This is a Romanian potato salad with gherkins, olives, and eggs. It is the classic Oriental Salad or Salata Orientala, which is made in every Romanian home.
This Romanian potato salad - salata orientala - is the one potato salad my grandmother used to make a lot, the only one she ever made, I think. Everybody in Romania makes it; you could call this Romanian potato salad a national dish.
Salata orientala or Oriental Potato Salad: I have no idea why it is oriental; I could hardly say what it is that makes it oriental. But it's a classic, and nobody else would ever call it any other way.
Check out more potato salads: Potato Asparagus Salad, Sour Cream Potato Salad without Mayo, Deviled Egg Potato Salad, Salad Russe, or German Potato Salad.
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What are the best potatoes for potato salad?
There are so many sorts of potatoes out there; how do you know which ones are best for salad?
Well, the easiest answer would be NOT floury potatoes; these kinds of potatoes will fall apart when cooked, and the salad will be a mess.
Use a waxy sort of potato for potato salad. They contain less starch than floury potatoes and will keep their shape best when cooked. Look for red potatoes, new or fingerling potatoes. Waxy potatoes are also suitable for roasting, boiling, gratins, or casseroles.
The in-between type or all-purpose potatoes could be used as well. They have a medium starch content and can be used for pretty much anything. These are the sort of potatoes I buy most of the time; I always have some in the cellar.
Ingredients
Waxy potatoes are best. But if you only have in-between or all-purpose potatoes in the house, don't let that stop you.
You can either use leftover boiled eggs or cook some eggs.
I like sweet and sour dill and mustard seed gherkins (I used them for the Deviled Egg Pasta Salad, too). You can use them or any other (dill) pickles you happen to like.
Black olives or a mixture of black and green. Preferably unpitted olives; they taste so much better, and they are the authentic choice for this recipe. Warn the people at the table about the pits or halve the olives and remove their pit.
I use sunflower oil for making Oriental salad, it is the kind of oil my grandmother always used, and I like it like that. However, you can use another kind of oil as well, either a mild olive oil or neutral-tasting vegetable oil.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Make in advance and store
The Romanian potato salad with gherkins can be served as soon as you make it, or you can keep it in the fridge until ready to serve.
In this case, let the salad come to room temperature and check the seasoning again before serving.
The potatoes will absorb most of the dressing, and you will want to add a bit more moisture. Add a bit more oil, gherkin water, vinegar, some salt, and pepper.
The Oriental salad keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 days; stir it well before each serving and add more of the liquids mentioned above if it is too dry.
Romanian Potato Salad - Oriental Salad
Ingredients
Salad:
- 2 lbs waxy potatoes 1 kg
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 large red onion
- 4 hard-boiled eggs
- 4 oz sweet-sour cucumbers (gherkins) 120 g, more to taste
- 10 black olives Note 2
- 10 green olives
Dressing:
- 1-2 tablespoons white wine vinegar to taste
- 2 tablespoons gherkin water or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon medium mustard or Dijon mustard
- 4 tablespoons sunflower oil
- fine sea salt and pepper
- a small bunch of parsley
Instructions
Salad:
- Cook potatoes: Wash the potatoes. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the potatoes. Bring to a simmer again and cook for 15-20 minutes or until you can easily pierce the potatoes with a fork. Drain well and let cool slightly. Peel the potatoes and cut them into slices. Place them into a bowl.2 lbs waxy potatoes/ 1 kg + 1 tablespoon salt
- Prepare ingredients: Quarter the onion and slice it thinly. Add to the bowl. Slice the hard-boiled eggs and the gherkins and add them to the salad as well. Finally, add the olives; you can either leave them whole or slice them.1 large red onion + 4 hard-boiled eggs + 4 oz sweet-sour cucumbers (gherkins) + 10 black olives + 10 green olives
Dressing:
- Whisk 1 tablespoon of the vinegar, gherkin water, and mustard. Slowly add the sunflower oil while whisking all the time until the dressing emulsifies slightly. Add salt and pepper generously.1-2 tablespoons white wine vinegar + 2 tablespoons gherkin water or more to taste + 1 teaspoon medium mustard or Dijon mustard + 4 tablespoons sunflower oil + fine sea salt and pepper
- Combine: Pour the dressing over the salad and mix gently until all the ingredients are coated with the sauce.
- Adjust taste and add more vinegar or gherkin water and salt to taste.
- Serve: Stir again before serving and adjust the taste again if necessary; you could add one extra tablespoon of oil, vinegar, gherkin water, and salt and pepper. Chop the parsley and sprinkle it over the salad just before serving.a small bunch of parsley
Notes
- Serving: The Romanian potato salad is usually served as a main dish. However, it makes an excellent side dish for grilled meats, sausages, and so on.
- Preferably unpitted black olives; they taste so much better. However, if using them, warn the people at the table about the pit.
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
I've pinned the dish and can't wait to give it a try...it sounds great.
Ron says
This is a potato salad I know and have enjoyed. I just didn't know the origin of it. Make sense though as our cultures of touch through the centuries. I will pin this one for a future BBQ.
Zerrin says
This is how we make potato salad in Turkey. I add a little sumac, which gives a tangy and slightly earthy flavor to the salad. My family and I love to have it for lunch on warm days. YUM!
Evi says
Potatoes and gherkins are one of the best combo ever, yummy!