Happy Sunday to you lovely people! Boy are you in for a treat as I have a great and super easy recipe for you to try when you just want a tasty, filling and fuss free dish that will last you a few days. Olevieh is the answer! it’s a type of potato salad which actually has Russian roots. I think we Persians have embraced it and made it our own. I don’t recall a time that I have been to a party or event and not seen it on a spread. This salad is what I like to call a great all rounder, a versatile staple that goes with any occasion and quite popular throughout Iran. Don’t let the fact that it’s a salad fool you, it’s very filling and makes a great sandwich filling. Actually Olivieh salad should be eaten as a sandwich because it’s more awesome that way and I highly recommend it.

To make “Salad Olevieh” you need a bunch of everyday ingredients and it literally takes no time to make. All you need to do is boil/poach some things and mix it all together…easy peasy!

So without further ado here is the recipe for the easiest yet tasty salad you should totally try. Perfect for say a lazy Sunday 😉

Fuss free”Salad Olevieh” recipe:

Ingredients:

• 4-6 medium to large potatoes boiled (use waxy potatoes as they have the least amount of starch and won’t fall apart after being boiled)
• 3-5 eggs  hard boiled
• 1 chicken breast and 1 thigh fillet poached
• 1 cup of Pickles/Gherkins
• 1-2 cup of frozen peas
• 1-2 lemon squeezed
• 1 cup of whole egg mayonnaise
• 2 tbspn olive oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

• Boil Potatoes and Eggs, use separate pots
• In another pot poach the chicken, add salt some turmeric and a chopped onion in the broth to give it a bit of a lift
• boil some water in a kettle, empty the frozen peas in a bowl and pour the boiled water and cover the peas until it’s defrosted (usually takes a few minutes)
• drain the water and heat the peas in the microwave for 30-60 secs
• Drain and wash Gherkins and grate them in a separate bowl (you can also dice them but I prefer to grate)
• Juice 1-2 Lemons (this is totally a matter of taste preference, if you are not sure just juice one and then add more if needed)
• Once the potatoes, eggs and chicken are ready you will need to prepare them…just wait until it’s all room temperature to avoid burning yourself!
• In a big serving bowl or wok roughly chop/dice the potatoes, then add the eggs also in a similar way
• Shred the chicken into thin strips and add to the potato/egg mixture
• add in the peas
• add the grated pickles
• add the lemon juice
• season with salt and pepper
• add the mayonnaise
• add the olive oil
• start mixing all the ingredients…this is the reason why you need a big bowl. I find a wok very handy
• cover and refrigerate before serving

Hot tip: this salad is a balance of ingredients so to make it perfect you need to taste,add ingredients as required, mix and taste again. It should be creamy so the more mayo used the more delicious it will be. The above recipe is really a guideline and not set in stone so just play around with it 🙂

This is typically how Olevieh should look like and is usually served

As with every recipe there are always variations, for instance some people like to add carrots into the mix or other types of seasoning. As I mentioned earlier it is quite a versatile dish so feel free to add what you like to it. Just make sure to taste it in the process so that the end result is balanced.

And of course our stylised version of Olevieh balls; coated in Nigella, Sesame seeds and shredded greens served with fresh bread!

So this salad should be eaten with some kind of bread either a roll, bun, wrap, baguette….the possibilities are endless! And the best thing is that you can put whatever filling in it.I would recommend some cheese, a bit of greens like lettuce or rocket , sliced gherkins and tomatoes with some cracked pepper. Please do let me know what other toppings will be good and I’ll be sure to try it next time 🙂

Another great thing about Olevieh is that it lasts for days, just keep it in the fridge and you can get a few eats out of it. Fun fact I really love eating it fresh and warm…perhaps I’m weird but to me it just tastes way better. Whatever your preference, I hope you enjoy it. Till next time Xx