Shuba- Dressed Herring
Shuba is a layered root salad that includes 4 cooked vegetables and a herring fish fillet that is diced then topped off with grated vegetables and a mayonnaise cap in between the layers.
Shuba is a Russian/Ukrainian classic. I am more then confident that this layered root salad has been made in most (if not all) Russian/Ukrainian homes at least once. This salad is especially popular to make and serve to guests for the holidays like Christmas or New Years. Although in our home, we make it year round whenever we crave it.
Since this recipe isn’t new, every household has adapted their favorite version and has their own twist to it even if it’s something minimal. I am sharing my version of shuba, how i make it and like it. I will lead you through every layer and explain why i do what i do to receive the most perfect end result.
First things first, i like to bake my vegetables such as beets, carrots and potatoes. Baking the vegetables wrapped in foil reserves the most flavor but requires more time. (i usually bake them a day in advance) If you’re short on time, boiling in a pot of water works just as great. You can also try cooking in an instant pot if you own one and get them ready even faster.
Second, soak diced onion in vinegar. Doing so removes it’s bitter taste and burn as well as adds a great amount of sour flavor to the dish. Also the pickled onions will decrease the amount of herring after taste.
Third, season the grated potatoes layer with a small pinch of salt and pepper and a thicker layer of mayo. Potatoes are very bland, they need this seasoning and moisture from the mayo. (you only need to season one layer between potatoes and carrot)
Last but not least, grate the beets separately into a bowl and season with mayo, salt, pepper and sugar. This layer is very important because it is on the top and like the star of the show. I make this layer the thickest as well so making sure this tastes good is very important and will complete your dish.
In my childhood my mom always made shuba on a dinner plate but with time I’ve moved on to doing it in a deeper dish such as a casserole dish and that is how i continue to make it. It is easier to spread the layers and easier to cover with plastic wrap without it touching the top. ( just my personal preference)
Ingredients:
Onion- diced
Herring fillets-diced
Potatoes-cooked & peeled
Carrot -cooked & peeled
Beets – Cooked & peeled
Mayonnaise
Vinegar
Salt & Pepper
Instructions:
Cook potatoes and carrots in a pot of water until fork soft. Drain and allow to cool.
In a separate pot cook beets covered with water until fork soft or until you can easily pierce with a knife. Drain & cool.
Dice 1 medium onion, add into a bowl and add vinegar enough to submerge all of the onion. Allow to soak in the vinegar for at least 10-15 minutes.
In a separate bowl grate cooked beets, season with salt, sugar and mayonnaise to taste (very important, do not skip)
Dice herring into fine pieces.
Begin assembling the salad by adding diced herring on the bottom, follow with drained pickled onions, then grated cooked potatoes. Spread evenly using 2 forks and season this layer with a pinch of salt & pepper and spread a generous amount of mayo. ( Use a zip-lock bag to drizzle mayo, no need to spread it, as adding the next layer on top will do this extra step for you.)
Grate carrot on top of the potato layer and drizzle a LIGHT amount of mayo this time as the next layer will have mayo in it.
Follow by adding the beets layer and spread evenly with 2 forks. Wipe down the sides of the dish if necessary with a damp paper towel to clean any mess.
This salad is best refrigerated at least 4-6 hours or overnight before serving.
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear how it went in the comments below. Better still, snap a photo and tag it on Instagram with #alenashomecooking. I love seeing your creations.
Shuba – Dressed Herring
Ingredients
- 2 medium Potatoes cooked & peeled
- 3 medium Carrots cooked & peeled
- 3-4 medium Beets cooked & peeled
- 1 large onion diced & soaked in venegar
- Vinegar enough to cover all diced onion
- salt & pepper to taste
- sugar to taste
Instructions
-
PREP:
Cook potatoes and carrots in a pot of water until fork soft. Drain and allow to cool.
In a separate pot cook beets covered with water until fork soft or until you can easily pierce with a knife. Drain & cool.
Dice 1 medium onion, add into a bowl and add vinegar enough to submerge all of the onion. Allow to soak in the vinegar for at least 10-15 minutes. Drain.
In a separate bowl grate cooked beets, season with salt, sugar and mayonnaise to taste (very important, do not skip)
Dice herring into fine pieces.
ASSEMBLE:
Begin assembling the salad by adding diced herring on the bottom, follow with drained pickled onions, then grated cooked potatoes. Spread evenly using 2 forks and season this layer with a pinch of salt & pepper and spread a generous amount of mayo. ( Use a zip-lock bag to drizzle mayo, no need to spread it, as adding the next layer on top will do this extra step for you.)
Grate carrot on top of the potato layer and drizzle a LIGHT amount of mayo this time as the next layer will have mayo in it.
Follow by adding the beets layer and spread evenly with 2 forks. Wipe down the sides of the dish if necessary with a damp paper towel to clean any mess.
This salad is best refrigerated at least 4-6 hours or overnight before serving.
ENJOY!
My absolute favorite dish. Yummm!!