Ensaladilla rusa Spanish potato salad

Despite the name, Ensaladilla Rusa is a Spanish tapas-bar staple, not actually Russian in any meaningful sense anymore — every region has its own version.

It's a cold dish, meant to be made ahead and rested, which makes it one of the easier tapas to prepare for a crowd.

20 minPrep
10 minCook
30 min (plus 1hr chilling)Total
6 as a tapaServings

Ingredients

Method

  1. Boil the potatoes and carrots together in salted water for 8–10 minutes until just tender. Add the peas for the final 2 minutes. Drain and cool completely.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the cooled vegetables, tuna and chopped egg.
  3. Fold through the mayonnaise until everything is coated but not drowning — add gradually and stop when it looks right, not necessarily when it's all used.
  4. Season with salt, transfer to a serving dish, and smooth the top.
  5. Garnish with slices of the reserved egg, roasted red peppers and olives. Chill for at least an hour before serving — this is a cold tapa, eaten well-rested.

Let the potatoes and carrots cool completely before adding the mayonnaise — warm vegetables will make the dressing split and turn the whole dish greasy.

This is the home version

Here it's home-sized. At your event, it's the same recipe in a much bigger pan, cooked live for a crowd, with full cleanup included.

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