Growing up in New Orleans, my mother and grandmother weren’t typical American meat-and-potato cooks. They were more Creole cooks, making great use of the flavors and ingredients that were plentiful in South Louisiana. One of my favorite things my mom made was a salad called Salad Russe. It’s a great make-ahead salad for hot and humid New Orleans summer evenings.
I never got her recipe, but I managed to recreate it and put my own twist on it. It’s super simple, and you may have all the ingredients already. I use two ingredients from New Orleans that can be found online. If you can’t find the specific ingredients I use, you can get substitutes at your local grocery store.
Cool your veggies before adding the other ingredients
After cooking the vegetables, allow the veggies to cool on a rimmed sheet pan before adding the other ingredients. This is a tip I got in a recipe for a rice dish from America’s Test Kitchen, but I don’t remember which recipe it was. I love how it lets me get back to making the salad more quickly.
I know cooling the veggies on a rimmed sheet pan is an extra thing to wash. I’ve found that adding the mayo to hot veggies changes the texture of the mayo in a way that doesn’t benefit the salad. You can add the salt and pepper while the veggies are still hot, but I find I can mix it in better once it’s in the mixing bowl.
Notes about my ingredients
The links below go to the manufacturer’s pages for the products. You can order directly from these links, and you can also buy them from Amazon. I’m providing alternate links for those who would prefer not to shop with Amazon.
The mayo and mustard I use are products that I grew up eating in New Orleans. I grew up eating Blue Plate Mayonnaise, and I often drove past their factory when I would drive to work downtown.
You may wonder why I use an olive oil mayonnaise rather than regular mayo. One of my doctors put me on the Mediterranean Diet a few years ago. I got a jar of Blue Plate Light Mayo with Olive Oil to see how it was. It turns out I couldn’t tell the difference between the two mayos, so I’ve switched to buying the olive oil variant. If you prefer a different brand, you can use it, but Blue Plate has a flavor profile that no other mayo has.
I always put Zatarain’s Creole Mustard on my sandwiches growing up, and it’s been a standard condiment in the house since I learned I could buy it online. My mom’s Salad Russe didn’t include mustard, but I added it to this salad to give it a little extra zing. People who have tried my Salad Russe say it makes my already great salad even better. You can substitute Dijon or spicy brown mustard if that’s what you prefer, but it won’t taste the same.
Salad Russe à la J.M.
Ingredients
- 1 12-ounce bag of frozen steam-in-the-bag mixed vegetables
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons Blue Plate Light Mayonnaise with Olive Oil
- 2 teaspoons Zatarain’s Creole Mustard
Preparation
- Cook the bag of mixed vegetables according to the package directions. If you prefer to cook them on the stovetop instead of in the microwave, that’s fine. I nuke them because it’s quicker and easier to do.
- Optional, but recommended: Spread the cooked vegetables out on a rimmed baking sheet and allow them to cool, approximately 5-10 minutes. If you don’t do this, let the vegetables cool completely before the next step.
- Move the cooled mixed vegetables to a medium mixing bowl and add salt and pepper to taste. I don’t have measurements for the salt and pepper because I’ve never found a set amount of salt and pepper that I use.
- Stir in the mayonnaise, making sure to coat all of the vegetables. If you want a creamier salad, you can add a little more mayonnaise. Just make sure you don’t end up making the salad scream MAYO at you when you taste it. I did that once, and it wasn’t pretty.
- Stir in the mustard, making sure it’s well distributed across the salad.
You can serve it immediately, but it’s even better if you put it in the refrigerator for an hour or so to let the flavors meld before serving.
If you make it, let me know what you think of it. I think you’ll find it’s a perfect vegetable side all year round, especially when it’s hot and you don’t want to cook.