Israeli-Style Potato Salad, known as mayonnaise salad, or “salat mayonnaise” in Hebrew, is a based on the recipe for Olivier potato salad from 19th-century Russia.
The recipe was brought that was brought to Israel by Russian immigrants and adapted into Israeli food culture to become a popular side dish.
This creamy and savory potato salad is simple to make, dairy-free, and vegetarian.
Israeli potato salad (salat mayonnaise – pronounced sah-laht may-oh-naiz) is a popular side salad based on the Olivier potato salad brought to Israel by immigrants who came during the waves of Eastern European immigration into the country.
Israelis love side salads and potato salad is no exception.
It can be found in any grocery store and is popular at BBQs, parties, events, picnics.
Salads (or salatim) are pretty much a staple in Israeli food. They’re served with anything.
Everyone seems to have their own way of making salat mayonnaise. With diced pickles, without peas, with both. Whatever.
As long as there are potatoes, mayonnaise, and a variation of the vegetables, it’s still salat mayonnaise.
What’s funny is that they call in mayonnaise salad as if the mayonnaise is the most important ingredient and not the potatoes! Go figure.
And potatoes have nutritional value!
A little about potatoes
The potato is a perennial, starchy tuber, a root vegetable, that is native to the Americas.
Potatoes contain health benefits and are an excellent source of fiber, vitamins, and nutrients and provide fuel for the body.
Potatoes are gluten-free and very filling. In addition, they are a good source of antioxidants—some more than others—and they contain resistant starch. However, their nutritional content depends on the type of potato. Much of a potato’s nutrition is in the skin of the potato, and peeling them reduces their nutritional value.
Adding fattening toppings, such as sour cream or butter, adds calories and fat.
Different potatoes are considered to work best with different recipes, but overall, they can be used in a variety of delicious meals for recipes from all over the world.
There may be over a couple hundred varieties of potatoes in the United States, but there are only 7 main categories. The most popular of these are the red, white, yellow, and russet.
Fun Facts
- Potatoes were first cultivated in Peru by the Incas.
- Potatoes were introduced to Europe (Ireland) toward the end of the 16th century.
- Potatoes began to be planted in the colonies in the early 1700s.
- Potatoes are the #1 vegetable crop in the United States and 4th most consumed in the world.
- Idaho is the largest grower of potatoes.
- The potato was the first vegetable to be grown in space.
And so do peas!
And carrots!
What does it mean when recipes say “to taste” about an ingredient?
When recipes say “to taste,” it means that you can put in as little or as much as you like to your own taste. Some recipes have many ingredients that a cook can adjust to their own taste when cooking (not so much when baking though).
The best way to calculate what your taste is with a recipe that you are not yet familiar with is to first taste the dish and then add the “to taste” ingredient GRADUALLY, a little at a time—a splash of this or a pinch of that—until the dish is just the way you like it.
Make sure to stir the ingredient after each time you add it so that the flavor will distribute evenly and become part of the dish. Then taste again. Repeat until you reach your personal preference.
Note: If you plan on using the recipe again, it is highly recommended to make a note of what and how much you added so that you can refer to it next time.
What does it mean when a recipe says that an ingredient is “optional”?
If an ingredient is “optional,” it means that you can add it in or not based on your own preference. An optional ingredient can be flavor related (i.e., salty, sweet, spicy, etc.), appearance related (garnish), or even something like nuts or chocolate chips in baking.
What does “savory” mean?
“Savory” refers to foods that are not sweet, such as foods that taste salty, spicy, or herbal.
What is needed for this recipe?
I hardly ever meal plan, so I like to keep a cupboard full of seasonings, spices, veggies, and canned goods in my kitchen to use whenever the mood strikes.
But these are all you need to have on hand to make this recipe even last minute!
potatoes
2 hard boiled eggs
1 can peas and/or carrots (or equivalent frozen)
mayonnaise
salt
pepper, black or white
2-3 dill pickles (optional)
A little about Israeli cuisine
Some people complain about cultural appropriation in cuisine when food from one country is attributed to another country.
When people move from country to country, they will take their cultures with them, and their descendants may adapt their traditional cuisine with that of their new home.
When one lives in a melting pot, such as the US or Israel, it is just unrealistic to expect that food from a particular culture won’t mingle with that of other cultures.
“Israeli cuisine” is basically Middle Eastern (as opposed to Eastern European food) that was brought to Israel by Jews when they fled or were expelled from Muslim countries and moved to Israel mostly after the declaration of the State of Israel (collectively known as Mizrahi Jews).
Recipes were passed from generation to generation, and although decades have come and gone, the foods are still known by the culture they came from, and everyone seems to have their own way of making them.
That said, there are many variations of pretty much any “Israeli” recipe because of background, custom, or even just taste.
When choosing a recipe…
When choosing a recipe, one has to know what actually constitutes a main ingredient—what makes the dish what it is—and what is left up to individual taste.
I personally find it very arrogant and quite irritating when a blogger will put “authentic” in the title of an “Israeli” recipe, as if all the rest of the variations are mere imitations. What’s worse is when that blogger makes the recipe with her own twist and then calls it authentic!
Adding more or less of a spice or adding a spice that is not in the recipe does not make it less authentic, but calling it “authentic” and then adding unnecessary extra ingredients above and beyond what needs to be there is misleading.
For example, “authentic” Israeli salad (what Israelis call Israeli salad) is diced tomatoes and cucumbers. Sometimes, they will add some oil, salt, and pepper, but THAT’S IT. Anything else does not have to be there, but if you leave out the cucumbers or the tomatoes, you no longer have an “Israeli salad.”
So, find the recipes you like with the ingredients you prefer, add your own twists, and בתאבון (pronounced: b’te’ah’vone, literally translated, “with appetite”)!
If you like this side salad, you should absolutely try some of these deli side salads!
Deli-Style Coleslaw
Deli-Style Red Cabbage Salad
Deli-Style Macaroni Salad
Deli-Style Cucumber Salad
Easy Israeli-Style Potato Salad
Easy and delicious, popular Israeli potato side salad with peas, carrots, and/or pickles.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of potatoes, peeled and boiled*
- 2 hard boiled eggs
- 1 can peas and/or carrots (or equivalent frozen)**
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise (you can use more or less, as desired)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper, black or white, or to taste (and more for garish, if desired)
- 2-3 dill pickles, diced or chopped into small pieces (optional)
Instructions
- Chop or dice the potatoes into approximately 1" pieces and put into a large mixing bowl.
- Cut the eggs into 6-8 pieces each and add to the potatoes.
- Add the peas and/or carrots and gently mix with the potatoes and eggs.
- Fold in the mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and pickles (if desired) until fully combined.
- Chill for 1/2-1 hour.
Notes
* approximately 5 or 6 medium
** you can use either/or (either peas or carrots), as desired
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 465Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 5gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 106mgSodium: 533mgCarbohydrates: 49gFiber: 6gSugar: 3gProtein: 9g