Mimosa Salad (Video)

Mimosa Salad | AZCookbook.com by Feride Buyuran

Photos: Greg Seber

This post was originally published on June 8, 2008 and is now updated. I have added a recipe video and tweaked the recipe for best results.
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Mimosa Salad is a festive layered salad made with cooked vegetables and chicken, with its sour-cream-mayonnaise moistened top garnished with dill and eggs yolks to resemble mimosa flowers on snow. This unusual salad originates in Soviet Russia and back in the days, its popularity spanned across the Soviet republics (including Azerbaijan) where numerous variations of it were created. Mimosa flower was the symbol of Women’s Day during Soviet times, and this is where the salad is believed to have taken its name.


Mimosa salad tastes as delicious as its presentation is beautiful. Once done, it really looks like a  festive cake. In fact, you slice it like one, too. Here’s how I make my Mimosa Salad, via the recipe from my friend Saida who shared it with me years ago. Try it too!

WATCH HOW TO MAKE MIMOSA SALAD:

 

Mimosa Salad
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Mimosa Salad is tall and festive, holding scrumptious layers of cooked chicken, potatoes, carrots, eggs, and walnuts, moistened with just enough dressing. A visual appeal bonus? Beautiful mimosa flower pattern on top.
Author:
Recipe type: Salads
Serves: 10 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast halves
  • ½ cup walnuts, finely chopped (but not too finely)
  • 4 medium potatoes, boiled and peeled
  • 4 eggs, boiled and peeled
  • 3 medium carrots, boiled and peeled
  • Salt
  • Dressing
  • 6-8 tablespoons of sour cream mixed with 6-8 tablespoons of mayonnaise (use about 2 tablespoons each time dressing is called for. Adjust amounts to taste).
  • Garnish
  • Fresh dill sprigs
  • Reserved 2 egg yolks, finely grated (see recipe)
  • Shredded Gouda cheese to taste, optional
Instructions
  1. Place the chicken in a pot filled with enough water to just cover the chicken. Add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside. When cool enough to handle, using your hands, shred the chicken into small pieces.
  2. Grate boiled and peeled potatoes, carrots, and eggs on the coarse side of a box grater, except for 2 of the eggs yolks - grate them on the fine side of a box grater (this will be the garnish).
  3. Use a large round serving plate to assemble the salad. If you have a springform pan, use its sides to serve as borders around the salad, so the layers can be arranged neatly. You will remove the sides once the salad has been assembled. Evenly layer the ingredients on the plate in the following order (do not mix!)
  4. Half of the chicken (press down lightly on top with a small lid or plate); Dressing; Half of the walnuts; ⅓ of potatoes; Salt; Dressing; Half of the eggs; Salt; Half of the carrots; Dressing.
  5. Repeat in the same order with the remaining ingredients, finishing with ⅓ potatoes.
  6. If you used springform pan sides, remove them.
  7. Spread some dressing on top. If you wish, you can spread some around the sides of the salad, too (I don't do this).
  8. Garnish the salad with dill sprigs and finely grated egg yolks (see video). If using, sprinkle some shredded Gouda cheese on top.
  9. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving, to give the ingredients a chance to blend and for the layers to set.
  10. Cut like a cake and serve.
45 Comments

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  1. Yum! I love your salads Farida!

  2. Lovely! I really like your savoury cake-shaped salad.

  3. This looks very interesting. I’m having trouble imagining what it tastes like, bit it does look good:-)

    -M

  4. Oh, love the way this this salad sounds! Beautiful too!!!

  5. are you sure this isn’t a cake? because it really, really looks like a cake. lovely!

  6. Not only does this look lovely, but it sounds delicious!

  7. A wonderful salad for the summer! Delicious!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

  8. Fabulous! I am going to try yet again another one of your great recipes. I honestly want to go to Azerbaijan….
    warmest,
    Paula

  9. first time here 🙂
    wow how could i have missed it so far? looks great. have been browsing through your recipes – what a wealth of a cusine i am not familiar with. delicious.

  10. Lovely. I love the sound of the salad and the presentation too – so pretty 🙂

  11. I have never had this before, gosh I’d really like to try some of yours. Looks great!

  12. How fun! I can see how this would surprise guests. The flavors sound amazing. Great post, thank you!

    xoxox Amy

  13. Oh this is SO beautiful what great presentation 😀 The falvours sound just wonderful in this salad!! Great post 😀

    Rosie x

  14. I dare say this is prettier than a cake, not to mention, healthier. And the pomegranate seeds are the crowning touch.
    Pal, I can assure you I’ll be Nush Olsun-ing on this one soon! Thank you.

  15. Farida, the salad looks too pretty ..love the addition of pomegranate !!

  16. fascinating! i love learning about these new dishes. this looks really delicious – I love anything layered.

