Salad Olivieh — Vegetarian

YKGrub · Sept 2026 · Serves 4–6 · Make-ahead · Persian, vegetarian

Chicken is the usual protein. Chickpeas replace it here and do the job better than most substitutes — they hold their shape, they don't go stringy, and the salad was always really about the potato, pickle and egg.

Ingredients

Method

1. Boil

Potatoes whole in salted water, 20–25 min, until a knife slides in with no resistance. Whole and skin-on is what keeps them from going waterlogged. Hard-boil the eggs in the same window: 10 min from boiling, then cold water.

2. Cool completely

Peel the potatoes while still warm — the skins slip off. Then let everything cool.

Do not dress anything warm. Warm potato plus mayonnaise turns to paste.

3. Build

Dice the potatoes small. Chop 3 eggs, keep the fourth for slicing on top. Mash the chickpeas roughly with a fork, about half broken down — that is what gives the shredded-chicken texture. Fold together with the peas and pickles.

4. Dress

Whisk mayo, yogurt, lemon, salt, pepper and the brine if using. Fold through gently. Chill at least 2 hours, then taste again cold — it will want more salt and lemon than it did warm.

Notes