using home-made mayonnaise)
  • 30 ml (2 tablespoons) lemon juice
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Fresh pita bread

Pro-tip: This works great with home-made mayonnaise. Use an immersion blender with a whisk attachment, and in a jar, whisk together one egg, one tablespoon lemon juice, one teaspoon dijon mustard, and one minced clove of garlic, then whisk together. Pour 1/2 cup vegetable oil on top and whisk together until emulsified. Then whisk in 1/2 cup olive oil. Season with salt.

Instructions

1. Cook the chicken:
   • In a medium pot, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat.
   • Add 1 medium sliced onion and saute until translucent (a few minutes), then add the 3 smashed garlic cloves, and sauté until fragrant.
   • Add 400 g chicken breasts, and cook until lightly browned on both sides.
   • Add 1/2 cup water, and season with salt and black pepper.
   • Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, and cook, turning the chicken constantly, evaporating the water until it’s mostly gone.
   • Remove the chicken from the pot and let it cool.
   • Shred the cooled chicken into small pieces.
2. Prepare the other cooked mix-ins:
   • While the chicken is cooking, place 600 g potatoes in a large pot.
   • Cover with cold water, add a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil.
   • Reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20–25 minutes.
   • During the last 10 minutes, add 3–4 eggs to the pot to hard-boil them.
   • Once cooked, drain the potatoes and eggs, and let them cool.
   • Peel the eggs and chop them finely.
3. Prepare the vegetables:
   • Thaw 150 g frozen peas by placing them in a colander under warm water.
   • Dice 180 g dill pickles into small cubes.
4. Assemble the salad ingredients:
   • In a large bowl, mash the cooled potatoes with a fork or potato masher; they should be broken up but still have some texture.
   • Add the shredded chicken, chopped eggs, thawed peas, diced pickles to the potatoes.
5. Prepare the dressing:
   • In a small bowl, mix 1 cup mayonnaise, 30 ml lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
6. Mix the salad:
   • Pour the dressing over the potato mixture.
   • Gently stir until all ingredients are well combined and coated with the dressing.
   • Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
7. Serve:
   • Transfer the salad to a serving dish.
   • Garnish with fresh dill or tarragon, radishes, olives, or additional pickles if desired.
   • Serve with fresh pita bread.

Fun Facts

Here are some other names for salad olvieh in other languages/ cultures.

In Russia, the dish is called салат оливье (salat oliviyeh). It got this name because it’s generally attributed to Lucien Olivier, a Belgian chef working in Moscow. It may be made with beef or chicken, according to some blogs I’ve read, or with no meat in it.

In Poland, it’s known as sałatka jarzynowa (salatka yazhinova), which means “vegetable salad”. This variant also has carrots and maybe even apple, but doesn’t usually have chicken. In Poland it’s traditionally served during holidays.

In Spain, the dish is known as ensalada rusa, which means “Russian Salad”. Similarly, in Greece, it’s known as Ρωσική σαλάτα (rosiki salata).

It’s interesting that this dish has a name that sound French, and has come via Russia to places like Iran and Spain!