Salad Olivieh is a Persian potato Salad studded with peas, dill pickles, eggs and chicken. It makes a wonderful appetizer or lunch.
What is salad olivieh?
Potato salad is one of those dishes that you can find recipes from all around the world: Germany, Poland, Italy, Russia, the United States. Here in the U.S., potato salad is the quintessential side dish to any family barbecue or picnic.
I won’t lie. I’m not a huge fan of the gloopy, American potato salad. But then again, I was raised with a Persian potato salad, Salad Olivieh. But even the Persian Salad Olivieh was influenced by another country, Russia and their Olivier Salad.
The Russian version is typically made with potatoes, carrots, dill pickles, green peas, eggs, celeriac, onions, diced boiled chicken. It can include mustard, but is mixed with mayonnaise.
Even amongst Persian families, salad olivieh comes in many different forms. My mother adds carrot and mustard. I prefer mine without. Even my husband and I have differing preferences for this Persian potato salad.
His version always has more mayonnaise and more finely chopped ingredients than mine. It’s like the crunchy versus creamy peanut butter debate. So take this recipe more of an outline and customize it to your liking.
See my Salad Olivieh Web Story for a quick visual guide to making this recipe.
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Tools to Use
Garnish options
When you visit a Persian home and see this dish on the table, you will most certainly find it elaborately decorated. It is typically served in a smooth round mound and garnished beautifully with radishes, carrots, tomatoes, pickles and herbs, to name a few.
To make the rose (pictured above) use a sharp pairing knife and peel a tomato. Then use the tomato skin and roll it up like a rose. Easy peasy.
To make the radish and green onion flowers (pictured below), carefully make deep cuts into the radish and the onion part of your green onion, without cutting all the way through. Then immerse these veggies in ice water for about an hour. They will open up and bloom for you!
How to serve this dish
This dish can be served alone or with bread. Yes, I’m sure you low carb eaters aren’t too thrilled about potatoes wrapped in bread, but salad olivieh sandwiches made with lavash is oh-so-devilishly-good.
Not a fan of mayo? Then try my Apple Cider Vinegar Potato Salad.
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Salad Olivieh (Persian Potato Salad with Chicken)
Salad Olivieh is a Persian potato Salad studded with peas, dill pickles, eggs and chicken. It makes a wonderful appetizer or lunch.
Ingredients
- 1 pound russet potatoes
- 3 large eggs
- 3 TBS extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 boneless chicken breast
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 3 large dill pickles, diced
- 2 cups frozen peas, thawed
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- sliced radishes
- green onions
- fresh herbs
Instructions
- Wash and peel potatoes then cut in quarters.
- Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water.
- Add eggs in with the potatoes and bring to boil.
- Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and continue cooking until potatoes are fork tender. Drain the water and transfer potatoes to a large mixing bowl to cool. Set eggs in a cold water bath to cool.
- While the eggs and potatoes cook, in a small pan over medium-high heat add 1 TBS extra virgin olive oil.
- Season both sides of chicken with ½ teaspoon salt.
- Once oil is hot add chicken breast.
- Cook until the chicken breast is browned, then flip over and cook other side of chicken breast.
- Reduce heat to low and add 2 TBS lemon juice.
- Cover pan and continue cooking until chicken is cooked thoroughly and juices run clear, about 15 minutes. Remove chicken from heat and cool.
- When potatoes are cool to touch, coarsely cut into ½-inch pieces in the mixing bowl.
- Peel the cooked eggs, dice and add to the potatoes.
- Dice the cooled chicken breast and add to the mix.
- Add chopped pickles, peas, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper to the potato mix and stir to combine.
- Stir mayonnaise, 2 TBS lemon juice and 2 TBS olive oil into the potato salad until smooth.
- Cover and refrigerate salad olivieh until read to serve.
- When ready to serve, transfer salad to a serving plate and smooth into a round mound.
- Garnish as you please with sliced radishes, green onions and fresh herbs.
- Serve alone or with lavash.
Notes
Some people like to add chopped carrots and celery into salad oliveah.
I use the minimum amount of mayonnaise. You can definitely add more to make it creamier.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 418Total Fat: 12.9gSaturated Fat: 1.8gCholesterol: 202mgSodium: 1164mgCarbohydrates: 17.9gFiber: 4.2gSugar: 3.8gProtein: 57.7g
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