# Culinary variations of Russian salad

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/culinary-variations-of-russian-salad
> Updated: 2026-08-16T07:00:15.000Z. Sources: 2. Developments: 2.

Culinary professionals have shared various techniques and ingredient recommendations for preparing the classic Russian salad, also known as Olivier salad.

Russian chefs emphasize the importance of uniform ingredient sizes to achieve a “homogeneous texture” and suggest adding pickles or substituting part of the mayonnaise with Greek yogurt for a lighter result. The dish, which originated in 1860 at Moscow’s Ermitage restaurant, has evolved from a luxury recipe featuring pheasant and truffles into a more common mix of potatoes, carrots, peas, and meats.

Other professional insights from Basque chefs include specific ingredient ratios, such as pairing potatoes with tuna ventresca, cooked ham, anchovies, and capers. These methods also highlight specific preparation steps, such as boiling potatoes whole with the skin on to preserve texture before cubing them.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-16: Chefs share professional secrets for Russian salad

Basque chefs Martín Berasategui and David de Jorge share professional tips and specific ingredient ratios for preparing a classic Russian salad.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/chefs-share-professional-secrets-for-russian-salad

### 2026-07-27: Russian Salad tips highlight pickles, uniform cuts and a yogurt‑mayo blend

Russian chefs stress pickles, uniform cuts and a mayo‑yogurt blend to improve the classic Olivier salad, originally created by Lucien Olivier in 1860 Moscow.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/russian-salad-tips-highlight-pickles-uniform-cuts-and-a-yogurtmayo-blend

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Cite as: Culinary variations of Russian salad. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/culinary-variations-of-russian-salad