Food and Recipes Meat Chicken Persian Salad Olivieh (Persian Chicken Salad) 4.8 (4) 4 Reviews The beloved Southern dish can contain a multitude of cultures. By Tara Massouleh McCay Tara Massouleh McCay Tara Massouleh McCay is the Senior Travel and Culture Editor for Southern Living. A writer and editor with nearly 10 years of experience in producing lifestyle content for local, regional, and national publications, she joined the Southern Living team in 2021. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on April 21, 2023 Rate PRINT Share Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Active Time: 20 mins Total Time: 55 mins Servings: 14 Travel and Culture Editor Tara Massouleh McCay grew up eating, loving, and helping her Iranian father prepare Salad Olivieh, a delicious mash-up of chicken, egg, and potato salads traditionally served on the final day of Nowruz, the celebration of the Persian New Year. He would handle all of the cooking—boiling the chicken, eggs, and potatoes—and enlist Tara’s help in peeling the potatoes and shredding the chicken. Bound with mayonnaise and flecked with diced pickles and soft herbs, it’s a hearty take on Southern chicken salad that your family will love. Ingredients 4 medium (about 2 lb. total) russet potatoes, scrubbed 1 1/4 cups frozen sweet peas 3 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (about 1 lb.) 1 1/3 cups grated baby dill pickles (about 13 pickles) 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise 4 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and chopped (about 3/4 cup) 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 1/2 tsp. black pepper Garnishes: thinly sliced radishes, thinly sliced cucumber, flat-leaf parsley sprigs, chopped fresh dill Directions Cook potatoes: Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high. Add potatoes to pot; cook until fork-tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain potatoes, and place in a medium bowl. Let stand until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Peel potatoes, discarding skins; set flesh aside in bowl. Cook peas: While potatoes are cooking, place peas in a small microwavable bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes. Remove from microwave; set aside, and let cool 5 minutes. Mix salad: Using a fork or a potato masher, mash cooked, cooled potatoes in bowl until mostly smooth. Add chicken, pickles, mayonnaise, eggs, salt, pepper, and 1 cup of the peas to mashed potatoes, stirring with a rubber spatula until evenly combined. Garnish and serve: Spoon chicken mixture into an 11- x 7-inch baking dish or a large bowl. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup peas. Garnish salad as desired with radishes, cucumber, and herbs. Refrigerate until chilled. Rate It Print