Kosher Russian Potato Salad (Parve) Recipe

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 40 mins

Total: 60 mins

Servings: 6 to 8 servings

There are endless variations to olivye, or Russian potato salad and this recipe is just one. Precision with the ingredient quantities isn't important—use what you've got and adjust to taste!

Fresh herbs, such as dill, chives, or parsley, are great additions to the salad and offer a big flavor boost. You can use canned or frozen peas and carrots as a shortcut, but the salad's texture and flavor are better with freshly cooked carrots and peas. 

You can use any type of waxy potato for this recipe. For visual interest, try mixing a few different varieties, such as red-skinned, Yukon Gold, and purple potatoes, as pictured here. 

If you'd like to serve this salad on Shabbat but don't have time to prepare everything in advance, boil then refrigerate the potatoes and eggs (and peas and carrots, if using fresh) on Friday afternoon. Assemble the salad on Saturday morning, and chill until Shabbat lunch.

Ingredients

• 6 to 8 medium potatoes, skins on

• 2 to 3 large eggs

• 1 cup green peas, fresh or frozen

• 2 to 3 medium carrots, peeled, trimmed, and diced into 1/4-inch pieces

• 4 dill pickles, finely chopped

• 5 tablespoons mayonnaise, or more to taste

• Kosher salt, or sea salt, to taste

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• Pinch sugar

Steps to Make It

1. Gather the ingredients.

   

2. Place the potatoes (with their skins on) in a large pot or Dutch oven. Cover with 2 inches of cold water, and bring to a boil.

   

3. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are easily pierced with a knife, about 20 to 40 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes.

   

4. Drain, transfer to a bowl, and place in the refrigerator to cool. 

   

5. While the potatoes are cooling, make the hard-boiled eggs; place the eggs in a small saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Allow the eggs to cook for 2 minutes, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, covered for 10 minutes more.

   

6. Drain and place the eggs in a small bowl of ice water to cool.

   

7. Place the chopped carrots in a small saucepan and cover with enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil. Add the fresh peas (if using frozen peas, don't cook them, just add to the salad with the eggs), lower the heat, and simmer until the carrots and peas are tender, about 6 to 8 minutes.

   

8. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water to stop the cooking process. Transfer the carrots and peas to a large bowl. 

   

9. Take the potatoes from the refrigerator, peel, and cut into 1/4-inch dice. Add the potatoes to the bowl with the carrots and peas.

   

10. Add the potatoes to the bowl with the carrots and peas. Peel the hard-boiled eggs, cut into 1/4-inch dice.

    

11. Add chopped egg to the vegetables along with chopped pickles and mix well.

    

12. Add the mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and sugar to the bowl. Gently toss together. Taste the salad and adjust the seasonings, or add more mayonnaise if you prefer a creamier salad. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.