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a bowl of the salata de beouf
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4.74 from 26 votes

Beef Salad (Salata de boeuf)

This Beef Salad, also known as Salata de Boeuf in Romania, is a traditional salad made for Easter, Christmas and New Year's Eve. It can be served as a side dish, or a meal on its own. You can make it with beef, turkey or chicken, potatoes, peas and lots of mayo. It's like a potato salad gone wild!
Prep Time1 hr
Cook Time3 hrs
Total Time4 hrs
Course: Dinner, Side Dish
Cuisine: Romanian
Keyword: beef, salad, salata, salata de boeuf
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 594kcal
Author: Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs beef or turkey or chicken, white or dark meat
  • 2 lbs potatoes peeled
  • 1 lb carrots peeled
  • 1 1/2 cups pickles chopped
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup mustard
  • 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
  • 1/4 tsp pepper or to taste
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Cook the beef: Add the beef to a pot of boiling water and cook it for about 2 hours. You can also use an Instant Pot to cook it faster. If using an Instant pot cook it on high pressure for 35 minutes. Transfer the meat to a bowl and let it cool before chopping.
  • Cook the potatoes and carrots: Add the potatoes and carrots to a large pot and cover with water. Season with the tsp of salt. Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes and carrots until they are fork tender, should take about 15 minutes. Drain and cool slightly.
  • Prep the veggies and meat: Chop the meat, potatoes, carrots and pickles; they should all be small pieces about 1/4 inch by 1/4 inch. Drain all the juice from the diced pickles and the peas. I usually place them in a paper towel lined bowl to soak up all the extra liquid.
  • Make the salad: Add all the veggies and meat to a big bowl, then add the mayo and mustard, season with salt and pepper and mix everything together. You will end up with a big bowl of salad, traditionally we smooth out the top of the salad with a knife and spread more mayonnaise and smooth that out.
  • Serve: Serve salad cold, do not warm it up.

Notes

  1. You can use chicken or turkey instead of beef for this recipe.
  2. You can use the broth from boiling the meat and veggies to make a soup.
  3. Roasting cuts like sirloin or chuck roast work best for this recipe.
  4. This salad will last up to 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container. If stored in a bowl, make sure to cover it tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. 
  5. This salad does not freeze well, so I wouldn't recommend freezing leftovers.
  6. Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 594kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 830mg | Potassium: 1030mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 10013IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 97mg | Iron: 7mg