Ukrainian Herring Shuba Salad (Layered Veggie + Fish Salad)

This Shuba Salad recipe is the exact version that has been passed down in my family for generations. It's also the most common recipe you'll find in Slavic households! Shuba salad consists of layered herring, grated potatoes, eggs, carrots, and red beets and is coated with mayonnaise and seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. You'll get an unbelievably delicious flavor that you're going to absolutely love!

Shuba salad is perfect as a side dish or as a hearty dish on its own. It's a traditional salad in Russia and Ukraine, but it's also popular around the world. With its unique flavor and colorful presentation, it's a recipe you just have to try! 

This salad is a must-have for major holidays and I always make it for holiday celebrations. With Easter just around the corner, I thought this would be a great time to share this scrumptious and filling recipe.

You can also make this recipe with smoked salmon if you prefer the taste. Most of my kids think herring is better, but either variation is delicious. It's a fantastic time to give this recipe a try, I hope you like it as much as we do!

Want to learn how to make Shuba Salad? Then keep on reading!

What is Shuba Salad?

Shuba salad, also known as herring under fur coat salad, is a traditional Slavic dish. The name "shuba" comes from Russian and Ukrainian fur or fur-lined coats worn during the winter. When this dish comes together, it looks like fish wearing a fur coat, hence the name!

The salad consists of several layers of cooked and grated vegetables, including potatoes, carrots, and beets, that are generously seasoned with salt and pepper. The salad also has hard-boiled eggs and herring, which gives it a deliciously salty and savory flavor.

Mayonnaise is a key component of this shuba salad recipe, providing a rich and creamy texture that ties all the ingredients together. The mayonnaise is usually homemade from scratch using eggs, oil, and vinegar (you can find the recipe here).

This is also a great recipe to prepare ahead of time as it can be stored in the fridge overnight, allowing the flavors to meld together even more! Trust me, you're going to love this delicious and traditional salad. 

What Makes This Shuba Salad Recipe Special?

Culturally significant: Shuba salad has symbolic importance in Slavic cultures. It symbolizes the winter coats many use to keep warm and it's enjoyed during holidays like Easter and Christmas. 

Unique flavor: The flavor of this salad definitely makes it special. Salty herring with slightly sweet vegetables all coated with mayonnaise is a unique and delicious taste experience. 

Colorful presentation: This shuba salad recipe looks great on any holiday meal table. It has vibrant colors in layers that make it look as good as it tastes!

What You Need to Make Shuba Salad at Home

All you need are some incredibly simple ingredients to make this delicious and traditional Shuba salad at home. Let's look at each of them in more detail: 

• Russet potatoes: When boiled and grated, potatoes will give us a mild and starchy base to bind the other ingredients together. They also add flavor, texture, and volume to the salad. 
• Eggs: We're going to hard-boil and layer in some eggs for their rich, creamy texture and slightly sweet taste. The yellow yolks also add a pop of color against the orange and red in the salad. 
• Carrots: We need medium carrots for the next layer of our shuba salad. They're slightly sweet with a crunchy texture and will balance the other tastes in the salad. 
• Red beets: The next vegetable we'll layer onto our salad is red beets. They provide a sweet, earthy flavor and they're also very nutritious!

• Mayonnaise: Mayonnaise is the tasty glue that holds this salad together. Storebought mayo is fine, but I really recommend using homemade mayonnaise if you can for the best flavor!
• Yellow onion: We'll also need a yellow onion for this layered salad. The slight tanginess will help balance the sweetness of the beets and carrots. 
• Salt: A little salt will make the fish and vegetables more tender and flavorful. It also balances a bit of the acidity in the mayonnaise. 
• Pepper: Pepper gives our salad a mild heat and brings out the flavor of the other ingredients. 

• Herring fish: Herring adds a rich, savory flavor and meaty texture to this dish. It's also delicately sweet and pairs really well with the other ingredients. 

How to Make Shuba Salad (Step-by-Step)

This traditional Shuba Salad is incredibly easy to make. Here's how to make it step by step:

How to Prep Vegetables for Shuba Salad

Start out by rinsing all of your vegetables thoroughly. Any dirt left on them might spoil the taste.

Next, cut the carrots into smaller pieces. Place the carrots and medium potatoes into a large pot with water and 1 tablespoon of salt. 

Cut each beet in half and place them in a separate pot. Add water and 1 tablespoon of salt to this pot also. 

Boil the potatoes and carrots for 25 minutes and the beets for 35 to 45 minutes, or until knife tender. 

While these two pots are boiling, hard boil 6 eggs in a small pot on the side. 

When everything is done cooking, drain the water from each pot. Transfer all cooked vegetables and hard-boiled eggs onto a large plate to cool in the refrigerator.

TIP: Refrigerate vegetables and eggs for at least 4 hours. This makes them firmer and much easier to grate.

Once the vegetables and eggs are cooled, peel the potatoes, carrots, and beets.

Peel and rinse eggs, carefully so they don't break apart too much.

How to Prep Herring for Shuba Salad

Next, rinse the herring fillets under warm running water. Place them in a strainer to let the excess water drain.

When most of the water is off the fillets, we need to dice them into cubes. 

How to Assemble Shuba Salad

Now it's time to start assembling the salad layers. Start by spreading the diced herring over the bottom of a deep casserole dish.

Tip: Grate ½ a potato and spread it underneath the diced herring. This keeps the fish from sliding too much due to its oil content. 

Next, chop the onion and sprinkle ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of black ground pepper over them. Now spread the seasoned onions evenly over the herring. 

Next up are the potatoes. Grate them and spread them out evenly over the onion, then sprinkle the potatoes with salt and pepper to taste. 

