Russian Salad & Garlic Bread

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What is Russian Salad?

Russian Salad, also known as Olivier salad, is a creamy potato based salad originating from Russia. It consists of vegetables such as carrots, coloured bell peppers and corn. The cold salad is usually served with some freshly baked garlic bread! The crunchy texture of the garlic bread along with the soft and creamy texture of the salad, when eaten together, completely melts in your mouth.

This is a great recipe for every season! It’s great for eating while watching a show on netflix, Friday night dinner with family or even for a celebratory gathering!

Does the salad need to be served cold?

Yes, absolutely! It is essential that the salad is served cold and the garlic bread served warm, directly from the oven! However, if you don’t like the taste of cold salad, you can serve it at room temperature too.

Can I make this recipe vegan?

Absolutely! Just use vegan mayonnaise for this recipe and replace regular butter with vegan butter to make this recipe vegan. If you are using cheese on top of your garlic bread, you can use vegan cheddar!

Can I skip the vegetables in the salad?

Unfortunately not! I would not recommend skipping any of the vegetables as it would turn out to be a basic potato salad. All the vegetables are a must as they add flavour and texture to the salad. If you’re not fond of a particular vegetable, I’d suggest you reduce the amount of it being used instead of eliminating it completely.

Can I use salted butter for the garlic bread?

Absolutely! However, remember that salted butter is already salted. Hence, skip the salt and garlic powder as this would make your garlic bread too salty for anyone's liking.

Can I skip the garlic powder for the garlic bread?

Absolutely, you can add an extra pinch of salt and use extra garlic to replace the garlic powder.

Can I add cheese on the garlic bread?

Yes, you definitely can! However, due to the strong flavour of mayonnaise in the russian salad, you might not be able to taste the cheese as much. I do recommend using a strong cheese like mature cheddar if you want to add cheese. Otherwise, just skip it for this recipe.

What herbs can I use to top the garlic bread?

You can use any herbs you would like for the garlic bread. My go to herbs are usually parsley or oregano, but feel free to use rosemary, thyme or basil. I’m sure they’d work well with this recipe.

How do I serve the salad and garlic bread?

Serve the two together! Grab a spoonful of the cold salad and place it over the top of your warm garlic bread. Top it with a few drops of Tabasco and give it a big bite.

Can I make the garlic bread and russian salad in advance and store it?

You can make the garlic bread a couple of days in advance and store it in the freezer. You can pop them into your oven whenever you’re ready to serve them. However, for the Russian Salad, I do not recommend preparing it in advance. Since the salad has a short shelf life, it needs to be freshly made. You can chop the vegetables prior, however once you mix the mayonnaise with all the ingredients, it wouldn’t last more than a day or two in the fridge.

Any substitutes for the ingredients mentioned?

There are no substitutes for the russian salad, however in regards to the garlic bread, there are a number of substitute ingredients available.

Use a pinch of salt and some garlic to substitute the garlic powder.
You can also substitute unsalted butter with regular salted butter. Just remember to not add any additional salt.
If you don’t have fresh herbs, you can use dried ones including parsley or oregano.

Any cooking tips for this recipe?

Make sure all your vegetables have cooked and cooled down to room temperature before adding mayonnaise.
Don’t overmix the potatoes as you don’t want it to have the texture of mashed potatoes.
Ensure you keep the russian salad in the fridge to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Make sure you brush both the sides of the baguette whilst making the garlic bread instead of just brushing it on one side. This will result in a better overall flavour.
Ensure your garlic bread is slightly golden and crispy before serving. You would want to hear the crunchy sound when the garlic bread is eaten.