If you’ve ever sat down at a tapas bar in Spain and seen a creamy, studded-with-olives potato salad in the display case, that’s Ensalada Rusa — and once you’ve tried it, you’ll want to make it at home immediately. Here is how to make the famous Spanish potato salad.
Update: this is an updated version of an old recipe with new images and video. I will leave the ingredients from the old recipe in the Notes in the recipe card.
Jump to: ℹ️ Overview | 🛒 Ingredients | 📷 How To Make | 📹 Watch The Video | 👩🍳 Recipe Tips | 🥗 Serving Suggestions | 📝Full Recipe Card | 🍽 More Spanish Recipes
At A Glance
- ⏱ Ready In: 45 minutes
- 🍽 Serves: 6–8 as a side or tapas
- 🌱 Diet: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
- 💪 Nutrition Highlights: High in protein from tuna and eggs; good source of potassium and vitamins from potatoes and carrots
- 🥕 Main Ingredients: Waxy potatoes, canned tuna, carrots, eggs, Spanish olives, roasted peppers, gherkins, mayonnaise
- 🔥 Flavor Profile: Creamy and rich, with briny pops from the olives and gherkins, a gentle tang in the dressing, and that distinctive savouriness you only get from good Spanish tuna
- 🧊 Meal-Prep Friendly: Keeps beautifully for up to 3 days in the fridge — it actually tastes better the next day
- Best Served With: Crusty bread, as part of a tapas spread, or alongside grilled fish or chicken
Growing up in Ukraine, I ate Olivier salad — the Russian version of this dish — practically as a birthright. It showed up at every family gathering, every New Year’s table, and more than a few regular Tuesday dinners. So when I first encountered Ensalada Rusa (or Ensaladilla Rusa) at a tapas bar in a small Spanish town during one of our climbing trips, I knew exactly what I was looking at — and yet I didn’t, because there was tuna in it. Tuna! In a potato salad! I ordered it immediately, and I’ve been making my own version ever since.
The Spanish have taken something already wonderful and made it their own: the tuna adds depth and protein, the olives bring brininess, and the roasted peppers (peeking out as little jewels of sweetness) make it feel unmistakably Mediterranean.
I use good-quality Spanish canned tuna here — the kind packed in olive oil — because it genuinely makes a difference to the final flavor. This is the kind of salad that disappears fast at a gathering, and one that tastes even better made a day ahead.
👩🍳 You might also like these recipes: sweet potato and tuna salad, creamy tuna pasta salad, tuna and white bean salad, tuna lentil salad, or one of these fabulous potato salad recipes.
What You’ll Need
Here is what you’ll need for this Ensalada Rusa recipe. Find the full measurements in the recipe card below.
The base:
- Waxy potatoes — you want a variety that holds its shape after boiling and dicing, not one that falls apart. Sebago, Kipfler, Desiree, or any all-rounder works well here. Peel after boiling for best texture.
- Carrots — boiled alongside the potatoes; they add a little sweetness and color. Cut them into the same small dice as the potatoes so everything looks uniform.
- Hard-boiled eggs — essential. They add richness and protein and give the salad that classic creamy-chunky texture. Don’t skip them.
The flavor players:
- Good canned tuna in olive oil — this is where it pays to spend a little more. Spanish-style tuna (or any good-quality tuna packed in olive oil) has a much richer flavor than the watery kind. Drain it well, but keep a little of the oil — it adds flavor to the dressing.
- Green olives stuffed with peppers — these are the Spanish touch I love most in this salad. They bring saltiness, a little heat, and a satisfying bite. Manzanilla olives are the classic choice. Slice them in halves or leave whole depending on their size.
- Roasted red peppers — jarred are absolutely fine and what I use. They add sweetness and color. Chop them into small pieces.
- Gherkins / cornichons — this is my Ukrainian side coming through. The Olivier salad always has pickles, and I think they belong in this Spanish version too. They cut through the creaminess and add that essential tang. Finely chop them.
The dressing:
- Mayonnaise — the backbone of the salad. I use light mayo here, which keeps it a little lighter without sacrificing creaminess.
