Welcome to The Storied Recipe Podcast, a podcast about food, culture, and love.
This recipe for Vegan Shuba came from my podcast guest, Murielle Banackissa. Make sure you listen to her episode From Sunny Africa to Snowy Canada while you make her Layered Nori, Beet, Potato, and Carrot Salad!
Shuba is a festive layered salad common to Ukraine, Russia, and other Slavic cultures that is eaten during the holidays. While salads are typically comprised of raw vegetables, Shuba is assembled from cooked vegetables.
Looking for more Eastern European holiday recipes? Try this Polish Pasztet (Pork, Beef, and Liver Pate) from my podcast guest, Gabrielle, or Makos Guba (Hungarian Poppy Seed Bread Pudding) from my podcast guest Dora Hurley.
Veganizing Shuba
Usually, one layer of Shuba is comprised of smoked or cured herring. In Murielle's version, which is vegan, that flavor is provided through tamari-soaked nori. The marinated seaweed provides the flavor and saltness of picked fish without adding fish.
Murielle's Memories of Making Shuba
[This] was always a classic in my family. Growing up, my mom would make Shuba for birthdays and special celebrations like New Year's Eve and Christmas. My brothers and I could never get enough of it! A few years ago, I became vegan so I had to say goodbye to a lot of my mom's classic dishes that I loved. However, being the amazing cook that she is and drawing inspiration from my aunt who tried making Shuba vegan by using seaweed my mom brought back to life one of my childhood classics.
Brief History of Shuba: Herring Under a Fur Coat
Although the origins of Shuba are somewhat shrouded in mystery, we do know it's a relatively recently developed recipe.
One version of the origin story says that sometime in the 19th century or early 20th century, a Russian restauranteur created this dish to calm down rowdy customers.
Whatever the true story is, every source agrees that Shuba Salad is eaten during a special occasion or major holiday like the Ukrainian Orthodox Christmas (January 7) or Russian New Year.
The name "Shuba" or "seledka pod shuboi" can be translated into English as "Herring Under a Fur Coat" salad. Traditional Shuba uses pickled herring fish so the name describes the fish nestled under the vegetables and sauce.
source: Taste With The Eyes
Look, Flavor, Texture
Look
- This is a showstopping potato salad recipe.
- The dark color from the nori, white from the onion layer, orange from the carrots, and the stunning pink color from the beets, finally topped with the vibrant greens of the fresh herbs makes each colorful layer stand out in contrast to the others.
Flavor
- Murielle's flavors are mild and delicate and the flavors of each layer complement each other without being overpowering.
Texture
- Since each vegetable is boiled before being shredded, every layer is soft enough to hold together, but not crunchy.
- Think of the texture similar to a traditional potato salad.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Mayo Mix:
- Vegan mayonnaise - my favorite vegan mayonnaise is either Hellmann's Vegan Mayo or Vegenaise from Follow Your Heart.
- Cold Water
Potato Beet Salad
- Nori - sheets of seaweed used for making sushi. This replaces the herring fillets that are used in a traditional Shuba Salad recipe.
- Tamari (or soy sauce) - Tamari has a richer texture due to the volume of soybeans used to make the sauce, plus, it is gluten-free, unlike soy sauce which is made with wheat.
- Onion - if you prefer a stronger onion flavor, I would recommend using a red onion but any onion will do.
- Lemon juice
- Potatoes - For the best results, I recommend using either waxy potatoes, yellow potatoes, or red potatoes due to their softer texture which makes them easier to grate. I would not use russet potatoes since those tend to be better for baking.
- Garlic powder
- Black pepper
- Carrots
- Beets - don't use golden beets, instead use red beets because this is where the pink color comes from for your pink salad
Garnishes (optional):
- Fresh parsley
- Chopped chives
- Vegan greek yogurt or Russian yogurt or vegan sour cream - if you use Russian yogurt it will make it vegetarian instead of vegan
Instructions
- Boil all unpeeled root vegetables together and when cooled peel and grate them.
- Make the vegan mayo. Transfer to a plastic bag. Set aside.
- Submerge nori with tamari until absorbed. Set aside.
- Mix the onion with lemon juice. Set aside.
- Mix the grated potatoes with spices. Set aside.
- Spread the nori mixture onto a serving plate.
- Add the chopped onions and cover with the potato mixture.
- Drizzle half of the mayo mixture on top and spread with a spoon.
- Add the next layer of grated carrots and spread beets.
- Drizzle the rest of the mayo mixture for the last layer.
- Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or wait until the next day to serve. Garnish with fresh parsley, fresh dill, or chives before serving.
