Persian picnic salad · Make ahead
Salad Olivieh Recipe (Persian Chicken Potato Salad)
Grate, do not mash. Dry pickles. Chill before serving.
Recipe by Farwa ZeeshanTested in the NineFoods home kitchenSalad olivieh is the Persian take on the Russian Olivier salad: potatoes, shredded chicken, eggs, pickles and peas in mayonnaise, eaten in sandwiches and at every picnic. It turns into paste when the potatoes are mashed hot, and watery when the pickles are wet. The fix is grating cooled potatoes, squeezing the pickles and chilling the salad.
The 3 laws of salad olivieh
Why this recipe works
Mash hot
Grating keeps texture.
Wet pickles
Juice makes it runny.
Serve warm
Flavours set when cold.
Shopping and prep list
Ingredients
Salad
The NineFoods texture gauge
Is the texture right?
Look at a spoonful.
Method · 3 stages
Step by step
Cook
- Boil potatoes, eggs, carrot and peas; poach chicken. Cool everything.
Mix
- Grate potatoes and eggs, add shredded chicken, pickles and vegetables.
- Fold in mayonnaise, lemon, oil and seasoning. Use the gauge above.
Chill
- Chill at least 1 hour.
Chef's troubleshooter
What went wrong? Pick the symptom
Why
Hot or mashed potato.
Fix next time
Grate cooled potatoes.
Why
Wet pickles.
Fix next time
Squeeze pickles dry.
Why
Too little acid.
Fix next time
Add lemon and pickle.
Why
Too much mayonnaise.
Fix next time
Lighten with yoghurt.
Swap smart
Ingredient roles and substitutes
| Ingredient | Job in the dish | Swap with |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken | Protein | Leave out for a vegetarian version |
| Persian pickles | Tang | Dill pickles |
| Mayonnaise | Dressing | Half yoghurt |
| Peas and carrot | Colour | Corn |
After the meal
Serve, store, reheat
Serve with
Bread or lavash as a sandwich, with tomatoes and pickles.
Store
Fridge 3 days; do not freeze.
Reheat
Serve cold.
How we tested this recipe
Tested in a home kitchen, not a studio
Recipe developed and tested by Farwa Zeeshan, who cooks and tests every NineFoods recipe on a regular home stove.
- Cooked from start to finish with the exact quantities above for 6 servings, using both the metric and US cup measures.
- Every one of the 3 stages was timed at the stove; heat levels and the 'look for' cues are what we saw in the pan.
- The doneness check (is the texture right) and the troubleshooter come from batches that went wrong, and how we fixed them.
- Reheating and storage advice was checked on leftovers, not guessed.
Keep cooking
Related recipes and guides
Quick answers
Salad Olivieh FAQ
What is salad olivieh?
A Persian chicken, potato and egg salad in mayonnaise.
Is it the same as Olivier salad?
It is based on the Russian Olivier, adapted with chicken and Persian pickles.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes, it is best made a few hours ahead.
How do Iranians eat it?
Usually in bread as a sandwich.