Jarzynowa Sałatka

There are some things you grow up eating that will forever remain a part of your life no matter where you go or what you are doing. This traditional Polish vegetable salad, also known as Jarzynowa Sałatka, might not be revolutionary, but it is a staple in many Polish homes growing up. It’s filling, relatively nutritious, tastes yummy and is easy to take with you to work!

Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

5 cups of mixed vegetables (for example: carrots, potatoes, peas, corn, green beans, celery and lima beans)
6 large eggs
2 small to medium size apples
3 tablespoons of mayonnaise
2 teaspoons of Kosciusko spicy brown mustard
Salt to taste (a pinch or more)
Ground Black Peppercorn to taste
Hungarian Paprika to taste
Parsley Flakes to taste

If you aren’t sure where to buy the mustard or paprika I recommend, here are Amazon links* to buy them online:

Kosciusko Spicy Brown Mustard (click here)
Hungarian Paprika (click here)

Follow these steps:

Vegetables:

Prepare your vegetables to be cooked. It’s best when they are chopped into small pieces, like cubes.
Tip: If you use canned vegetables, this saves you time!
Put your vegetables in a pot and cook until soft.
After your vegetables have boiled, drain the water out.
Leave your vegetables out on the counter to cool to room temperature.
Tip: If you are in a hurry, you can run your vegetables under cold water. Mix them occasionally. Once they are cold, make sure all of the water is drained out. You can use a colander while running them under water to help make this faster!

Eggs:
Place the eggs in a pot, fill with water and cook on high until the water boils.
Once the water is boiling, turn off the heat and keep the eggs in the pot. Cover the pot with a lid and place on a cool burner.
Let the eggs stand in the hot water for 12 minutes.
Tip: This website has some tips on making perfect hard-boiled eggs.
Take the pot to the sink and run cold water into it. You want to make the eggs cool to the touch so you can handle them.
Once the eggs are cold, you should peel them and rinse to make sure there are no pieces of shell left on them.

Prepare and Mix in the Remaining Ingredients:
Place the cold vegetables in a large bowl.
Grate the eggs over the vegetables.
Mix the ingredients together.
Grate the apples over the vegetables and eggs.
Tip: You can leave the skin on, but if you don’t want the skin it’s OK to peel it off first.
Mix the ingredients together.
Add the mayonnaise.
Add the spicy brown mustard.
Tip: If you aren’t comfortable using spicy mustard, it’s OK to use one that isn’t spicy.
Add as much salt, pepper and paprika as you’d like.
Tip: If you’re not sure how much to add, start with a little, mix the salad up and try it. It’s always better to add gradually and taste. Remember, you can’t take salt out after you add it!
Mix all of the ingredients up (by hand) until you see that everything is nicely combined.
Tip: Don’t over-mix or your vegetables will start to get mushy. You aren’t making baby food! Unless you are making baby food. If that’s the case…you’ll probably make some tweeks to this recipe and let me know how it goes!
Pour your salad into a new bowl. Garnish with parsley flakes (dry or fresh) and paprika.
Store in the fridge for an hour before serving to make sure all of the flavors have time to combine forces.
Enjoy your salad and Enjoy Life!

What’s the twist?

Traditional Polish Vegetable Salad often includes pickles and/or onions. This recipe is for those who do not like pickles or onions! It also adds paprika to the recipe.