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Every traditional Spanish cookbook has an ensaladilla rusa recipe. This Russian potato salad is a beloved dish throughout Spain, and you’ll understand why when you taste the tender veggies tossed in this creamy homemade dressing!
Looking for more Spanish salads? Make sure to try my recipes for ensalada mixta and patatas aliñadas (Spanish potato salad).
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Introduction
Ensaladilla rusa–you either love it or hate it! Many Spanish tapas bars serve this delicious dish, but I especially enjoy eating it in Seville and Cadiz, where it’s garnished with fresh shrimp and served with crunchy breadsticks (picos).
Back in the 1860s, Belgian chef Lucien Olivier crafted the original Russian potato salad at the Hermitage Restaurant in Moscow. Sadly, he never shared his secret recipe for his rich man’s potato salad, but copycat versions arose.
Nowadays, this salad is enjoyed throughout the world, but it’s especially loved in Spain, where it was called the Ensaladilla Nacional during the Spanish Civil War. The Spanish version typically includes potatoes, peas, carrots, and tuna, with southern variations also including shrimp and hard-boiled eggs.
Ingredients
Wondering what ingredients you need to make a batch of ensaladilla rusa? Here’s a look at the key ingredients for this Spanish potato salad.
- Potatoes: Use a firm potato that’s waxy, as it will hold together once boiled and won’t turn into powder or mush.
- Beets: This is an optional ingredient, as it will turn the salad pink. I love the color and flavor they add!
- Sherry Vinegar: This adds a lovely tang and authentic Spanish flavor.
- Tuna or Shrimp: Depending upon your region and preferences, experiment with adding drained, canned tuna or boiled shrimp.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Ensaladilla Rusa
If you’d like to see the full ingredients and instructions, scroll to the bottom of the post for the printable recipe card.
- Wash the potatoes, cover with water, and bring the pot to a boil with a pinch of salt. Boil until they’re fork tender. (image 1)
- Let the potatoes cool completely, then peel them and cut in cubes. (image 2)
- Cover the beets with cold water and add a squeeze of lemon juice or vinegar to prevent bleeding. Boil until tender, about 1 hour. (image 3)
- Rinse in cold water; the skin should come off easily. Cube the beets, slicing some thinly for decoration. (image 4)
- Peel the carrots and boil them until tender. (image 5)
- Run them under cold water, then cut into cubes. (image 6)
- Boil the green beans until tender, then cut into small pieces. (image 7)
- Boil the peas until cooked. (image 8)
- Peel the shrimp and boil them for 1-2 minutes, then drain and place them in ice water to stop the cooking. (image 9)
- Hard boil one of the eggs. (image 10)
- Beat the egg yolk with salt and vinegar. Slowly add the oil, whisking constantly until it’s emulsified and the consistency of mayo. Reserve one-quarter of it for later. (image 11)
- Beat the egg white to stiff peaks, then mix the egg white into the rest of the mayo. This is clarified mayonnaise. (image 12)
- Mix half of the cooked veggies with the clarified mayo and place in a bowl. Mix the rest of the veggies with the plain mayo. (image 13)
- Decorate the salad with the veggies mixed with plain mayo. Top with the sliced beets, shrimp, and hard boiled eggs if desired. (image 14)
Recipe FAQs
This Russian potato salad originated in Moscow, Russia, where it was created at the Hermitage Restaurant by a Belgian chef named Lucien Olivier in the 1860s.
Ensaladilla rusa is called that because of its origins in Russia. It was first created by Belgian chef Lucien Oliver at the Hermitage Restaurant. Nowadays, it’s served throughout the world, and has become a favorite national dish in Spain.
Ensaladilla rusa is made from a mixture of boiled vegetables, like potatoes, beets, green beans, and peas, combined with homemade mayo. Some of the mayo is mixed with stiffly whipped egg whites to make it clarified, and the salad is garnished with hard boiled egg, sliced beets, and boiled shrimp.
