First off, if you can’t get excellent cucumbers pickled with salt (it’s very hard to get them in fact) – take vinegar pickled ones, so you won’t spoil the taste of salad, moreover a lot of people prefer marinated cucumbers to salted ones.

Second, what about meat: yes, it’s common to add bologna, but chicken, veal or beef tounge would give the salad a milder taste, a better texture and would also keep it original.

Prepared capers are extremely important (once again, they were in the original recipe created in Russian Empire, they are popular nowadays as well), they just make it taste more special.

About greens – dill and onion are not a must, but they can be used as well as finely chopped apples or fresh cucumbers.

Enjoy

chop and mix all ingredients together, add desired amount of mayonnaise and salt and pepper to taste. I prefer this way. I absolutely love Olivier (or at least I love my version) and I make it every thanksgiving, christmas, new years and my birthday. just thought I would share my version on here

To my opinion carrots are they important in this salad, and it will not taste the same w/o them. But that is just my opinion.

@ Julia,
thanks for your kind words! Please come back for more recipes, I hope you will like them.

I am originally from Finland & since a little kid become addicted to these open sandwich with Russian Salad!

In US it’s hard to find from anywhere, & or not really happy about it taste, will be going to prepare my own, over the weekend!

All you have great time with this taste Salad Olivier, actually not so Russian Salad, (nothing with but great to know the origin) as I’ve learned since day first!

Again, which by the way, I learned from this great Igor…!

All the best to all you guys!

I don’t like onions, but I dutifully added one whole bunch as the recipe required, and I am glad I did. The salad wouldn’t have been the same without it. Thanks!

By senf you mean mustard? I usually put mustard to okroshka, which is same what similar to Olivier… just liquid

2 egg yolks, about 2 cups of oil (sunflower or olive), 0.5 teaspoon of salt, 0.5 teaspoon of sugar, 0.5 teaspoon of mustard, 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice diluted with boiled and cooled down water to taste (or vinegar diluted as well).

Combine egg yolks at room temperature, salt, sugar and mustard in mixing bowl and emulsify.

Start adding oil (it should be at room temperature as well), very slow at beginning, teaspoon by teaspoon, make sure you mix in one before adding another.

Once oil is in, mix in lemon juice (or vinegar) till the consistency you like.

Something like this.

Tried this recipe the other day, but didn’t taste like the ones I usually have in the Russian restaurant. I think mayonnaise is the problem.

Also try fresh cucumber instead of pickles, you may find it tastes better that way.

But the most important ingredient is the mayonnaise. Regular one sold in Western Europe or North America will ruin the dish irreparably. Either use a Russian mayonnaise, or make your own, from olive oil, vinegar, sugar and salt, it’s very easy.

BTW, if you like simulated crab sticks, you may also like “Crab Sticks and Rice Salad” (http://www.enjoyyourcooking.com/salads/crab-sticks-salad.html ), it is one of my favorites