Ensaladilla rusa is, without a hint of a doubt, one of Spain’s most popular dishes. It is widely consumed all over the country, especially during the summer months, but not only.
With its colorful medley of ingredients and creamy texture, Ensaladilla rusa has become an iconic dish, an indispensable part of the nation’s gastronomic heritage (even tho its origins are not Spanish).
Either made at home or eaten at a Bar as a tapa alongside a cold caña, Ensaladilla Rusa is one of the proverbial dishes that permeates Spanish food culture.
Everybody knows Ensaladilla Rusa, and almost every cook has their own recipe and variations, claiming of course, “theirs is the best”.
Ensaladilla rusa salad holds more than just culinary significance; it represents cherished memories and communal celebrations. We Spaniards have embraced Ensaladilla rusa as a quintessential part of our gatherings, particularly during summer picnics, beach outings, and family BBQs. The dish’s refreshing nature and its ability to be prepared ahead of time make it a popular choice for any social occasion. It symbolizes togetherness, shared laughter, and the joys of savoring good food in great company.
As an insider and an Ensaladilla rusa connoisseur, let me take you on a delightful journey through the origins, preparation, and cultural significance of this beloved delicious salad.
What’s inside Ensaladilla Rusa?
Ensaladilla rusa’s charm lies in its simplicity. It is a very well combined blend of boiled potatoes, some veggies like carrots, some kind of pickles, sometimes peas, olives, tuna, anchovies, boiled egg… all tied up in mayonnaise, resulting in a creamy and delicious salad that is perfect to have as a tapa or as a side dish during the summer months, but Its ubiquitous presence during the summer months leaks into winter in bars and restaurants. The ingredients are finely diced, ensuring that each forkful offers a medley of textures and tastes.
It can be made with a different combination of ingredients and proportions, some versions are a bit fancier than others, including prawns and smoked salmon, and others kept it quite simple, but I can assure you Ensaladilla rusa it’s a delicious dish to try at home no matter the recipe.
To prepare Ensaladilla rusa, one must pay careful attention to the balance of ingredients and flavors, no matter what combination of ingredients is chosen. Mayonnaise provides a creamy backdrop; pickles add the tangy punch cutting through the richness and earthiness of boiled potatoes. The veggies offer crunch, and the olives and the tuna offer the salty touch, all topped up with the creamy, rich, and savory taste of boiled eggs.
As you can see, it’s a very simple combination of humble ingredients but a very effective and delicious one.
Join me as we delve deeper into the secrets of Ensaladilla rusa, uncovering the nuances of its preparation so you’ll be able to prepare Ensaladilla rusa like a local, no matter where your kitchen might be.
A brief history of Ensaladilla rusa
Ensaladilla Rusa, which translates literally to “Russian salad,” might seem paradoxical in its name’s association with Spain. However, the iconic salad has true Russian origins.
Its origins lie in a dish that was created in Moscow by the Belgian chef Lucien Olivier during the 1860s at the Hermitage restaurant. Originally Olivier’s salad included a much different and fancier combination of ingredients like veal, grouse, and lobster, amongst the other ingredients that have translated into the recipe we know today (boiled potatoes, boiled eggs, pickles…)
The original recipe remains a mystery since the Chef kept the specific combination of ingredients a secret, especially the sauce ingredients, which not only included mayonnaise but also fresh herbs and mustard.
How the recipe in its humbled form became a super popular and beloved recipe in Spain is a mystery but a delicious one. All we know for sure it’s the fact that it became popular in Spain during the late 19th century, Ensaladilla rusa quickly captured the hearts and tastebuds of the Spanish population, and as it made its way into countless homes and restaurants, each region infused its own unique twist, resulting in a delightful array of variations across the country.
In this post, I’m sharing my father’s in-law (Paco) recipe, which is, in my opinion, one of the best I’ve ever tried.
How to Make Spanish Russian Salad
EQUIPMENT:
To make Ensaladilla rusa, you are going to need the following equipment:
- Big pot
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Strainer
- Big bowl
- A rectangular dish for storage
- Fine grater
INGREDIENTS:
- 5 big potatoes (around 1 lb worth)
- 1 ½ cups canned tuna
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- 1 cup pickled veggies (carrot, cauliflower and cucumber)
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup roasted red pepper (optional)
- ½ green olives (pitted and stuffed with anchovies)
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
1 — Start by boiling the potatoes for 25 minutes until a knife runs through easily. You can boil them with the skin on or peeled, but you have to boil them whole.
2 — While the potatoes are boiling, boil the eggs for 9 minutes, starting from the boiling point.
3 — Drain the potatoes and let them cool to room temperature. Let the eggs cool before peeling too.
4 — Peel them if you boiled them with the skin on them and cut them into small cubes. Add to a bowl.
