Salată orientală
Salată orientală: Bucharest potato salad with onion, olives and egg in an oil dressing
Nothing about salată orientală is particularly oriental; the name dates from interwar Bucharest, when olives and onion felt exotic on a potato salad. Today it is a fixture of student canteens, Lenten-season buffets and summer suppers on the balcony, served warm from the pot or cold from the fridge. Waxy potatoes are dressed while hot with sunflower oil and vinegar, then folded with red onion, black olives and quartered hard-boiled eggs, so it stays bright and sharp rather than creamy. A common mistake is overcooking the potatoes until they crumble; they should hold their cubes when tossed. Chef's tip: soak the sliced onion in cold salted water for 10 minutes to soften its bite while keeping the crunch.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 ¾ lb waxy potatoesscrubbed
- 3 eggs
- 1 red onionhalved and thinly sliced
- 3 spring onionssliced
- 3 ½ oz black olivespitted
- 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsleychopped
Dressing
- 4 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 ½ tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Put the 1 ¾ lb waxy potatoes in a pan of cold salted water, bring to the boil and simmer over a medium heat for 18–20 minutes, until a knife slides in with just a little resistance.
20 minStep 2: Meanwhile lower the 3 eggs into a small pan of boiling water and cook for 10 minutes, then cool them in cold water and peel.
12 minStep 3: Soak the 1 red onion in cold salted water while everything else cooks, then drain and pat dry.
10 minStep 4: Whisk the 4 tbsp sunflower oil, 1 ½ tbsp white wine vinegar, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper in a large bowl until cloudy.
1 minStep 5: Drain the potatoes, peel them while hot if you like, and cut into 2 cm cubes. Toss them straight into the dressing so they soak it up while warm.
4 minStep 6: Fold in the onion, 3 spring onions, 3 ½ oz black olives and 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsley gently with a spatula so the potatoes keep their shape.
2 minStep 7: Quarter the eggs and lay them on top. Serve warm, or chill for an hour and serve cold.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 33 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does salată orientală take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of waxy potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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