Ensalada Rusa (Russian Potato Salad)
Ensalada Rusa or Russian Potato Salad is a very popular dish in many Caribbean and Latin American countries. Today, I will show you the version which is often prepared in the Dominican Republic.
This Dominican-style Ensalada Rusa recipe is easy to make, relatively quick, and is a fantastic colorful addition to the table. It is made with fresh nutritious ingredients and basic flavor-packed seasonings.
So, give this recipe a try and let me know what you think in the comments below. And make sure to go check out some of my other incredibly delicious and easy Dominican recipes.
What Is Spanish Ensalada Rusa?
Spanish Ensalada Rusa is another term used to describe this potato salad which is popular in many Spanish-speaking countries. And, this salad actually has some surprising origins.
Ensalada Rusa is actually originally from Russia. It goes by an even more common name, Olivier salad. This salad is traditionally made from diced potatoes, carrots, pickles, green peas, onions, eggs, meat (chicken or sausage), and finally, mayonnaise. It also has quite a few flavoring ingredients like mustard and tart apples.
The Dominican Republic drew inspiration from this dish, as they do for many others, and created a version similar to Spanish ensaladilla (the Spanish version of an Olivier salad).
What Do You Need To Make This Dominican Potato Salad?
So, what exactly goes into a Dominican ensaladilla rusa? This version of the salad is very similar to the Russian one. However, it doesn’t contain any meat.
Potatoes And Carrots
The potatoes and carrots create the base of the recipe. They can be diced in any size that you’d like. But, I have found that 3-inch blocks work best for an easy-to-eat salad.
You should also always choose the freshest vegetables you can find. This will help ensure that the cooked flavor and texture are refreshing and as authentic as they can be.
Accompanying Vegetables
Next, you will also add red onion, canned beets, green peas, and canned sweet corn to this recipe.
These are all ingredients commonly found in Dominican cuisine. You can buy canned and bottled versions of these ingredients, or use freshly cooked alternatives.
Eggs
This recipe uses boiled eggs, like most other potato salad recipes. I like to boil my eggs for 8 minutes to make hard-boiled eggs. This won’t add a gooey yellow element to the salad. It avoids making it look messy and adding a weird texture.
If you do like the runny egg in potato salad, feel free to boil the egg for less time.
Mayonnaise
Next up, arguably the second most important ingredient in any potato salad recipe, the mayonnaise.
Now, I just bought some mayonnaise from the store. However, you can make your own mayonnaise at home. And it’s easier than you may think!
This is also where you can choose a vegan alternative, a low-fat or low-calorie option, or a flavored mayo to make things more interesting.
Seasoning Ingredients
Finally, I only added some very basic seasoning ingredients to this recipe. Salt and freshly ground black pepper are obvious additions.
I also added some white wine vinegar. You can also use any other type that you’d like (even lemon juice will work). But white wine vinegar specifically gives the salad a semi-sweet tanginess.
HOW TO MAKE ENSALADA RUSA?
There are a couple of ways how you can do this delicious salad.
Start by cooking the potatoes and carrots. I like to dice them up into 3-inch pieces and boil them until they are fork-tender. A few minutes before they are done, I add the peas to the pot.
While the potatoes and carrots are boiling, hard-boil the eggs for 8 minutes. This will make them perfectly hard-boiled without that green ring around the yolk.
Once the eggs are done, add them to cold water, peel them, and dice them into small pieces.
After the potatoes, carrots, and peas have cooked, let them cool a bit before adding them to a large bowl. Then, simply mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl, add the mayo, and season to taste with salt, pepper, and vinegar.
FAQs
What’s the difference between a Spanish potato salad and a Russian potato salad?
The main difference between these salads is that the Russian potato salad typically contains some type of meat. Most Spanish versions, and the Dominican Republic version specifically, usually don’t contain any meat.
What can you serve with Ensalada Rusa?
This salad works best as the accompanying ingredient. So, I would highly recommend serving it with Dominican Kipes, Peurto Rican Chillo Frito, or Matej’s delicious Chicken Schnitzel recipe.
Can you leave out the mayonnaise in the potato salad?
I do not recommend just leaving out the mayonnaise completely If you don’t have it or like it, rather use an alternative. This can be sour cream, greek yogurt, hummus, or avocado. Not all of them will be as great as real mayonnaise, but they will do as an alternative.
Can you freeze Ensalada Rusa?
You can definitely freeze potato salad. However, the texture won’t be nearly as creamy and tender as it is fresh. So, if you can at all avoid freezing it, definitely do. Luckily my recipe is quick and easy, so it won’t take too long to make from scratch.
Ensalada Rusa (Russian Potato Salad)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 3-inch pieces
- 1/2 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces
- 4 large eggs
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 1 cup sliced cooked beets
- 1/2 cup green peas, frozen
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- Fine salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- First, peel and dice the potatoes and carrots into 3-inch pieces.
- Add them to a large pot filled with salted water. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for about 15–20 minutes, or until the vegetables are fork-tender.
- Add the lid to the pot and allow the vegetables to cook over medium-high heat for about 15 to 20 minutes or until they become fork tender.
- In the final 5 minutes of cooking, add the frozen peas to the pot so they cook briefly with the vegetables.
- Once everything is tender, drain the vegetables and peas, and set them aside in a large bowl to cool completely.
- In a separate pot, add water and bring it to a boil. Carefully add the eggs and cook for 8 minutes to hard-boil them. Once done, transfer them to a bowl of ice water to cool, then peel and chop them.
- While the vegetables are cooking, add water into a second large pot. Then, add your eggs and bring the water to a simmer. Cook the eggs for 8 minutes. They should be hard-boiled. Once the eggs are removed, place them in ice water so they cool completely.
- While the eggs are cooling, finely chop the red onion and slice the cooked beets. Set them aside. (Optional: soak the red onion in cold water or vinegar to reduce sharpness.)
- Once the potatoes, carrots, and peas have cooled, add the chopped eggs to the bowl.
- Then, add the red onion and sliced cooked beets.
- Stir in the mayonnaise and mix everything gently until well combined.
- Season with white wine vinegar, salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate the salad for at least 1 hour before serving.
- Serve chilled as a refreshing and colorful side dish.
