Christmas Tree Salad for the Holidays

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Rinse the mushrooms and cut them into medium pieces. Peel the onion and slice it into half-moons.

2. Step 2:

   

   Set a skillet over the heat, add the vegetable oil, and warm it slightly. Add the mushrooms and onion with a pinch of salt, stir, and fry over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.

3. Step 3:

   

   Grate the smoked cheese on the coarse side of a grater.

4. Step 4:

   

   Boil the carrots until tender, about 30 minutes, then cool and peel them. Grate one and a half on the fine side of a grater — the remaining half carrot is for the garnish.

5. Step 5:

   

   Hard-boil the eggs for 10 minutes, then transfer them to cold water until fully cooled. Peel them and grate on the coarse side of a grater.

6. Step 6:

   

   Cut the stems off the dill and chop the fronds with a knife.

7. Step 7:

   

   For the first layer, mix the mushrooms with the cheese and mayonnaise so they bind together and the salad holds its shape. Lay down this first layer, forming a Christmas-tree shape. Press it firmly and smooth it into an even surface, with no bumps.

8. Step 8:

   

   Mix the carrots with mayonnaise and spread them as the second layer, pressing firmly and smoothing with a fork. Combining the carrots and mayonnaise first makes the layer easier to apply and uses less mayonnaise — about 1 tablespoon.

9. Step 9:

   

   The third layer is the eggs. Mix them with mayonnaise too and spread them evenly within your tree shape.

10. Step 10:

    

    The final layer is decorative: the dill. Sprinkle it generously over the salad so it looks just like a real little tree.

11. Step 11:

    

    For decoration I used the leftover carrot and some jarred roasted red pepper. I cut the carrot into large rounds and cut small circles out of them (you can also punch them right out of the center of the big ones), and I cut circles and a star out of the pepper. I piped garlands of mayonnaise by putting it in a bag and snipping a tiny hole in the corner. You can also decorate with canned corn, peas, cherry tomatoes, and so on.