- Greek yogurt — mixed with the mayo, it adds a pleasant tang and makes the dressing feel a little fresher. Low-fat works well.
- Lemon juice or white wine vinegar — a small splash to brighten everything up without making it taste acidic.
- Dijon mustard — optional, but a small spoonful adds lovely depth and a gentle sharpness.
- Salt and black pepper — season generously; the potatoes in particular absorb a lot of salt.
How To Make Ensalada Rusa
Find the full recipe and nutritional information below. Here are some handy step-by-step photos for how to make Ensalada Rusa.
- Prep the vegetables. Peel and dice the potatoes into 1 cm cubes. Peel the carrots and cut in half lengthwise — leaving them larger means they won’t overcook before the potatoes are done.
- Cook the potatoes and carrots. Place in a large pot, cover with cold well-salted water, and bring to a boil. Just before boiling, add the eggs to the pot. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook for 12–15 minutes until the potatoes are just tender. Drain well and spread on a tray to cool completely — they must be fully cool before mixing.
- Steam the peas and finish the eggs. While the vegetables cook, place frozen peas in a sieve over a pot of boiling water, cover with a lid and steam for a couple of minutes. Drain under cold water and set aside. Cook the eggs for 10 minutes from boiling, then transfer to cold water. Once cool, peel and chop into small cubes.
- Make the dressing. Whisk together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Taste — it should be creamy with a gentle tang.
- Combine. Add the cooled potatoes, carrots, eggs, tuna, olives, roasted peppers, peas, and gherkins to the dressing. Fold gently until everything is coated — you want chunks, not mash.
- Taste and adjust. Check for salt and acidity; add a little more vinegar or mayo if needed.
- Chill. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Overnight is even better.
- Garnish and serve. Top with a few olives, strips of roasted pepper, and fresh parsley. Serve cold or at cool room temperature.
Watch The Video
Recipe Tips/Variations
- Cool the potatoes completely before mixing. This is the single most important tip. Warm potatoes absorb too much dressing, and the salad becomes heavy and gluey. Spread them out on a baking tray after draining and let them cool at room temperature, or speed it up in the fridge.
- On the carrots. Cook them in halves (cut lengthwise) so they don’t overcook alongside the potatoes. Once cooled, dice them into 1 cm cubes to match the potatoes before mixing everything together.
- On the peas. Frozen peas are perfect here — no need to thaw first. Just steam them straight from frozen for a couple of minutes until bright and tender, then cool under cold water before adding to the salad.
- Use tuna in olive oil, not brine. The flavor is noticeably better. Drain well, but a little of that good olive oil going into the salad is not a bad thing.
- Don’t over-mix. Fold gently rather than stirring aggressively — you want chunks of potato and egg, not mash.
- Make it ahead. This salad genuinely improves overnight as the flavors meld. Make it the day before a gathering and just add the garnish when you’re ready to serve.
- Variations: Skip the tuna and add 200 grams (7 oz) of finely diced cooked ham or shredded chicken instead for a different protein. For a vegetarian version, use canned chickpeas — they work surprisingly well. This is essentially what the traditional Ukrainian/Russian Olivier salad does.
- On the olives: Manzanilla olives stuffed with pimiento are the most traditional Spanish choice here, but any mild green olive works. If you can only find plain green olives, add an extra tablespoon of finely chopped roasted pepper to compensate.
- Want extra sharpness? The classic Spanish version doesn’t typically include onion, but if you like a little more bite, a small amount of finely diced red onion or a few sliced spring onions stirred through works well. Spring onion is the gentler option.
- Storage: Keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Do not freeze.
Serving Suggestions
Ensalada Rusa is a classic tapas dish in Spain, which means it’s perfectly at home as part of a spread — alongside some crusty bread, jamón, tortilla española, and maybe a bowl of marinated olives. But I also love it as a hearty side salad with grilled fish (especially sardines or sea bass), or alongside simple roasted chicken. In Ukraine, we’d serve something like this as a centrepiece side at a big family lunch, and that works beautifully here too — it’s the kind of salad that feeds a crowd without any fuss. Take it to a barbecue, and it will be the first thing to disappear.
