Salad Olivieh, is very common in Persian cuisine.  This is a potato salad with a tangy twist – mustard and pickles set it apart.  We serve Salad Olivieh as an appetizer or side dish at gatherings.  It is a wonderful compliment to kabab at barbecues, potlucks, and picnics.

Have you tried delicious Salad Olivieh?  It is basically a potato salad with a twist containing eggs and pickles.  Traditionally, the Persian version also has cooked chicken mixed in.  There are many cultures that have their own versions of this salad with regional variations.  In the Russian version, its is spelled Olivier with an “r”.

Old Persian custom involves using a bunch of mayonnaise, up to 2 cups in fact, both mixed in and as a type of frosting to mold the outside shape of the salad.  It is then decorated with colorful vegetables.

Example of a more traditional Persian Salad Olivieh from Fae’s Twist and Tango.

My recipe here is adapted from my mom who makes it in a yummy way, replacing the mayonnaise with mustard and plain yogurt.  Switching up the dressing converts this classic dish to one that is so much more healthy.  The flavor is not altered much and we are able to enjoy it beyond special occassions.

the yellow color comes from the mustard

Our family also often skips adding the cooked chicken normally found in classic Salad Olivier recipes.  I love my mom’s version!  Salad Olivieh is a homey picnic dish.  You won’t find it on the menu in a Persian restaurant.  It is often one of the many dishes offered at Iranian gatherings, especially potlucks.  The pickles give it a zesty zing and crunch.

Reasons to Try Persian Potato Salad:

• simple, wholesome ingredients
• easy to prepare (batch cook potatoes and eggs in advance)
• nutritious and light
• delicious!

Persian potato salad is very simple to make.  There are two main things to cook which only require easy boiling – eggs and potatoes.  For easy steps to make eggs in advance, see:  How to Boil Eggs in an Instant Pot.

The traditional version of Salad Olivieh includes cooked chicken in the recipe.  Maman Minoo (my mom) sometimes uses chicken but often leaves it out.  I prefer Salad Olivieh without the chicken.  My mum says if you’re leaving out the chicken, add an extra egg.

Pictured below is a bowl with all the ingredients deconstructed (not including the dressing):

The ingredients in Salad Olivieh deconstructed – cooked potatoes and eggs, peas and corn, pickles

As mentioned, Salad Olivieh is a great potluck addition.  It is also a perfect spring picnic food.

Here I sprinkled in some chives although it is not a part of my Maman’s recipe.

If you are a fan of potato salad, give this light Persian Salad Olivieh a try.  Our reduced-fat dressing does not lose much in the way of flavor.  The mustard and yogurt add low-fat creaminess.

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To save time, batch cook the potatos and eggs in advance.  Look for frozen, pre-chopped vegetables.  For more time-saving tips, click over to our guide Persian Meal Planning Tips.

Yield: 6

Salad Olivieh | Persian Potato Salad

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Persian Potato Salad, in Farsi known as Salad Olivier, is very common in Persian cuisine.  This is a potato salad with a tangy twist - mustard and pickles set it apart.  We serve Salad Olivieh as an appetizer or side dish at gatherings.  It is a wonderful compliment to kabab at barbecues, potlucks, and picnics.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 bag of frozen peas and carrots (chopped)
• 5 large Yukon gold potatoes or similar or 1 pound/2 cups of cooked, chopped potatoes
• 4 eggs, hard-boiled
• 8 baby dill pickles (almost 1 whole 16 oz. jar)
• 1/4 fresh lemon, juiced or1 1/2 Tablespoons of concentrated lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons yellow mustard
• 3 Tablespoons nonfat, plain yogurt
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook potatoes until you can poke a fork easily into them but they aren't so soft they fall apart (about 15 minutes - cut in half for faster cooking time)
2. Boil eggs (I cook about 3 minutes per egg from the boiling point)
3. Allow potatoes and eggs to cool
4. Defrost peas and carrots
5. Squeeze the juice from a 1/4 of a lemon (about 1 1/2 Tablespoons) on the defrosting peas and carrots and give it a stir
6. Cut the cooked potatoes and eggs into 1/2 inch chunks
7. Combine potatoes, defrosted peas & corn, and egg in a large bowl and stir
8. Stir together mustard, olive oil, and yogurt in a small bowl to use as the dressing
9. Add the mustard dressing to the salad and gently stir
10. Salt and pepper to taste

Notes

If you cannot find frozen mixed peas and carrots, use frozen peas and cook your own carrots. I often throw peeled carrots in with the boiling potatoes and dice them once they are cooled. I use about 2 large cooked carrots cut into small, 1/4 inch chunks.

My personal additions and twists to my mom's Persian potato salad include a spoon of sweet, Light Miracle Whip and a couple of pinches of chopped chives.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 298Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 125mgSodium: 559mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 6gSugar: 5gProtein: 11g