Soft vegetables coated in creamy mayonnaise give Russian Salad its mild, savoury flavour and smooth texture, refreshing and light in every spoonful.
Jami Sorrento was our June Daring Cooks hostess, and she invited us to celebrate potatoes by creating a fresh and healthy potato salad.
I was very happy about the theme because I have always enjoyed potato salads, and this challenge was a wonderful way to discover different versions from around the world.
This post is special to me as it was my first time joining The Daring Cooks Potato Salad Challenge. From the moment I read about it, I already knew what I wanted to make.
I had planned to share this recipe for some time, but something always came up and I kept postponing it, which in this case worked out well.
This is one of the most traditional Italian potato salads. It is called Insalata Russa (Russian Salad), and it is a very common cold salad in Italy. The recipe below is the way I have always prepared it. Some people add hard-boiled eggs, but I do not eat them, so I leave them out.
As the dish is simple to put together, I decided to make it with mayonnaise and serve it rolled inside slices of ham, the way I used to eat it when I was a child.
Key Ingredients for Russian Salad
Potatoes
Soft and tender, they hold the dressing well without turning mushy. Waxy types like Yukon Gold, Charlotte, or red-skinned potatoes keep their shape and give the salad a smooth, even texture.
Vegetables
Carrots, peas, and pickled vegetables add colour, sweetness, and a little tang. They bring freshness and contrast to the creamy dressing, lifting the flavour of the salad.
Tuna in Olive Oil
Adds savoury richness and a soft texture that blends gently through the salad. Use good-quality tuna in olive oil for the best flavour.
Mayonnaise
Gives the salad its creamy consistency and ties everything together. I use my homemade mayonnaise for this recipe, but a good-quality store-bought version also works well.
Find the complete list with measurements in the recipe card below.
How to Make Russian Salad in Ham Cannoli
Step 1: Cook all the vegetables separately. You can do this in the microwave or by boiling them in salted water.
Step 2: Once cooked, drain well and set aside to cool. Rinse the vegetables briefly under cold water to speed up cooling and help maintain their bright colours.
Step 3: When the vegetables are completely cool, transfer them to a large bowl. Add the chopped pickles, tuna, extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined to make the Russian Salad base.
Step 4: Mix in the mayonnaise until everything comes together into a smooth, creamy Russian Salad.
Step 5: Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of the Russian Salad onto each slice of ham, then roll it up like a cannolo.
Step 6: Serve cold or at room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can add chopped hard-boiled eggs for extra richness and texture. Add them once the salad has cooled to prevent crumbling or softening.
Yes. Frozen peas and carrots work well. Boil them briefly until tender, then cool completely before mixing with the other ingredients.
Waxy potatoes such as Yukon Gold, Charlotte, or red-skinned varieties are best. They stay firm after cooking and mix evenly with the dressing without breaking apart. Avoid floury types, which tend to fall apart once coated with mayonnaise.
Yes. It can be served on its own as a side dish, in small bowls, or spooned onto slices of crusty bread. For a lighter presentation, try serving it in lettuce cups or alongside grilled fish.
Extra Help from the Kitchen
Cut Vegetables Evenly – Keep all cubes the same size so they cook evenly and look neat when mixed with the dressing.
Taste for Doneness – Check each vegetable as it cooks since potatoes, carrots, and peas soften at different times. Stop cooking once tender.
Let the Vegetables Dry – After draining, spread them on a tray to cool and release steam. This keeps the salad creamy instead of watery.
Cool Completely Before Mixing – Cold vegetables hold the mayonnaise better and help the salad stay smooth and thick.
Variations and Twists
Make It Spicy – Mix a small amount of Dijon mustard or a pinch of paprika into the mayonnaise. It gives the salad gentle warmth without overpowering the other ingredients.
Use Chicken Instead of Tuna – Shredded poached chicken can replace tuna for a milder variation. It keeps the salad hearty but slightly less intense in flavour.
Russian Crab Salad – Made with crab sticks, rice, peas, and mayonnaise, this version replaces the traditional potatoes with rice for a lighter base.
Use Different Vegetables – Replace peas with chopped green beans or add small cubes of beetroot for extra colour and gentle sweetness.
Storage and Shelf Life
Store the Russian Salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Keep it well covered to maintain freshness and prevent the mayonnaise from drying out.
Do not freeze, as the texture of the vegetables and mayonnaise will change once thawed. Before serving, stir gently to restore creaminess. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Russian Salad Recipe (Insalata Russa)
Soft vegetables coated in creamy mayonnaise give Russian Salad its mild, savoury flavour and smooth texture, refreshing and light in every spoonful.
Ingredients
- 300 g mayonnaise – homemade mayo or store-bought
- 3 medium potatoes – chopped into 2 cm cubes
- 1 carrot – chopped into 1 cm cubes
- ½ cup fresh or frozen baby peas
- ¼ cup pickled vegetables – Italian giardiniera or chopped dill pickles, cut into 1 cm cubes
- 200 g tuna in olive oil – drained
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch freshly ground pepper
To Serve
- 4 to 6 slices honey-glazed ham – cut thick
Instructions
-
Cook all the vegetables separately. You can do this in the microwave or by boiling them in salted water.