It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
Serve
Enjoy this homemade ensaladilla rusa with crunchy breadsticks and crackers. This dish can be served anytime of year. In Spain, ensaladilla Rusa is typically served cold in the warmer months, while in Russia, it’s part of Christmas dinner.
If you’re looking for some tasty Spanish tapas to round out your meal, try these recipes for patatas bravas with bravas sauce, bacon wrapped dates, chorizo a la sidra, or Spanish garlic mushrooms. Serve with a cold glass of tinto verano for a summertime treat!
Expert Tips
- Want to make the best ensaladilla rusa? Make your own mayonnaise, as described in the recipe. If you are short on time, use a good-quality jarred variety.
- Be sure to add the oil slowly to the mayonnaise to prevent the mixture from splitting, beating quickly as you go. If it does split, add an extra egg yolk to re-emulsify it.
- Don’t want the salad to turn pink? Serve the beets on the side.
- For a fancy, old-fashioned look, decorate the salad with thinly sliced beets, boiled shrimp, or quartered hard-boiled eggs.
Ensaladilla Rusa (Russian Potato Salad)
Try this delicious ensaladilla rusa recipe for a taste of Spain’s favorite summer dish. This Russian potato salad is a homemade dish that’s worth trying!
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Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 465.87kcal
Ingredients
For the Mayonnaise Dressing
Instructions
Prepping the Vegetables
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Potatoes: Rinse and cover with cold water and a pinch of salt. Boil until fork tender, then let them cool completely. Remove the skin and cut into cubes.
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Beets: Cover with cold water, adding a little lemon juice or vinegar to prevent them from bleeding. Boil until tender, about an hour, then rinse under cold water and remove the skin. Thinly slice some of the beets for decoration if desired, then cube the rest.
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Carrots: Peel them and cover with cold water. Boil until tender, but not mushy. Run them under cold water to cool, then cut into cubes.
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Green Beans & Peas: Boil until they are tender and cooked.
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Shrimp: Add the raw shrimp to a pot of boiling water, then leave them in until they turn pink and float to the surface, about 1-2 minutes. Immediately remove them and place in an ice bath to cool.
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Hard-Boiled Egg: Boil an egg until it’s hard-boiled; about 10 minutes. Chill it in an ice bath for 10 minutes, then peel and quarter lengthwise.
Making the Dressing
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Separate the large egg carefully so no yolk gets in the white.
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Place the egg yolk in a bowl, then add a pinch of salt and a dash of vinegar. Beat until combined, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil while beating quickly. Keep beating until the mixture is thickened. Set aside one-quarter of the mayo for later.
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Beat the reserved egg white to stiff peaks, then slowly add the egg white to the majority of the mayonnaise. This makes clarified mayonnaise.
Assembling the Salad
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Mix together half of the vegetables and tuna or shrimp (if using) with some of the clarified mayonnaise (the batch with the egg whites mixed in).
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Mix the rest of each vegetable with the regular mayonnaise, and decorate the top of the salad with little mountains of the different vegetables.
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Decorate with capers, the thinly sliced beets, hard boiled egg, and extra shrimp or tuna. Serve cold and enjoy!
Notes
- For the best flavor, make your own mayonnaise, as described in the recipe. If you are short on time, use a good-quality jarred variety.
- Be sure to add the oil slowly to the mayonnaise to prevent the mixture from splitting, beating quickly as you go. If it does split, add an extra egg yolk to re-emulsify it.
- Don’t want the salad to turn pink? Serve the beets on the side.
- For a fancy, old-fashioned look, decorate the salad with thinly sliced beets, capers, boiled shrimp, or quartered hard-boiled eggs.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 465.87kcal | Carbohydrates: 51.47g | Protein: 10.05g | Fat: 26.13g | Saturated Fat: 3.92g | Cholesterol: 54.56mg | Sodium: 161.42mg | Potassium: 1352.85mg | Fiber: 10.93g | Sugar: 12.13g | Vitamin A: 13531.98IU | Vitamin C: 64.16mg | Calcium: 97.04mg | Iron: 3.58mg
Photography by Giulia Verdinelli
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