Hot Summer Nights: Insalata Russa

I love making dishes like this in the morning, so dinner is ready on a hot summer night, when it's just too hot and humid to cook.

Insalata Russa, aka Russian Salad (also known as Salade Olivier) has so many stories behind it.

It is super popular in Spain, and served at tapas bars......it is also popular in Northern Italy.......as well as Russia! France, not so much, even though supposedly "Olivier" was a French chef in Moscow, who the salad was named after.

It is NOT popular here in the States, I guess because we invented potato salad! Ha!

I tried this in 2015 and was hooked, I posted a recipe with poached shrimp back then, and forgot all about it.

It is a fantastic summer lunch or buffet food, and here, I did the Piedmontese version, and added Italian tuna! SO GOOD.

There is no real recipe for Insalata Russa, if you google it, you will find so many different recipes and serving suggestions.

Here are the basic ingredients. Use as much or as little as you like.
It is very similar to my Favorite Potato Salad , but this has tuna, capers and carrots.

I serve the salad in little molds and garnish with a sliced hard boiled egg on top because I'm fancy like that. ;).

Insalata Russa with Tuna:

1 lb. small gold potatoes (most people peel their potatoes, mine were too small to peel)
1 cup defrosted peas
2 carrots, peeled and diced small (the size of peas if you can)
1/2 small red onion, minced
3 hard boiled egg, chopped
2 tbsp capers
1 tbsp pickle relish
2 cans Italian tuna in oil, drained
3/4 cup or less of Hellmann's REAL mayo
s&p
fresh herbs like parsley, or dill or chives

Mix all ingredients together, saving some of the hard boiled egg sliced for garnish.

I use ring molds to plate individual portions, but of course you can mix together and serve in a big bowl.

Garnish the top of the bowl w/ the herbs and slices of egg.

Make sure you serve this salad nice and chilled.

Enjoy!