Presenting Your Shuba
This perfect salad needs to be presented in a way that shows off its layers since that is the best quality of this salad (and the flavor, of course!). There are many ways to present this traditional salad and with just a little bit of work this Shuba recipe will look professionally plated, below are a few options for presenting this traditional dish:
- Glass bowl - like a small fishbowl for each person to have their own pink potato salad
- Goblets/large cocktail glasses - make sure the goblets are deep enough to hold all of the layers
- In a large cake - best if you don't have time to make individual portions and when the "cake" is cut into you can see the beautiful layers. Consider using a springform pan if you want the layer to be clearly seen
- Individual portions - this is what is pictured in this recipe
- Casserole dish
What To Eat With Shuba
This can be a main dish or it can be the perfect side to your meal. In Russia, Shuba (Russian Herring Salad) is a part of "Zakuski" which means appetizers or antipastas. They are meant to be eaten before the big Russian Christmas feast. In addition to Shuba, some other Zukuski are:
- Anisa's Rolled Eggplant with Spicy Red Pepper Paste
- Pickled and brined vegetables
- Cured meats
- Cavier
- Olivier salad - known as a Russian potato salad. Olivier and Shuba are both authentic recipes that can be found on many Eastern Europeans or Russian tables during the holiday season
- Drinks such as wine, vodka, and liqueurs
source: Vikalinka
Equipment
- Large pot
- Strainer
- Peeler
- Large bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- Plastic bag OR piping bag OR squeeze bottle
- Box grater
- Serving platter OR small plates
Storage
- You can store your salad for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator
- This is a cold dish so it should be served cold but I have read that some people like to warm their salad up. It is up to your taste!
More Eastern European Recipes
More Christmas Recipes
Listen to Murielle's Episode Now
Murielle speaks candidly about life and food in Congo and Canada and how Russian Shuba fits into all of that! She also shares with us what it was like to immigrate at age 8, how she found self-acceptance as a woman of color, her amazing mother, and much, much more.
Follow The Storied Recipe in Your Favorite Player
Recipe
Vegan Shuba: Layered Nori, Beet, Potato, Carrot Salad
Ingredients
Mayo Mix
- 3 tablespoon Vegan Mayonnaise *See Note 1
- 1 tablespoon Water
First Layer
- 5 large sheets of Nori the ones to make sushi, cut into pieces
- 5 tablespoon Tamari
Second Layer
- 1/2 cup Onion finely chopped, about 1 small onion
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Lemon Juice
Third Layer
- 1 1/2 cup Potatoes cooked, peeled and grated (about 3 small or 1 large potato)
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- Black Pepper to taste
Fourth Layer
- 1/2 cup Carrots cooked, peeled and grated (about 1 large carrot)
Fifth Layer
- 1 cup Beets cooked, peeled and grated (about 2 large beets)
Optional Toppings
- Fresh Parsley (optional)
- Chives (optional)
Instructions
Cue Up The Episode!
- Make sure to listen to Murielle's episode of The Storied Recipe Podcast, From Sunny Africa to Snowy Africa while you make her amazing Vegan Shuba.
Make The Recipe
- Add all of the vegetables, unpeeled, to a large pot of water with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 bay leaf. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender. Remove the potatoes and the carrots first (about 10-15 minutes into the cooking). Let the beets cook for much longer (between 30 and 45 minutes). Remove from the water and let cool till room temperature before peeling and using in the recipe.
- Add the mayonnaise and the water into a small bowl and mix until smooth. Transfer to a ziploc bag and cut the tip. Alternatively, you can use a squeeze bottle or piping bag. Set aside.
- Add the onion and lemon juice into a different bowl. Mix and set aside.
- Add the potatoes, garlic powder and pepper into another bowl, mix until combined and set aside.
- Start assembling the shuba by spreading the nori sheets thinly onto a serving plate.
- Top with chopped onion and cover with grated potatoes.
- Drizzle half of the mayo mixture onto the potatoes in a crisscross pattern and spread using the back of a spoon or a rubber spatula.
- Top with grated carrots, followed by grated beets.
- Drizzle the rest of the mayo mixture onto the beets in a crisscross pattern once again and leave as is or spread evenly.
- Place in the fridge for 1-2 hours before serving.
- Garnish with fresh parsley or chopped chives.
Notes
- Note 1: My favorite vegan mayonnaise is either Hellmann's Vegan Mayo or Vegenaise from Follow Your Heart.
- Make sure to listen to Murielle's episode of The Storied Recipe Podcast, From Sunny Africa to Snowy Africa while you make her amazing Vegan Shuba.
Elizabeth says
What a beautiful dish, and I love all of the colors! It looked difficult to make but your instructions were easy to follow.