Creamy, rich, and delicious Russian Salad is often served as part of lavish meals. The salad is an elaborate preparation of an array of diced and boiled vegetables and meat, such as ham and fish, in a dressing of mayonnaise and a few seasonings. But the salad can also be made at home as a simple recipe with only a few ingredients. For example, a vegetarian version of Russian salad can be made with an assortment of vegetables and instead of mayonnaise, sour cream could be used to make it innovative. The salad is made with potatoes, carrots, beans, peas, and tomatoes. Sour cream, seasoned with black pepper powder, white pepper powder, and red chilli powder, is mixed with the vegetables. The salad is then garnished with chopped cilantro/coriander leaves and served cold (it needs to be put in the fridge for at least two hours). The salad is not only packed with flavour and all kinds of deliciousness but also is full of nutrients for the variety of vegetables in it. Eggetarians can also add boiled eggs, cut into quarter pieces, to the salad.
Since potatoes take a little more time to boil compared to the other vegetables, it is advisable to dice and boil the potatoes first, for a few minutes, before adding the rest of the vegetables. The seeds of the tomato must be removed to ensure the salad does not become soggy. It is advised to serve the salad on lettuce leaves as it contributes to the flavour.
Russian Salad is said to have its origins in Moscow, Russia, in the 19th Century. It is also known as Olivier's Salad as it is believed to have been invented by Lucien Olivier, who prepared it at a well-known Moscow restaurant. Russian salad has become a popular dish across the world, and is prepared in various styles, including both vegetarian and non-vegetarian.
Here is a recipe for Russian Salad With Sour Cream:
Ingredients
• 2 Potatoes
• 1 Tomato
• 1/2 cup Peas (shelled)
• 1/2 cup Green beans
• 1/2 Carrots (chopped)
• Sour cream
• White pepper powder
• Black pepper powder
• Salt to taste
• Lettuce
• Chopped cilantro/coriander leaves
Method
• Deseed and dice the tomato
• Peel and dice the potatoes
• Dice the beans
• In a bowl of water, add the diced potatoes, and boil for about two minutes
• Add the chopped beans, chopped carrots, shelled peas, and salt to taste
• Let it boil for about 12-15 minutes
• Take off the flame and put the contents into a bowl
• Add the diced tomatoes and mix
• In half cup of sour cream add half a teaspoon of white pepper powder and black pepper powder, you can also add half a teaspoon of red chilli powder, and mix well
• Garnish with chopped cilantro/ coriander leaves
• Put the salad into the fridge for two hours
• Serve cold
Pickled cucumber can also be added to complement the tomato. Russian Salad can be savoured on its own or be served as a side dish with fried fish or roasted chicken.