Add ½ cup of mayonnaise and slather it evenly over the grated potato. Gently press down with a spoon to pack it tightly while you're spreading the mayonnaise. 

After that, grate the eggs and spread them out over the mayonnaise.

Next, grate the carrots and spread them over the eggs. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the carrots to taste.

Tip: Packing down with a spoon while spreading the veggies and mayo will help prevent the shuba from falling apart when slicing. 

Last but not least, let's add the beets. Grate the beets then spread them over the carrots in the same way as the other layers. Sprinkle salt and pepper again to taste.

Add the second ½ cup of mayonnaise and spread it over the beets, lightly packing as you go. The juice of the beets will bleed into the mayonnaise, giving it a nice bright purple color. 

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight) for the salad to chill and firm up. Garnish with fresh dill or parsley, and it's ready to serve!

Tips for Making the Best Shuba Salad Ever

Refrigerate the ingredients: Let the vegetables and eggs chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours after boiling. This will firm them up and make grating much easier. 

Stop the fish from sliding: Add a layer of grated potatoes to the casserole dish before adding the fish. This will stop the fish from sliding around when trying to cut the salad. 

Pack it lightly: Lightly pack each layer with a spoon to bind everything together. Don't pack too hard or it will become too compressed. 

Recipe Variation Ideas for Shuba Salad

Add your favorite spices: Put a twist on the traditional recipe by adding your favorite spices to the layers. Turmeric, paprika, coriander, and cumin all work great! 

Make it vegetarian: Take out the herring and replace it with boiled mushrooms or your favorite cooked beans. 

Add a protein boost: Add some cooked ground beef or shredded chicken for a protein and flavor boost. 

How to Store Leftover Shuba Salad

Leftover shuba salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I don't recommend freezing this recipe as the texture of the ingredients will change substantially.

Similar Recipes You'll Love

• Salmon Shuba (Layered Vegetable and Fish Salad)
• The Best Classic and Traditional Potato Salad Recipe
• The Perfect Beet Salad (Easy Ukrainian Red Beet Salad)

Recipe Card

Ukrainian Herring Shuba Salad (Layered Veggie + Fish Salad)

Valya's Taste of Home

This Ukrainian Herring Shuba Salad recipe has been passed down generations in my family and it's the most common way it's made in most Slavic households!

5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

4 hours hrs

Total Time 5 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Ingredients

  

.5x1x2x3x

• ▢ 3 large – russet potatoes
• ▢ 6 large – eggs
• ▢ 2 extra-large - carrots
• ▢ 2 extra-large - dark red beets
• ▢ 1 cup – Homemade Mayonnaise
• ▢ ½ of medium – organic yellow onion
• ▢ Salt and Pepper to taste
• ▢ 1.5 lbs. – herring fish

Read More

Instructions

 

How to Prep Vegetables for Shuba Salad

• ▢
  Start out by rinsing all of your vegetables thoroughly. Any dirt left on them might spoil the taste.
• ▢
  Next, cut the carrots into smaller pieces. Place the carrots and medium potatoes into a large pot with water and 1 tablespoon of salt.
• ▢
  Cut each beet in half and place them in a separate pot. Add water and 1 tablespoon of salt to this pot also.
• ▢
  Boil the potatoes and carrots for 25 minutes and the beets for 35 to 45 minutes, or until knife tender.
• ▢
  While these two pots are boiling, hard boil 6 eggs in a small pot on the side.
• ▢
  When everything is done cooking, drain the water from each pot. Transfer all cooked vegetables and hard-boiled eggs onto a large plate to cool in the refrigerator.
• ▢
  TIP: Refrigerate vegetables and eggs for at least 4 hours. This makes them firmer and much easier to grate.
• ▢
  Once the vegetables and eggs are cooled, peel the potatoes, carrots, and beets.
• ▢
  Peel and rinse eggs, carefully so they don't break apart too much.

How to Prep Herring for Shuba Salad

• ▢
  Next, rinse the herring fillets under warm running water. Place them in a strainer to let the excess water drain.
• ▢
  When most of the water is off the fillets, we need to dice them into cubes.

How to Assemble Shuba Salad

• ▢
  Now it's time to start assembling the salad layers. Start by spreading the diced herring over the bottom of a deep casserole dish.
• ▢
  Tip: Grate ½ a potato and spread it underneath the diced herring. This keeps the fish from sliding too much due to its oil content.
• ▢
  Next, chop the onion and sprinkle ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of black ground pepper over them. Now spread the seasoned onions evenly over the herring.
• ▢
  Next up are the potatoes. Grate them and spread them out evenly over the onion, then sprinkle the potatoes with salt and pepper to taste.
• ▢
  Add ½ cup of mayonnaise and slather it evenly over the grated potato. Gently press down with a spoon to pack it tightly while you're spreading the mayonnaise.
• ▢
  After that, grate the eggs and spread them out over the mayonnaise.
• ▢
  Next, grate the carrots and spread them over the eggs. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the carrots to taste.
• ▢
  Tip: Packing down with a spoon while spreading the veggies and mayo will help prevent the shuba from falling apart when slicing.
• ▢
  Last but not least, let's add the beets. Grate the beets then spread them over the carrots in the same way as the other layers. Sprinkle salt and pepper again to taste.
• ▢
  Add the second ½ cup of mayonnaise and spread it over the beets, lightly packing as you go. The juice of the beets will bleed into the mayonnaise, giving it a nice bright purple color.
• ▢
  Refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight) for the salad to chill and firm up. Garnish with fresh dill or parsley, and it's ready to serve!

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This recipe was originally posted on April 3, 2017, and updated for a better user experience. The post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure.