Honestly, I’ve no idea where would the name of this salad plate come from. I’ve always known it as French salad and I remember we ate it only on birthdays, anniversaries and some of the December feasts, hence it was considered a rather rich, festive side dish. Basically, we’re talking about an assortment of cooked and chopped vegetables like potato, carrot, green pea, pickled cucumber and hard-boiled egg, all mixed with a generous amount of mayonnaise. That’s certainly no diet meal, but there’s something about it that keeps me having it in mind – even if I only prepare it twice-to-three times per year. We used to pair this salad exclusively with a steak. And not just ANY steak, it had to be a Wiener Schnitzel and nothing else.

In Spain I discovered they prepare a similar plate with an addition of tuna or bonito, olives and asparagus and they call it ensaladilla rusa, or Russian salad. A yet richer salad plate that I could easily imagine wrapped in some quality jamón, ibérico for instance. It would make a lovely appetizer or finger food.

I like to steam the vegetables whenever possible. It’s essential not to overcook them. Potato is cooked/steamed with the peel on, then cooled, peeled and cut into small cubes. It goes the same way with the carrot, just that we peel it first and cut it up, then cook/steam it. Green peas (preferably fresh or frozen) are added to the carrots right at the end of cooking, a minute or two is all they need in order to keep their beautiful green color. The egg is hard-boiled, cooled, peeled and finely chopped. Pickled cucumbers are the only ingredient that doesn’t need cooking, we just chop them very finely. To all of this we add mayonnaise, some salt and a mix of freshly ground peppers – and the salad is ready! Well, now it needs to chill for a little while in the fridge, because that’s how it tastes best: cold.

If you’re looking for a side dish to your Vienna steak, why not try this salad?