-
Once cooked, drain well and set aside to cool. Rinse the vegetables briefly under cold water to speed up cooling and help maintain their bright colours.
-
When the vegetables are completely cool, transfer them to a large bowl. Add the chopped pickles, tuna, extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined to make the Russian Salad base.
-
Mix in the mayonnaise until everything comes together into a smooth, creamy Russian Salad.
-
Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of the Russian Salad onto each slice of ham, then roll it up like a cannolo.
-
Serve cold or at room temperature.
Brava! You made your own mayo. Does your family also eat insalata russa at Christmas? That is such an Italian thing.
This potato salad looks so good! It has two of my favs… can you guess what they are? 1. Italian Giardiniera and 2. tuna in olive oil. I never understood why folks would choose tuna in water over tuna in olive oil! 😀
My grandmother used to give me canned Russian Salad which I was a kid – it was really horrible! You have convinced me I should give it another try. What a lovely response to the potato salad challenge, Manu.
L’insalata russa! A staple appetizer of any important meal in my family. I had forgotten the rolls of ham stuffed with it… you brought me back in time. My mother always makes her mayonnaise from scratch, but I have to admit I never tried, even though I sure know the difference in taste! Good luck for the challenge.
Hi There, This is looking absolutely delightful. Loved the new combo of ingredients and the recipe is so nicely made and presented. Saving this recipe of urs and wud love to give ur version a try on the coming weekend. Have a great day….Sonia !!!
I’m Piedmontese, so Russian Salad is running through my veins (did you know that Piedmont contend with Russian for its invention?!)… This is my grandma’s masterpiece, and sometimes she makes these “ham cannoli”, rarely even gelatin-coated O___O
Now I make it too… I have to prepare it next week (with home-made mayonnaise, too) for some guest from other city in Italy.
PS: I don’t put pickled vegetables in my Russian salad
Very interesting- never saw something like this before. Will be trying it. I love the idea of ham with potato salad!
I think the Russian salad is good enough to eat on its own!
The Russian salad in homemade mayonnaise itself sounds so good already…but wrapping it in ham makes it even better!
Good luck on The Daring Cooks Potato Salad Challenge, Manu! Your Russian Salad in Ham Cannoli is such a perfect entry!
I remember my mom and grandma doing these rolls when I was a kid. I think they were using store bought Russian salad.
The Russians call it Salat Olivier. Wonder where they got it!
Che buoni! Una meraviglia Manu, sopratutto con la mayo fatta in casa…
L’accoppiata insalata russa prosciutto cotto è perfetta e i tuoi cannoli sono veramente, veramente invitanti…slurp!
This is really interesting, i would never have thought to have the tuna with ham. I’d like to taste it 🙂
Perfect and my favorite salad of all times..there is no celebration in my house without it:))
I do add boiled eggs from time to time, and always pickles..addition of tuna is interesting..I would love to try that too..sounds awesome especially in ham cannoli..yummy!
Oh my… this is what my mom makes – potato salad is very similar to hers (one of her potato salad recipes). And rolling up in ham… I didn’t know this “wrapping in a ham” came from Italy. A lot of Japanese makes this for appetizers as we love potato salads. When I saw this picture, I was like omg!!! So nice to see the similar/same dish created by you.
Fun! I love the ham cannoli!
thats one healthy potato salad opposed to my version 🙁
how cute.. rolling it in ham!!!
Manu, you are SO creative! What a fabulous potato salad…and wrapped in ham? Just gorgeous~
Are you doing the Daring Bakers’ this month? Not sure I have time to make my own filo :/
Thanks Lizzy! 🙂
For now I am just doing the Daring Cooks challenges… no Daring Bakers… I was a bit intimidated by the bakers’ challenges!!! I might give it a try after I get a bit more “organised”! 😉
Hi Manu! Wish you all the best and good luck for your “Daring Kitchen’s Daring Cook Challenge”! I’m sure your Russian Salad will be in Ham Cannoli will stand out from the rest! That’s a fun, different way to eat your potato salad! (at least to me.. :D)
For so many years in my cooking journey, I’ve never thought of rolling the potato salad with ham and I love the adding of pickles in them! (think this must be very common but I’m not very exposed to a lot of Italian foods! LOL)
Tks for the recipe! 😀
Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Greetings from Milan (Italy)
by Giulia
http://cucinainmusica.blogspot.com/
I love potato salads…! Serving it inside rolled ham slices sounds like a brilliant idea…!!
Spectacular! I’d have to go with the homemade mayo as the store bought variety gives me nightmares. You make this looks super delicious 🙂 Well done!
I love this version! So awesome that you served it in the ham “cannoli” =)
This looks so cute and creative. I don’t eat ham so, have to find out a way to replace that and try this recipe:)
This is completely brilliant! I love it.
I make this salad ALL the time!! Ruska Salata…love it! 🙂
Oh wow, I also remember eating this as a child in central Europe (Czech Republic)!! I used to love but haven’t thought of this meal in years… thanks for reminding me! Lovely pictures also 😉