A creamy Persian potato salad bound with mayonnaise and folded with shredded chicken, eggs, peas, and finely diced pickles, brightened by lemon. A beloved picnic and party staple.
The salad traces back to the lavish 1860s creation of Belgian chef Lucien Olivier in Moscow, a luxury of game and caviar. It reached Iran in the early twentieth century by way of the Caspian and was reborn in a thriftier, brighter key—chicken instead of game, a generous squeeze of lemon—becoming the indispensable salad of Iranian weddings, picnics, and Friday gatherings, often piled high and decorated for the occasion.
Cool, creamy, and tangy, with tender chicken and soft potato bound in lemony mayonnaise. Diced pickles and peas add little pops of brine and sweetness. Comforting and moreish, especially scooped onto warm bread.
Boiling everything to full tenderness lets the components mash into a cohesive, spoonable base, while mayonnaise emulsion carries fat and flavor evenly. A bright hit of lemon cuts the richness and keeps the Persian version lively.
Variations
With or without carrots; some add olives; Russian versions use bologna instead of chicken
On the Palate
Where Salad Olivieh sits in the Persian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6
How it's made
8 steps · 25 min active · 60 min waiting
- 125 min
Boil potatoes, carrots, and eggs until tender, then cool and peel.
- 218 min
Poach the chicken breast in salted water until cooked, then shred finely.
- 310 min
Mash or finely dice the potatoes, carrots, and eggs into a uniform texture.
- 46 min
Finely dice the pickles and drain the cooked peas.
- 56 min
Fold everything together with mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- 63 min
Taste and adjust the lemon and seasoning until bright and creamy.
- 760 min
Chill at least 1 hour to let the flavors meld.
- 84 min
Mound on a platter, smooth the top, and garnish with pickle and egg before serving with bread.
