Happy Summer Solstice and three cheers for outdoor BBQ season!  Here in our household we eat dinner outside about 3-4 times per week as the evening air is relaxing and soothing (particularly due to the fact that we don’t have central air).   As I’ve been cooking for these meals I recently realized that I’ve never actually made potato salad. Never! (Despite the fact that it is typically the first thing I put onto my plate when others are hosting).  I’ve recently been so wrapped up in experimentation that I’ve overlooked some classics.  So – I decided that needed to change and I needed a simple potato salad in my toolbox (and here in my growing Pantry Portfolio) that I could whip up for any BBQ gathering.  

When making simple classic dishes I love starting with reliable cookbooks, and so I went to my Mom’s standby – The Silver Palate Cookbook.  The original included cucumber and I omitted that because I prefer a crunchier salad and in my mind cucumber was not the right consistency.  Also, after a recommendation from Ciar4Health I used Greek yogurt instead of mayo. I didn’t tell anyone at the BBQ (including some mayo lovers) and there were resounding commendations for this dish.

The resulting salad was simple but solid.  It was well loved by several generations, it stored well in the fridge for the next few days, and it was healthier than a typical potato salad.    I would feel confident bringing this to a family BBQ or making it for a crowd.  This also reminded me of how delicious a crunchy cold potato salad is during the summer and I now can spend the rest of the summer experimenting! What are your favorite potato salad variations or tips?

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

• 12 eggs
• 3 lbs of small red potatoes
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup cut celery
• 1/2 red onion – minced
• 1 cup greek yogurt
• 4-5 tablespoons of dijon mustard

Steps and Notes:

1. Hard boil the eggs, cool, peel, and set aside
   • Note, my preferred method is to bring the water to boil, add the eggs, and boil actively for 12 minutes.  
2. Cut the potatoes, wash and place (skins on) into a pot of cold, salted, water
3. Boil the potatoes until they are just tender.
   • Note: I didn’t track the time on this – but I checked them every 5 minutes or so until it tasted right
4. As the potatoes cook, cut the eggs into 1/8 pieces (large chunks)
5. Make a dressing by whisking together the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.
6. Drain the potatoes then sprinkle them with the dressing.
7. Combine the eggs gently by mixing with your hands.
8. Place in the fridge until cool (about 1 hour)
9. Make a second dressing by combining the greek yogurt, mustard, and a bit more salt and pepper
10. Remove the chilled eggs and potato and add the celery and then the second dressing. Adjust the seasonings adding additional mustard, vinegar, or spices as necessary. Re-chill for another hour and then serve

Thoughts for next time:

• Try a potato salad variation – like this german variety with bacon (yum!)
• Find a way to incorporate a bit of heat (jalapeno? Red pepper?)
• Add some corn, peas, or green beans for crunchy variations
• Experiment with potato shapes by cutting the tots into slivers or a scalloped shape
• Try this grilled potato salad