'Passenger Salad' was a companion for Soviet train travelers (RECIPE)

Nov 16 2022

There’s more to Russian salads than Olivier and “Herring under a fur coat”. Here’s another classic Soviet-era salad.

Yulia Mulino

The taste of this budget-friendly salad was often associated with making a journey on long-distance trains in Soviet times. Now we can also enjoy this culinary gem from a bygone era – without the train ride.

In Soviet times the health benefits of liver by-products were widely appreciated and so, liver dishes often had a prominent place in menus.

Liver is a treasure trove of nutrients. Dishes include liver with cream gravy, chicken hearts with onions, giblet soup, liver pancakes (check out the recipe for a Liver Cake), liver sausage and pâtés. Liver was always prepared in such a way that the dish was rich and succulent.

One special dish was the peculiarly named “Passenger Salad” (Passazhirsky salat). According to many old-timers this salad was served in the restaurant car on long-distance trains and at stations. Hence the name from 'passazhir' - “passenger”. Because of its scarcity when traveling, food tends to taste better on the road. So even picky passengers gladly devoured this salad. Indeed, the combination of ingredients was thought out very carefully.

First of all, the ingredients were cooked, because it was assumed that the salad would have to be kept for some time without refrigeration during the journey. The liver was sliced in a julienne style, and it had a soft texture. The fried onions added tenderness and juiciness, and the carrots gave extra sweetness and a festive look.

Salted or pickled cucumbers gave it a crunchy texture and freshness. The traditional Soviet mayonnaise-dressing, combined with the equally sliced ingredients, gave extra spice and sourness. The salad was hearty, healthy and delicious.

I can't say that this salad was widely popular and was prepared often, but some families also made it at home, after being inspired by this appetizer during a long-distance trip.

Having cooked it at home, I can say for sure that it’s a wonderful, simple way to prepare liver. Passenger Salad has only four main ingredients, it's budget-friendly and the flavor is original. I've also added a little mustard and fresh herbs.

This salad will look great on a holiday table, or it can be a hearty snack on the road or at a picnic.

Ingredients (3-4 portions):

Yulia Mulino

Beef liver - 250 g
Onion - 2 large onions
Carrots - one large
Pickles - 150-200 g
Mayonnaise - 2 tbsps
Sunflower oil + butter for frying liver
Sunflower oil for frying onions and carrots
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Laurel leaf - 1
Herbs - a bunch

Preparation:

1. Cut the beef liver into big chunks, and fry in a mixture of butter and sunflower oil. Fry the beef liver for 20 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces. They should be soft but not bleeding. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Yulia Mulino

2. Place on a plate to cool.

Yulia Mulino

3. In the same pan, fry the onion and carrots cut into julienne strips, until soft. Season with salt, pepper and bay leaf to taste. I sliced the carrots by hand so that the pieces remain whole, retain their shape and are of the same size as the other ingredients.