The chilled potato, tuna, and olive salad you’ll find on every tapas bar counter in Spain.
When the heat is on and appetites fade, the first thing to hit the counter is a bowl of well-chilled salad. The spoon sinks into creamy, mayonnaise-coated potatoes, catches a piece of olive, then comes back up with flakes of tuna and bits of hard-boiled egg.
In Spain, ensaladilla rusa is shared casually as an aperitif, between drinks, with no fuss. It looks unassuming until the first bite, when the briny olives wake everything up.
What is ensaladilla rusa?
It’s a cold salad bound with mayonnaise, served as a tapa. The base is waxy potatoes and carrots cut into small dice, with peas, well-drained oil-packed tuna, hard-boiled egg, and pitted olives.
Everything is gently folded together, then chilled for half an hour in the refrigerator before serving. Think Japanese potato salad, but more rustic and saltier.
In Spanish, ensaladilla rusa literally means ‘little Russian salad.’ The name has traveled better than the recipe: what you’ll eat in Madrid or Seville is all about oil-packed tuna, olives, and mayonnaise. In France, it often goes by the more descriptive name of Spanish tuna salad.
A counter tapa, made for sharing
In Spanish bars, ensaladilla arrives on a shared plate with spoons for everyone. Enjoy it as is or scooped onto crusty bread. The garnish stays simple: strips of piquillo or roasted red pepper, crumbled cooked egg yolk on top, and sometimes white asparagus or chopped pickles.
It holds its own alongside other chilled aperitif bites, such as deviled eggs or shrimp fritters. Make it the same day — potatoes have a much better texture freshly cooked. Serve it chilled but not ice-cold; too much cold dulls the flavor.
The main ingredients in ensaladilla rusa
It all starts with the potatoes. Choose a firm, waxy variety like Monalisa, which holds its shape when cooked and soaks up just enough mayonnaise without falling apart. Allow 600 g for six people, cooked whole in their skins, then cut into roughly 1 cm cubes. Cut the 200 g of carrots into slightly smaller dice, and add 100 g of cooked peas for a fresh, green note.
Oil-packed tuna is what makes this a Spanish salad. You’ll need 250 g, well drained — otherwise the excess oil will loosen the mayonnaise and wash out the flavors.
Dice the 3 eggs, hard-boiled for 8 minutes, and halve the 18 pitted olives for a salty pop in every spoonful. In a totally different style, Korean tuna rice shows what canned tuna can do served hot.
Mayonnaise brings it all together — about 300 g. To make it from scratch, you’ll need 1 egg, 15 ml of vinegar, 5 g of salt, and 250 ml of oil, using the oil from the tuna can topped up with mild olive oil.
A tablespoon or two of olive brine adds character, and the mayonnaise should stay creamy yet firm — much like Japanese mayonnaise. For a lighter version, swap half of it for plain yogurt.
Tips for a perfect ensaladilla
Cooking is everything: simmer the whole potatoes for 30 minutes from boiling, the diced carrots for 20 minutes, plus 5 minutes more if they still feel firm under the knife.
Overcooked vegetables turn to mush that no mayonnaise can rescue, while undercooked vegetables spoil the creamy texture. Drain everything well, fold in half the mayonnaise while the vegetables are still warm so they absorb it better, then chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator before serving.
Ingredients
- 600 g potatoes preferably Monalisa or another waxy variety
- 200 g carrots
- 100 g cooked peas
- 250 g oil-packed tuna drained
- 3 eggs
- 18 pitted olives halved
- 300 g mayonnaise
Homemade Mayonnaise (optional)
- 1 egg
- 15 ml vinegar
- 5 g salt to taste
- 250 ml oil tuna-can oil topped up with mild olive oil, or a mix of olive and sunflower oils
- 1-2 tablespoons olive brine
Instructions
Preparing the Vegetables and Eggs
- Scrub the potatoes (do not peel) and cook whole in plenty of salted boiling water for about 30 minutes, until tender (allow 5 minutes more if still firm).600 g potatoes, 5 g salt
- Drain the potatoes, peel, and cut into about 1-cm cubes.
- Meanwhile, peel the carrots and cut into small dice. Cook in salted boiling water for about 20 minutes, until tender (allow 5 minutes more if needed). Drain well.200 g carrots
- Hard-boil the eggs for 8 minutes, refresh in cold water, then peel and dice.3 eggs
Assembly
- Combine the potatoes, carrots, and peas in a large salad bowl.100 g cooked peas
- While the vegetables are still lukewarm, add half the mayonnaise and fold gently without mashing.300 g mayonnaise
- Drain the tuna well. Add the tuna, olives, and diced eggs, then fold in the remaining mayonnaise and mix gently to combine.250 g oil-packed tuna, 18 pitted olives
- Taste and adjust the seasoning, then chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator before serving.
Homemade Mayonnaise (optional)
- Place the egg, vinegar, salt, and oil in a tall beaker. Rest the immersion blender on the bottom and blend without moving until emulsified, then slowly lift to finish blending.1 egg, 15 ml vinegar, 250 ml oil
- Stir in the olive brine to taste โ the mayonnaise should be creamy and firm, but not stiff.1-2 tablespoons olive brine
Notes
- Choose firm, waxy potatoes โ the final texture depends on it.
- Watch the vegetables closely as they cook: overcooked vegetables will turn the salad mushy.
- Drain the vegetables and tuna very thoroughly: excess water thins the mayonnaise and dulls the flavor.
- For a lighter version, replace half the mayonnaise with plain yogurt (start with a fairly firm mayonnaise).
- Best enjoyed the day it is made, when the potatoes hold their texture best. Serve chilled, but not ice-cold.
- Classic variations: cooked white asparagus, piquillo or roasted red pepper strips, chopped gherkins, or crumbled egg yolk for garnish.
