Ensaladilla Rusa, Spanish Style Recipe
Ensaladilla rusa is a potato salad that Spanish bars serve as tapas, often on a slice of bread. Although the name says “Russian”, the Spanish have made it their own version – with tuna, peas, and plenty of mayonnaise. It’s a bit like a classic Polish vegetable salad, but with a distinct seaside touch.
This Spanish-style ensaladilla rusa combines the comfort of a classic potato salad with Mediterranean flavors from tuna, olive oil, and peas. It’s simple to make, feeds a crowd, and works both as tapas on bread and as a side dish for grilled dishes.
Chef's tips
Make sure the vegetables are completely cooled before mixing with the mayonnaise so the sauce doesn’t separate and the salad stays creamy. If you’re preparing it for guests, you can cook and chop the vegetables in advance and mix everything with the dressing just before serving.
How to serve
Serve the salad well chilled, in a large bowl with a spoon for sharing, or spooned onto slices of crusty bread as traditional Spanish tapas. It also pairs nicely with grilled fish, roasted chicken, or as part of a cold buffet.
Ingredients
- potatoes for salads, peeled - 600 g
- carrot peeled - 150 g
- frozen peas - 150 g
- eggs for hard-boiling - 3 piece
- tuna in olive oil weight after draining - 160 g
- pickled cucumber finely chopped - 80 g
- mayonnaise thick - 200 g
- mustard mild or Dijon - 1 teaspoon
- salt or to taste - 1 teaspoon
- black pepper freshly ground - 0.25 teaspoons
Preparation
- Cut the potatoes and carrot into small cubes about 1 cm on each side.
- Pour water into a pot, lightly salt it, and bring to a boil. Add the diced potatoes and carrot and cook for 10–12 minutes, until tender but not falling apart.
- For the last 3 minutes of cooking, add the frozen peas. Once cooked, drain the vegetables in a colander and leave to cool completely.
- In a separate pot, hard-boil the eggs: cover them with cold water, bring to a boil, cook for 8–9 minutes from the moment they start boiling, then transfer to cold water. Peel and dice them.
- Drain the tuna from excess oil and flake it into smaller pieces with a fork.
- In a large bowl, mix the mayonnaise with the mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Add the cooled potatoes, carrot, peas, chopped eggs, tuna, and pickled cucumber. Gently mix so as not to mash the potatoes.
- Taste and, if needed, season with more salt or pepper. If the salad seems too dry, add 1–2 more tablespoons of mayonnaise.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate the salad for at least 1 hour so the flavors can meld.
- Serve well chilled in a bowl or on slices of bread as tapas.
Storage
Przechowuj w szczelnym pojemniku w lodówce. Przed podaniem zamieszaj, bo sos może lekko się oddzielić.
