This Shuba Salad (herring under a fur coat) showcases rich, colorful layers of herring, vegetables, eggs, and mayonnaise, all stacked on top of one another. Perfect for special occasions or as a centerpiece at family dinners, this Eastern European specialty is a must-try!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Visually stunning: The striking layered presentation of shuba salad makes it a showstopper at any gathering.
- Nutrient-rich: Packed with protein and vegetables, it’s as nutritious as it is delicious.
- Adaptable: Feel free to tweak the ingredients to suit your taste or based on what’s available in your kitchen.
Traditional shuba salad
Shuba salad, also known as herring under a fur coat, fur coat salad, dressed herring, or selyodka pod shuboy, is a staple in Eastern European cuisine. Traditionally, it graces tables during festive occasions, but I think it’s delicious enough to enjoy year-round!
This show-stopping appetizer is made from layers of pickled herring, beets, carrots, onions, potatoes, mayonnaise, eggs, and dill. The layering technique creates a stunning visual and allows each flavor to shine individually and together.
Shuba salad only takes about 15 minutes to assemble before it’s left to chill in the fridge for 4 to 6 hours. If you’re in a time crunch, most of the layers in this work of art can be prepared days in advance.
If you’re getting ready for the holidays or have a special celebration coming up, this signature Russian party food is a must-try. Pair it with other sides and a vodka-based cocktail or two, and you’ll have some happy party guests!
Ingredients & substitutions
- Herring: Make sure you buy herring filets packed in oil. Herring is an oily fish with a flavor similar to sardines — you either love or hate it. If you aren’t a fan of herring, go ahead and use smoked salmon instead.
- Vegetables: You’ll need sweet onion, Yukon gold potatoes, beets, and carrots to give this salad its distinct colorful layers. Feel free to experiment with different vegetables, like red potatoes or golden beets, or add in shredded apples or raisins for sweetness. There’s plenty of room to be flexible here.
- Fresh dill: Brings a bright, herbaceous note and adds gorgeous specks of green throughout the salad. Substitute dill with parsley for a milder flavor.
- Eggs: Use my keto deviled eggs recipe if you’ve never made hard-boiled eggs before.
- Mayonnaise: Binds the layers with a creamy texture. Take your Russian salad up a notch by making it with homemade mayonnaise. Or, try Greek yogurt mixed with a little lemon juice as a lighter alternative.
How to make shuba salad
Prep the veggies and eggs: Boil the beets, potatoes, and carrots until tender, then let them cool and peel. At the same time, boil the eggs and peel them. Separate the whites and yolks for later.
Season the herring: Cube your herring into bite-sized pieces and add them to a bowl. Chop up a sweet onion and some fresh dill, then mix both in with the herring.
Layering: Grate and lay the potatoes down as the first layer, followed by the herring mixture. Add grated carrots on top of the herring, then a mayo spread. Add a layer of grated beets and more mayo, then grate the egg whites and yolks over the top.
Garnish and chill: Sprinkle some fresh dill on top and let your shuba salad chill in the fridge for a few hours to marry the flavors before serving.
Serving suggestions
Shuba salad is quite a versatile dish, making it perfect for all kinds of occasions. Try pairing it with some of these other Russian and Ukrainian sides and mains:
- After a Russian charcuterie board appetizer
- Alongside potato vareniki (Ukrainian pierogi recipe) or this easy Olivier salad
- Before a dessert of syrniki (Ukrainian cheese pancakes)
Frequently asked questions
You can use canned beets to save time, but freshly boiled beets give the salad the best flavor and texture.
Yes, peeling results in a smooth texture in each salad layer.
Grating provides the best texture for the salad, but you can also thinly julienne the vegetables if you don’t have a box grater.
Storage & make-ahead tips
The preparation can be time-consuming in this recipe, but thankfully, you can prepare most of the layers ahead of time:
- Vegetables: Once your vegetables are cooked, store them in separate airtight containers in the fridge for 1 or 2 days.
- Eggs: Store the hard-boiled eggs with the shells on in a sealed container in the fridge for 4 or 5 days.
- Assembled salad: The salad can be made and assembled up to 2 days in advance. Any leftover salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Another advantage of preparing and pre-chilling the ingredients ahead of time is that the salad won’t need to chill in the fridge for as long, meaning you can serve it sooner.
Variations
- Layer with smoked salmon: Instead of herring, try adding smoked salmon for a different flavor.
- Add nuts: Sprinkle chopped walnuts or almonds for extra texture.
- Cheese layer: Add a layer of grated hard cheese for richness.
- Eggless: Use avocado slices instead of eggs for a creamy texture.
Top tips
- Boil to the right texture: Ensure potatoes, beets, and carrots are boiled until fork-tender — not too hard and not too mushy.
- Cool ingredients before assembling: Let the boiled veggies and eggs cool to room temperature before grating and layering.
- Chill before serving: Refrigerate the salad for at least 4-6 hours so the flavors meld.
- Use a springform pan: I recommend a springform pan over a casserole dish for perfectly shaped layers and easy serving.
Looking for more salad recipes?
If you enjoyed this herring under a fur coat salad recipe, check out these other salads:
Did you try this Russian Herring Under a Fur Coat Salad recipe? Let me know what you think! Leave a comment or rate this recipe below. Don’t forget to take a picture and tag me on Instagram! I love to share all of your recreations.
