Salată de Boeuf (Romanian Vegetable and Chicken Salad)
Local name: Salată de boeuf
In short: Diced boiled root vegetables, chicken, eggs and pickles bound with mayonnaise, the festive Romanian salad served at Christmas and New Year. It takes about 1 h 20 min in total and makes 8 servings.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Resting
- 2 h
- Total
- 1 h 20 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 395 kcal
Salată de boeuf is the salad that fills the Romanian holiday table, set out at Christmas, New Year and Easter beside sarmale and cold cuts. Diced potatoes, carrots, parsnip, celery root, chicken, eggs and pickles are folded into mayonnaise, shaped into a dome and decorated with olives, egg slices and pickle fans. The trick is cutting everything very small and chilling the salad for a few hours so the flavors come together.
Instructions
- Scrub the potatoes, carrots, parsnip and celery root. Boil them whole in salted water until just tender, about 25 minutes for the potatoes and 20 minutes for the other roots. Drain and let them cool completely.
- Put the chicken in a pot with the onion half, bay leaf and 1 tsp salt, cover with water and simmer gently for 18 to 20 minutes, until it reaches 74°C (165°F). Cool it in the liquid, then drain.
- Hard-boil 4 eggs for 10 minutes, cool them in cold water and peel. Cook the peas in boiling water for 3 minutes, then drain and cool.
- Peel the potatoes, carrots, parsnip and celery root. Cut them, the chicken, 3 of the eggs and the pickles into 5 mm (1/4 in) cubes. Pat the pickles dry with paper towels.
- In a large bowl, stir 200 g (3/4 cup) of the mayonnaise with the mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add the diced ingredients and the peas, and fold gently until everything is coated without mashing.
- Mound the salad on a platter and smooth it with the remaining mayonnaise. Decorate with the last egg in slices, olives, parsley and thin pickle slices.
- Chill for at least 2 hours before serving, so the flavors meld and the salad firms up.
Tips
- Cut everything to the same small size. Uniform cubes are what make the salad look neat and give each forkful a bit of everything.
- The salad contains mayonnaise and chicken, so keep it cold and do not leave it out for more than 2 hours at a party.
Questions and answers
What is the difference between salată de boeuf and Russian salad?
They are close relatives. The Romanian version usually has boiled chicken or beef, root vegetables including parsnip and celery root, and pickles, all bound with mayonnaise.
How long does salată de boeuf keep?
Up to 3 days in a covered container in the fridge. It does not freeze well, because the potatoes and mayonnaise turn watery.
Can I make salată de boeuf without meat?
Yes. Leave out the chicken and add one extra egg and a handful of chopped olives. It is a good side dish with grilled meat.
How long does it take to make Salată de Boeuf (Romanian Vegetable and Chicken Salad)?
About 1 h 20 min in total: 40 min of preparation and 40 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Salată de Boeuf (Romanian Vegetable and Chicken Salad)?
About 395 kcal per serving, with 15 g of protein, 23 g of carbohydrates and 27 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 395 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 15 g |
| Carbohydrates | 23 g |
| Fat | 27 g |
| Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Sodium | 700 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
