This delicatessen salad with mayonnaise is called pochoutkový salát here in the Czech Republic. It tastes great with white bread (housky) as a quick snack or as a base for Czech famous open-faced sandwiches (obložené chlebíčky).
Taste of Memory
Pochoutkový salát was a popular Czechoslovak snack in the eighties. Czechs and Slovaks lived in one country, Czechoslovakia, which was ruled by a communist regime back then.
My dad was a driver and drove an Avia truck around entire Czechoslovakia. When I was small and didn’t have school, he took me with him.
We set out early in the morning, so dad had time to load the cargo he was transporting. We always had breakfast in a bistro on the way.
Pochoutkový salát with a white bread roll (rohlík) was the most common breakfast, and I have many nice memories of it. It tasted amazing!
Pronunciation
I recorded short audio on how to pronounce the Czech word "pochoutkový salát", which means deli salad.
Ingredients
One of the main ingredients for this mayo salad is Czech salami called Gothaj.
I’m pretty sure you can’t find it on the counter in your country, but you can substitute Gothaj for sliced ham or mortadella.
To make Czech deli-style salad you will need:
- ham slices
- frozen peas
- plain mayonnaise
- onion
- salt
- pepper
- pickles
The most famous pickles in the Czech Republic are named „Znojemské okurky“, small and crunchy pickled gherkins.
Instructions
If you have all the ingredients ready, making this retro deli salad is very easy.
- Slice salami/ham into thin strips.
- Slice the pickles finely too.
- Peel the onion and cut it finely.
- Place the ingredients into a large bowl, add mayo, salt, pepper, and thawed pea.
- Mix well to combine and enjoy!
If you don’t find the salad creamy enough, add some brine from pickled cucumbers.
Serving
There are two common options for how to eat this deli-style mayo salad.
Pochoutkový salát is eaten as a snack with fresh white bread, most often with a rohlík or a houska in the Czech Republic.
Delicatessen salad is used as a base for open-faced sandwiches. We spread the salad on slices of veka, and decorate the sandwich with salami, cheese, and vegetables.
Pochoutkový salát contains many calories, so think about your health and don’t eat it in one go.
More Czech recipes:
- Sardine spread – easy Czech rybí pomazánka (fish spread)
- Garlic cheese spread – light & delicious Czech style česneková pomazánka
- Potato pancakes – bramboráky, famous Czech street food
Can You Make this Salad The Day Before?
Yes! Just cover it and refrigerate; it can last 3-4 days. In my opinion, pochoutkový salát tastes even better the second day.
Warning: The flavor and texture combination of this Czech mayo salad is awesome with green peas, pickles, and sliced salami. It is hard to stop eating it!
Recipe card
Czech Deli-style Salad with Mayo – Pochoutkový salát
Ingredients
- 6 oz (170 g) thinly sliced salami Mortadella or ham
- ¾ cup (100 g) frozen peas thawed
- 1 onion small, or 2 shallots
- 4 oz (110 g) pickles
- 1 cup (220 g) mayonnaise plain
- salt
- pepper freshly ground
Instructions
- Cut the sliced salami/ham and pickles into stripes, peel the onion and shred it finely.
- Add green pea and mayonnaise. Flavor with salt and pepper.
- Mix all together, let it rest and add some more salt or pepper if needed.
- Serve with white bread or use as a base for open-faced sandwiches.
Notes
DISCLAIMER: Because I come from Central Europe, my recipes are based on metric units such as grams or milliliters. Check out how I convert metric units to the U.S. system:
Conversion chartThere is a nice video created by a popular Czech cook Roman Paulus, you can watch it on Youtube here: How to make pochoutkový salát
Vaclav
Great recipes! Thank you.
Petra Kupská
I thank you for your nice comment! 🙂
Mirka
I can remember buying “pochoutkovy salat”on the way home from school with my pocket money, 3,60 Kcs for 100 grams. I have used tinned peas (acquired taste- more earthy) rather than fresh and a little bit of full fat mustard to break the sharpness of the pickles. I was looking for Frankfurt soup and came across your site, great recipes from my years growing up in Czechoslovakia.
Petra Kupská
Thank you very much for your comment with fond memories, Mirka! For me, this salad brings back memories of my father, who was a truck driver in the former Czechoslovakia and sometimes took me with him on trips. We would always stop at a buffet and eat this salad with a fresh rohlik roll. I'm glad you were able to recreate the salad and it reminded you of your time growing up in Czechoslovakia!