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insalata russa

Simple Insalata Russa (Italian Russian Salad)

Evelyn Motta
It is a creamy, sharp and crunchy cold coleslaw with carrots, potatoes, peas and a delicious 5-minute homemade mayonnaise that you can make yourself.
5 from 4 votes
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4 people
Calories 768 kcal

Equipment

  • Sieve

Ingredients
  

For the salad

  • 2 large carrots washed, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes (1½ cups)
  • 1 medium white potato washed, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes (1½ cups)
  • ½ tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • cup frozen peas
  • 2 tablespoon capers
  • 2 eggs boiled, chopped into ½ inch cubes
  • Fresh parsley chopped optional

For the homemade mayonnaise

  • 2 very fresh egg yolks at room temperature*
  • 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 300 ml vegetable oil or extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Bring a medium pan filled with water over high heat to boil.
  • Place the mayonnaise oil in the fridge for 15 minutes.
  • Add the carrots and potato cubes to the water and boil for 5-8 minutes until fork-tender, but still firm. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Reserve the pan with water to cook the eggs later.
  • Pour ½ tbsp vinegar over vegetables and toss to coat. Leave to cool.
  • Bring the pan with water back over high heat. Once boiling carefully add the eggs with a spoon and cook for 9 minutes. Once cooked, peel the eggs under running water and chop the eggs into cubes and add to the bowl with veggies.
  • To make homemade mayonnaise, remove the oil from the fridge, crack the whole egg into a blender jug, add all ingredients except the oil and blend to mix.
  • While blending, mount the mayonnaise by adding the oil drizzling slowly to incorporate into the egg mixture. You may not use all of the oil. Stop immediately once it reaches a creamy yet firm texture of the mayo.
  • To the veggies bowl, add capers and ½ cup of mayonnaise to coat. Toss gently just to combine.
  • Cover the bowl with a lid or a layer of plastic cling film and refrigerate for at least 1h before serving.

Notes

*Eggs - When making homemade mayonnaise, always choose the freshest eggs you can find, properly stored, clean grade A or AA with intact shells to minimize the risk of Salmonella poisoning. If you prefer to use store-bought mayo, just skip steps 6 and 7.
Keyword insalata russa, italian russian salad, italian salad, russian salad