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Video
Ingredients
The salad:
- 2 lbs waxy potatoes, peeled and diced into 1 cm / ½-inch cubes 950 grams / about 34 oz
- 2 small to medium carrots about 200 grams / 7 oz, peeled and sliced in halves lengthways
- 1 teaspoon salt for cooking
- 4 large eggs
- 5.6 oz good-quality tuna in olive oil drained weight, 160 grams
- 3.5 oz frozen peas 100 grams
- 2.5 oz green olives stuffed with pimiento/peppers about ¾–1 cup, 70 grams
- 3.5 oz roasted red peppers from a jar, drained 100 grams
- 2.8 oz gherkins / cornichons, finely chopped (about ½ cup) 80 grams
The dressing:
- 7 oz light mayonnaise about ⅔ cup, 200 grams
- 3.5 oz low-fat Greek yogurt ½ cup, 100 grams
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard optional, for extra depth
- ½ teaspoon fine salt plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
To garnish (optional):
- A few whole olives
- A few strips of roasted red pepper
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley roughly chopped
Instructions
- Prep the vegetables. Peel and dice the potatoes into 1 cm cubes. Peel the carrots and cut in half lengthwise — leaving them larger means they won't overcook before the potatoes are done.
- Cook the potatoes and carrots. Place in a large pot, cover with cold well-salted water and bring to a boil. Just before boiling, add the eggs to the pot. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook for 12–15 minutes until the potatoes are just tender. Drain well and spread on a tray to cool completely — they must be fully cool before mixing. Once cooled, dice the carrots into 1 cm cubes to match the potatoes.
- Steam the peas and finish the eggs. Place frozen peas (no need to thaw) in a sieve over a pot of boiling water, cover with a lid and steam for a couple of minutes until bright and tender. Drain under cold water and set aside. Cook the eggs for 10 minutes from boiling, then transfer to cold water. Once cool, peel and chop into small cubes.
- Make the dressing. Whisk together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Taste — it should be creamy with a gentle tang.
- Combine. Add the cooled potatoes, carrots, eggs, tuna, olives, roasted peppers, peas and gherkins to the dressing. Fold gently until everything is coated — you want chunks, not mash.
- Taste and adjust. Check for salt and acidity; add a little more vinegar or mayo if needed.
- Chill. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Overnight is even better.
- Garnish and serve. Top with a few olives, strips of roasted pepper and fresh parsley. Serve cold or at cool room temperature.
- Old Recipe ingredients: 700 grams white potatoes 1.3 lbs. peeled, or swedes for AIP, 1 large carrot cut in half, 2 eggs, 300 grams canned tuna or salmon, 0.6 lb., ¼ cup diced gherkins or dill pickles, capers can also be used, ½ Granny Smith apple or other green apple, diced finely, 10 green olives or Spanish black olives, sliced (pitted), generous pinch of salt and pepper, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ½ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup diced spring onions chives or dill (optional).
Notes
- Use waxy potatoes (not floury ones) — they hold their shape after boiling. Sebago, Desiree, Kipfler, or any all-rounder variety works well.
- Good-quality tuna packed in olive oil is worth seeking out — Spanish brands are particularly good. Drain well before adding to the salad.
- Manzanilla olives stuffed with pimiento are the traditional Spanish choice.
- Cool potatoes and carrots completely before mixing — warm potatoes make the salad heavy.
- Fold gently to keep the mixture chunky, not mushy.
- Taste the dressing before mixing in the salad ingredients and adjust to your preference.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Do not freeze — mayonnaise-based salads don’t freeze well.
- The salad tastes best made the day before serving, as the flavors have time to meld.
- This is an ideal make-ahead dish. Assemble up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerate. Add the garnish just before serving.
- You can also cook and cool the potatoes, carrots, and eggs a day ahead, then mix the salad when ready.
Nutrition
This was really close to the Spanish versions I’ve tried. I appreciate the dressing being a little lighter, too. Thanks 🙂