This hearty potato salad is popular throughout Latin America and mostly likely gets the name "Russian Salad" because it's typically made with beets. Ensalada rusa is great year round - as a summer potato salad or as a winter "root vegetable" salad. Stir in the beets just before serving if you don't want the entire salad to be stained pink with beet juice.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: Serves 4-6 as side dish.
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds potatoes
- 1 bag frozen carrots and peas
- 3 green onions
- 1 cup diced celery
- 3-4 medium beets
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
- Juice of 2 limes
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 2 teaspoons grainy mustard
- 1 tablespoon relish
- 1-2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
- Several large lettuce leaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2-3 hard boiled eggs
Preparation:
- Peel and dice the potatoes and beets into 1/2 inch cubes.
- Place the potatoes in a steamer basket, and steam over boiling water until tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Steam the beets in the same way and let cool.
- Cook carrots and peas in salted water according to package directions, then drain and cool.
- Chop white and green parts of green onions and place in a large bowl. Chop the celery and add to the bowl along with the chopped red onion, the potatoes, carrots, and peas.
- Whisk the mayonnaise, lime juice, cumin, mustard, relish, and garlic salt together and toss with the potato mixture.
- Keep salad chilled until ready to serve. Just before serving, gently toss in the beets and cilantro. Serve on a bed of lettuce leaves and garnish with hard boiled eggs if desired.