5 — Drain the canned tuna and add to the bowl with the potatoes.
6 — Add the pickled veggies to the bowl.
7 — Add the mayonnaise to the bowl and mix well.
8 — Chop the olives in half and set aside
9 — Chop the roasted pepper into thin strips, and set aside.
10 — Garnish the top of the Ensaladilla rusa with the grated hard-boiled eggs, the chopped olives, and the roasted peppers.
11 — Let cool in the fridge for 2-3 hours overnight.
12 — Que aproveche!
Notes and FAQs
Still with doubts? Don’t worry; we spill all the tea about ingredients, cooking methods, storage, etc, in this section so you can reproduce this recipe like a local.
Cooking:
- Boiling the potatoes: the reason behind boiling them whole and preferably with the skin on is to prevent them from absorbing too much water and breaking. You want your boiled potatoes soft but still with enough shape to hold the rest of the ingredients without becoming mush.
- Eggs: it’s important to cook them well; in ensaladilla rusa we use them hard-boiled, so for this, start a timer once the water starts boiling for 9 minutes.
You can cool them in a bowl with ice and water to help the peeling process.
Storage and presentation:
Ensaladilla rusa is usually made in a rectangular dish for transportation and storage reasons. It is easily covered with plastic wrap and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. By using a rectangular dish you’ll ensure a similar layer all the way through, not too thick, not too thin, gets covered with the delicious garnish, ensuring all bites get a bit of it.
When portioned, It can be served on a small plate with a couple of spoonfuls of it, or use a circle mold to present it in a fancier way, as you see in the photos.
Also, it’s usual to serve ensaladilla with some type of bread crackers so you can scoop it.
Notes on the ingredients/substitutions:
Potatoes: any variety will do, simply choose big ones.
Mayonnaise: You can use homemade mayonnaise or storebought. In summer I prefer to buy a good quality store-bought mayonnaise to avoid salmonella. Also, store-bought mayonnaise is more convenient and quick with equally good results.
Pickled veggies: In Spain is very common to find in the grocery store a medley of pickled veggies that is called “picadillo de variantes”, which includes carrot, cauliflower, and cucumber, all diced super finely. It is very crunchy and has a satisfying acidic taste that helps cut up the mayonnaise and the boiled potatoes.
Alternatively, you can use simply pickled cucumbers and chop them finely for the same results.
How to make your own “Picadillo de variantes”
Ingredients:
- 3 carrots
- ¼ cauliflower
- 4 cucumbers
- 2 cups vinegar (wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar)
Step-by-step:
- Peel the carrots and dice them as fine as possible.
- Cut the cauliflower into similar-sized bits.
- Dice the cucumbers into the same size.
- Add them inside a glass jar and cover with the vinegar of choice.
- Let sit in the fridge for a couple of hours/overnight
Olives: in Ensaladilla rusa we always use green pitted olives stuffed with anchovies. If you cannot find them stuffed with anchovies, you can simply use green pitted olives.
Roasted red pepper: In Spain” Pimientos del piquillo” are sold roasted in the grocery store (either canned or in a glass jar). They are sweet and the best kind have a bit of a smokey aftertaste. You can simply omit them since they are only used in the garnish, or add any roasted red pepper.
Tuna: Choose a good quality canned tuna that has no flavorings added, simply the tuna canned with oil. Drain it well.
Eggs: You can add more eggs and chop them to include inside the Ensaladilla rusa, but I prefer to add them grated on top.
Spanish “Russian” Salad Recipe
Equipment
- Big Pot
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Strainer
- Big bowl
- A rectangular dish for storage
- Fine grater
Ingredients
- 5 big potatoes (around 1 lb worth)
- 1 1/2 cups canned tuna
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- 1 cup pickled veggies (carrot, cauliflower and cucumber)
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup roasted red pepper (optional)
- 1/2 green olives (pitted and stuffed with anchovies)
Nutrition
Instructions
- Start by boiling the potatoes, for 25 minutes until a knife runs through easily. You can boil them with the skin on or peeled, but you have to boil them whole.
- While the potatoes are boiling, boil the eggs for 9 minutes, starting from the boiling point.
- Drain the potatoes and let them cool to room temperature. Let the eggs cool before peeling too.
- Peel them if you boiled them with the skin on them and cut them into small cubes. Add to a bowl.
- Drain the canned tuna and add to the bowl with the potatoes.
- Add the pickled veggies to the bowl.
- Add the mayonnaise to the bowl and mix well.
- Chop the olives in half and set aside
- Chop the roasted pepper into thin strips, and set aside.
- Garnish the top of the Ensaladilla rusa with the grated hard-boiled eggs, the chopped olives, and the roasted peppers.
- Let cool in the fridge for 2-3 hours overnight.
- Que aproveche!
