Olivye (Russian-Style Potato Salad)

Most of the Russian cooking in our house is done by my husband, but there are occasions when I have to take over because he just doesn’t have time to cook. We often work as a team in the kitchen, with me mostly prepping the ingredients or sometimes stirring the pot while he takes a short break. Because I often help him, I get to know how a dish is done. So it’s not that hard recreating his recipes when I have to.

You can eat olivye by itself or spread on top of bread (at least that’s how I saw hubby do it all these years, LOL). I personally enjoy it chilled for at least an hour in the fridge. Overnight even better.

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients:

4 medium potatoes
3 medium carrots
6 large eggs
1 pack hotdogs (1 lb)
6 small Kosher dill pickles (or 3 big Vlasic pickles)
1 can (15 oz) sweet peas, drained
¾ cup mayonnaise

Tools You’ll Need:
3 cooking pot
Knife
Cutting board
Large mixing bowl
Can opener
Spatula

Procedure:
1. Wash potatoes and carrots to remove any dirt. Place in a big pot. Add water making sure potatoes and carrots are fully submerged. Boil for about 20 minutes or until soft enough to pierce with a knife or fork. Rinse in cold water and peel.

2. In a smaller pot, add hotdogs and water and boil for 10 minutes. Remove from pot right away and let it cool down.

3. Place eggs in another smaller pot. Add water enough to cover the eggs and boil on high. As soon as it boils, lower the heat to medium and cook for additional 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the stove, put the lid on, and let the eggs sit in hot water for additional 5 minutes. Rinse the eggs under cold water before peeling.

4. Chop hotdogs, pickles, eggs, potatoes, and carrots in small cubes, as shown below. If you have a food chopper, it’s much better to make the job faster.

5. Put everything in a big mixing bowl. Add the mayonnaise and mix carefully.

6. Add sweet peas and mix.

7. Refrigerate potato salad for better flavor before serving.