Traditional Shuba Salad (Herring Under a Fur Coat)
Ingredients
- 17.6 ounces herring, chopped into ½-inch cubes (2-8.8 ounce herring packed in oil packages)
- 1 small sweet onion, finely chopped
- 4 medium yukon gold potatoes, boiled and peeled
- 3 medium beets, boiled and peeled
- 4 medium carrots, boiled and peeled
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, plus a few sprigs for garnish
- 4 large eggs, hard boiled and peeled
- 1 cup mayonnaise, or more if needed
Instructions
Cook the veggies and eggs
- In one pot, place beets in boiling water (enough water to cover the beets). Boil for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until soft when pierced with a knife. The cooking time varies depending on your beets. Some will cook sooner than others, so test all of them. When cooked, remove and let cool to room temperature. Peel the cooked beets (I use gloves for this sometimes to prevent from your hands getting stained). Set aside.
- In a separate pot, boil whole unpeeled potatoes and carrots for about 25-35 minutes, or until easily pierced with a knife. The carrots will cook faster than potatoes. Don’t overcook. Remove and let cool to room temperature. Peel the potatoes and carrots. Set aside.
- Place 4 eggs in another pot of cold water and bring them to a boil. Once the water is boiling, cook for 10 minutes. When done cooking, place eggs in a ice bath. Let eggs cool to room temperature. Peel the eggs. Cut in half and separate the whites and yolks. Set aside.
- While veggies cook, take each herring filet and cut into 4 strips, then cut into ¼- inch cubes. Add into a bowl. Chop the onion as well and add to the same bowl. Finely chop 2 tablespoons of fresh dill, add to bowl and mix well. Set aside until ready to layer your salad.
Layer the salad
- Using a springform without the bottom part, place it on top of a plate that is slightly larger than the springform.
- Grate the peeled potatoes, spreading evenly to the edges, don’t press down,.
- Spoon the herring, onion and dill mixture to the edges of the springform on top of the grated potatoes.
- Grate the peeled carrots, spoon half the mayonnaise on top of the grated carrots, spreading evenly on top.
- Grate beets, spoon on the other half of the mayonnaise, spreading evenly on top.
- Grate the egg white over the mayonnaise. Then grate in the egg yolk.
- Garnish with fresh dill. Refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours or over night to let the flavors combine well. Carefully release the springform and then remove it. When ready to serve, cut the shuba like a cake and enjoy.
Olga
My favorite salad especially around holidays, adding fresh dill to salad made such a huge difference, I never seen anyone adding dill, but omg it took it to another level.thank you for your hard work
lena gladstone
Yes!! So happy you are loved the addition of dill in the recipe, I think it ads a great flavor. Thank you for giving my recipe a try.
Chris
Lena! I’d love to make this exactly as you have! The brand of herring that you’re using, what brand is it? Thank you!!
lena gladstone
I typically buy my herring at local European stores, any brand they carry work wrk if you cant find this particular one. Hope you are able to give it a try.
Olga
The only shuba recipe I follow. Easy to follow! Thank you Lena🖤
lena gladstone
Oh! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! It’s one of our absolute favorites.
Olga S.
I made this recipe multiple times and it is my go-to! I grew up with this salad served on special occasions. I’ve tried different variations and this one is my absolute favorite. Lena’s recipe is so easy to follow along and it turns out perfectly every time! This year I made it for my husband’s birthday party and it was a big hit! No leftovers, though I made a big one! Thank you Lena! 10/10 as always
Olga
Easy and delicious! Thanks for the awesome recipe ❤️
lena
You are so welcome. Happy to hear that you enjoyed it Olga. Happy Cooking!
lena
You are so welcome Olga, happy you enjoyed the recipe.
Alona O
To be honest when I was a child and lived in Ukraine I hated shuba salad? but.. already 10 years in USA and kind of missing ukrainian recipes.. so I tried your shuba version.. and I LOVE IT!!! Thanks for the great shuba recipe!
lenaskitchen
Alona, I am so happy to hear that. I love this version of shuba too. My mom makes it a bit different this way too so I adapted it form her and makes my own twists to it.
Nadia Z.
Hi, Lena!
Just wanted to say thank you so much for such an awesome spin on Shuba! I made it twice within a week and we really enjoyed it!
First time I made it on Saturday with herring and it was delicious!
Second time made it on Wednesday with smoked salmon, because my brother was coming to visit from Boise on his birthday and he absolutely loves Shuba!
So we used Beautiful Shuba as his Birthday Cake! (My brother and sister in law absolutely loved it as well)
Both ways it’s very delicious, and it was my first time ever putting potatoes on the bottom of my salad… I think I’ll be making it this way over and over…
Also, made mini Shuba in glass containers for me and my sister to enjoy at work. As I was eating, my coworker walked into break room and asked if I’m eating a cake… it’s just that beautiful and very delicious!
Thank You So Much For Such An Awesome Spin on an Old Classic Recipe!
lenaskitchen
Nadia,
I am so happy to hear that you have been enjoying this recipe. Makes me smile seeing these comments. And saw your brother enjoying his “Birthday Shuba” I need to make some with smoked salmon so Shey can enjoy it too next time.