Transform A Basic Potato Salad With This Unexpected Addition

From smashed spuds to grease-fried breakfast home fries, there are endless ways to prepare potatoes. Among the many options to transform a tuber from a simple root to a certified riot, one of the most refreshing dishes is the simple yet abundant potato salad. Traditionally made from a combination of boiled potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, celery, mayonnaise, mustard, and relish, a classic potato salad is never a bad idea. However, shaking up traditions is part of what makes cooking an art, which is why you should introduce rhubarb to your next potato salad.

Introducing rhubarb gives the dish a bright, springy flavor that invigorates and uplifts the heavy quality of the classic recipe. With its tart, zippy, and citrusy taste, rhubarb provides a much-needed depth of flavor to the rich, creamy taste of potato salad, making it more skippy than stodgy. Although it's an unconventional potato salad provision, rhubarb pairs surprisingly well with many other ingredients, ensuring that you never have to compromise on or omit your favorite fixings. Not to mention that rhubarb also gives a spud salad an aesthetic pop of pink for an eye-catching visual upgrade.

Remember, rhubarb is best enjoyed after it's been cooked with a dash of sweetener to curb the sour taste of its raw form. Plus, cooking the stalky root vegetables tenderizes their texture so that they harmonize with the consistency of your potato salad. However, that's not all you'll need to consider when upgrading your potato salad with rhubarb.

Before you prepare a rhubarb-kissed potato salad, consider how different binding agents influence the final product. Cooking binders are flavorful, functional ingredients that hold a potato salad together, typically in the form of mayonnaise, mustard, and cooking oil.

Cooking oil, like olive or avocado oil, is the most neutral binder for a rhubarb-infused potato salad. Although many cooking oils have a unique taste of their own, their primary role in cooking isn't to bring flavor to dishes, which can amplify the taste of rhubarb in a potato salad by giving it a mild-mannered backdrop.

Mayonnaise, on the other hand, can balance the on-the-nose zest of rhubarb for a more balanced flavor profile. The rich, fatty flavor of mayo and the vibrant taste of rhubarb work together like a complementary yin and yang, perfectly equalized for forkfuls of potato salad.

Of the three common binders, mustard has the most complex taste. Marked by a sharp, peppery bitterness, a mustard and rhubarb-infused potato salad can take on an intense flavor. Though it's perfect for those who enjoy bold, potent flavors, mustard and rhubarb can quickly become brash rather than bright. To avoid an overzealous batch of potato salad, try combining mustard with mayonnaise or oil to round out its sharpness.

As it stands, adding rhubarb to potato salad is a daring way to shake up your lunch and snack routine. However, there are some additional ingredients worth adding to this pink potato salad that can make it all the more exciting.

To bring the flavors of a full-fledged garden into your rhubarb-studded potato salad, try introducing additional herbs and aromatics. Green onion provides the dish with a peppery allium flair and a juicy crunch while dill brings a citrus-tinted, grassy freshness to the mix. For a crunchy textural contrast, swap fresh onions for crispy shallots or fried onion strings. To give it a touch of tangy richness that simultaneously bolsters and complements the unique taste of rhubarb, sprinkle feta over the top of the pink-tinted potato salad. Missing a touch of umami? Crispy bacon can add a smoky, hearty depth to the vegetarian dish. And if you need some heat, pickled or fresh jalapeños can spike the zany flavor of rhubarb with a touch of fire.

Enjoy rhubarb potato salad as an eccentric picnic plate, a snappy side dish alongside the meaty machismo of barbecue, or right out of the bowl for a midday snack. Rhubarb is more than just a pie provision, and once you taste it in your favorite potato salad recipe, you'll never make it the same again.