Vinaigrette salad
A colorful Russian salad made from root vegetables, peas, pickles, and a bright vinaigrette dressing. Equally great for everyday dinner or a fancy gathering.
Serve it as a side dish, a light main course, on a tostada, or enjoy it on its own (preferably alone and in the darkness).
Ingredients
Yields 6 portions
For the dressing
- ½ lime (juice)
- 4 teaspoons vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 70 ml olive oil
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
For the salad
- 2 beetroots
- 3 potatoes
- 3 carrots
- 1 onion
- 200 g fresh or frozen peas
- 3 fermented cucumbers
- 3–4 sprigs dill
- 3 bay leaves
You will need
- immersion blender
Directions
To make the dressing
- Combine lime juice, 4 teaspoons vinegar and salt using an immersion blender.
- Add 1 teaspoon honey and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard and mix well.
- Slowly pour 70 ml olive oil while mixing continuously to create an emulsion.
- Add more salt if necessary, season with black pepper.
To make the salad
- Cook the vegetables:
- Peel potatoes, and carrots, leave the beetroots unpeeled.
- Put them into a medium pot, add 3 bay leaves and enough water to cover them.
- Bring to a boil, then cook over medium-low heat until tender.
- Remove the potatoes and carrots as soon as they are cooked through and let them cool completely.
- Continue cooking the beetroots until tender.
- Drain and let them cool completely too.
- While the vegetables are cooling down, cut the onion into small cubes. Cover with cold water and soak for 10–15 min (to make it less sharp).
- Cut the fermented cucumbers into small cubes, and put them into a salad bowl.
- If using frozen peas, place them in a colander and pour boiling water over them. Drain well and add to the bowl.
- Peel the beetroots. Dice all cooked vegetables into small, even cubes (about 5–8 mm) and add them to the bowl.
- Finely chop the dill and add it to the bowl.
- Drain the onions and add them to the bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and gently mix until everything is evenly coated.
Notes
This recipe is based on Vlad Piskunov’s book “Russian cuisine: the best of last 500 years”.
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