  17. wow how interesting!! i love the pomegrenate seeds on top. looks beautiful

  18. It’s just too pretty to be a salad, Farida! The ruby red pomegranate seeds get me every time.

  19. You had me fooled when I first spotted this – it’s truly beautiful (apart from the eggs, lol!)

  20. That sure does look like a cake but it sounds good as a salad!

  21. Farida, it’s beautiful! And I loved your post, too 🙂

  22. MARIJA: Thank you! So glad you like my salads.

    LORE: Welcome to my blog! This salad is really delicious. Just give it a try, you’ll know for yourself.

    MARC@NORECIPES: I looks pretty inside – accurate colorful layers.

    MEDENA: Thank you, dear friend!

    MICHELLE: Welcome to my blog! Hope you make the salad one day.

    ELLE: Thank you!

    ROSA: It is indeed wonderful. My guests always ask me for the recipe:)

    LAURAPAULA: Yes, let’s go to Azerbaijan together! I am sure you’ll love it there.

    ANDREEA: Welcome to my blog. So glad you like it here! I just checked your site and it is gorgeous!

    KITCHEN GODDESS: Thank you for your sweet comment!

    CYNTHIA: Wish you lived close by:)

    FAMILIABENCOMO: Glad you like the salad. Give it a try, you won’t regret:)

    ROSIE: Thank you very much!

    MARYSOL: You just made me laugh again:) This time with your Nush-Olsun-ing:)

    SWATI: Glad you like it!

    JONATHAN: This is indeed one delicious salad. Hope you give it a try someday.

    DIVA: Thank you for your nice comment!

    SUSAN from FOOD BLOGGA: Glad youi like it. Yes, pom seeds do the trick all the time:)

    NICISME: You can always omit the eggs, it will still look like a cake:)

    KEVIN: Glad you like it!

    DEE: Thank you, dear!

  23. Farida, That salad is absollutly beautiful! And what a meaning full dedication too!

  24. This salad sounds like a delicious meal! Thanks for sharing it with us.
    Shari@Whisk: a food blog

  25. This look amazing Farida… thank you for the award, I just came back and I’m trying to organize all things, I will post about it shortly, when I go through all my messages in the inbox… 🙂

    Have a wonderful day, Margot

  26. THis is a lovely presentation and something I had never heard of.

  27. You CAN teach an old dog new tricks and I have just learned one. This is a first time experience for me and I will most definitely try this cake…oops salad!!!

  28. Hi Farina,

    Thanks for your post in our blog and for this recipe–looks delicious!

    Looking forward to trying this one out myself.

  29. THANK YOU!

    MARIE
    SHARI
    COFFEE & VANILLA
    MAYBELLESMOM
    NINA
    HIPPOCRENE

    I appreciate your lovely comments!

  30. I am awed looking at that salad!! boy! its looks so pretty and oh-so inviting! beautiful recipe farida!:)

  31. Farida it looks so beautiful this salad, really fresh. I hope Kathy will make it and that she enjoys it!

  32. It’s simply beautiful!

  33. Wonderful display!!! Looks yummy too 🙂

  34. Thats a beautiful salad creation. So festive and perfect for entertaining.

  35. THANK YOU!

    MANSI

    CLUMBSY COOKIE

    MARYANN

    MAG

    COURTEY

    Glad you like the salad. Hope you make it sometime soon!

  36. Farida, your blog is great and the recipes simply wonderful! This salad is so unique…must be very yummy:) Congrats for all your awards!

  37. Indranee, welcome to my blog! Glad you like it here. I will be posting more recipes, so please do come back:)

  38. Oooooh! How nice!

  39. I had this salad before … in Turkey. It was lovely! Thanks for the recipe…. now can make it at home!

  40. Farida,

    I love this russian recipe. My mom makes it quite often for the guests.

  41. Originally the name comes from the FRENCH – Salade Mimosa, but there are quite a few differences between the Azeri version and the French version.

    Either way, this salad is realllllllllllllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy YUMMY!

    Go Farida! Go Azcookbook!

  42. Ferish I am back to kitchen i.e. to cooking. You probably remember I was out for some time. I made this one exactly as you advised. Good. Very good. I enjoyed it and my mom. Sorry sis didnt try as she became vegetarian after seeing some program about freezing meet/poultry 🙂 I just saw another one by ORT, there is a batch of 30 years old meat deep frozen imported from USA so i guess I am gonna become veggie too…. we will see….

  43. Ok!

  44. What a beautiful salad Farida! I saw your post by chance searching for some info Azerbaijan and realized I haven’t visited your blog for ages… We make very similar salad in Poland and it is called Mimoza.

    Will write you soon, promise 😉

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