9 Summer-Ready Potato Salads
What's a barbecue without a good side of potato salad? Incomplete if you ask us. What's in the potato salad is another story. A classic potato salad generally consists of cooked and cooled potatoes (diced or cubed) mixed with other ingredients like hard-cooked eggs, chopped celery, chopped onions, and usually a mayonnaise-based dressing (though some prefer one that's sour cream-based). And there is of course the German potato salad that incorporates everyone's favorite ingredient, bacon, into the mix by topping the salad with a vinegar and bacon fat dressing (and generally serving the whole thing hot).
But then there are also the rebels who make their salad without mayo, toss in chopped pickles, or even avocado chunks (who would have thought?!). Regardless of the type of potato salad that you choose to make or how you dress it, there are a couple of basic things to keep in mind. One, it doesn't hurt to keep the skin on. Not only does it add texture and color, but the skin houses a lot of the natural fiber in potatoes and some of the other fantastic nutrients found in potatoes. For instance, did you know that potatoes have more potassium than bananas? Plus they are a great source of Vitamins C and B-6 along with a variety of minerals.
When shopping for potatoes, find ones that are firm and well-shaped without any blemishes. Avoid ones that are wrinkled, sprouted, or cracked. Some of the best varieties to use for potato salad are new potatoes (young potatoes) because they retain their shape well after being cooked and diced. Other ones to try are red, fingerlings, and Yukon gold potatoes.
Let us know if you have a favorite summer potato salad recipe that we missed!
German potato salad is one of those multiple personality dishes — everyone seems to define it differently...
— Maryse Chevriere
Spicy Purple Potato Salad... Has Pickles!
As far as I'm concerned, the criteria for a good potato salad is for the potatoes to have textural character, for it to be tangy with plenty of mayo...
— Arthur Bovino
I hate mayo. Yes, it's true. It might be due to the fact that my sister used to make "turkey" sandwiches growing up that consisted of a thin layer of turkey and heaping mounds of mayonnaise...
— Yasmin Fahr
This is potato salad in its truest form, just like Mom used to make.
— Robert Rabine
I'm not a huge fan of potato salads, or potatoes really, for that matter. Butwhat I do love is the combination of roasted sweet potatoes, caramelized onions, and tangy blue cheese...
— Allison Beck
For me, this potato salad spells summer. My mother has some serious potato salad juju, and for years I've been trying to make it exactly right...
— Valaer Murray
Potato Salad with Olives, Capers, and Mustard Vinaigrette
This is a niçoise-inspired potato salad, using many of the ingredients found in that traditional French dish...
— Molly Aronica
this zesty take on an old favorite marries the old with the new, using red potatoes, cilantro, and black beans.
— Robert Rabine
This potato salad recipe skips the mayonnaise for olive oil and includes a delicious helping of bacon lardons.
— Robert Rabine