Table of Contents
- 5 Very Important Steps For Amazing Herbed Potato Salad
- 1. Choose The Right Type of Potato.
- 2. Cut The Potatoes Into Similar Chunks.
- 3. Put The Potatoes to cook in COLD, SALTED water.
- 4. Please, Don’t Overcook Them.
- 5. Put The Dressing at The Right Time.
- What to Serve With Potato Salad
- Can I make this potato salad the day before?
- How long does this potato salad last in the fridge?
5 Very Important Steps For Amazing Herbed Potato Salad
1. Choose The Right Type of Potato.
Before, when I was making a potato salad, I never really paid that much attention to the type of potato I will use for that. I was just using whatever potatoes I had on hand at home.
BIG MISTAKE.
It took me a while until I realized that it DOES matter which potato you’ll use when you’re making this herbed potato salad.
Namely, for potato salad, it is best to choose the firmer variety, like red waxy potatoes. They will not become mushy that easily after cooking and you can chop them without fearing they will lose their structure.
Now, there are literally thousands and thousands of potato varieties in the world!
Did you know that only in Peru there are about 4,000 s of potatoes in all possible colors and shapes? It is believed that the Incas were the first people who started to grow potatoes.
For me, sometimes it’s hard to differentiate among a few varieties that can be found in Croatia, so I can only imagine that wealth of colors, shapes, textures, and flavors!
If you’re not familiar with the differences between potatoes that can be found in your country, it’s best to simply ask your vendor at the farmer’s market and be sure in what type of recipe you will use your potatoes.
2. Cut The Potatoes Into Similar Chunks.
Just like when I’m making my sweet potato fries, I’m trying to be careful that all my potatoes are cut at equal sizes. That way it won’t happen that some chunks are raw and some overcooked. And the salad will finally look nicer.
Really, this is such a simple but important detail.
3. Put The Potatoes to cook in COLD, SALTED water.
You know how there is a saying about cooking pasta that goes something like this: “You need to cook the pasta in water that is salty as the sea”. Well, that saying is not to be taken literally, but I find that seasoning your cooking water with some more salt makes them taste better because salt is absorbed more in the potatoes.
4. Please, Don’t Overcook Them.
Of course, you won’t let your potatoes be raw in the middle but you also don’t want to overcook them because they’ll become mushy. If you prefer that kind of texture then fine, but that’s not my cup of tea.
5. Put The Dressing at The Right Time.
Unlike those potato salads with creamy dressings that contain mayo or sour cream for which we want our potatoes to be completely chilled before we mix them with the dressing, here we need to do the opposite. Since we’re using some kind of vinaigrette dressing, potatoes need to be warm so they could absorb all the flavors and aromas from herbs, olive oil, and lemon juice.
This is the trick I learned from Jamie Oliver and I always stick to it. And it really makes a difference!
So:
Creamy dressing – COLD POTATOES
Vinaigrette dressing – WARM POTATOES
If you prefer video instructions, you can see how I prepared this potato salad on my Youtube channel:
What to Serve With Potato Salad
This Herbed Potato Salad goes really well with:
- Fish
- Barbecue, steaks, or sticky pork ribs
- Pork chops
- Sausages or hot dogs
- Lamb
- Veal
Can I make this potato salad the day before?
Loud and clear: YES!
I prefer to eat my potato salad while it’s still warm but I won’t complain if I have some leftovers. It’s awesome when it’s cold as well. If you want to freshen up a bit the next day, you could chop some fresh herbs and add them before serving, although this is not necessary.
You don’t need to have all ingredients from this list
Although it would be good, it’s not strictly necessary to have baby potatoes for this potato salad.
Besides that, you can totally experiment with fresh herbs. Potato salad is great with fresh dill, thyme, or marjoram. Also, I think that my Herbes de Provence mixture would fit perfectly with the recipe, so feel free to experiment!
How long does this potato salad last in the fridge?
My recommendation is that you keep this Herbed Potato Salad in the fridge for no longer than 3 days. It’s best to store it in a glass or plastic container that can be tightly closed.
So, tell me! What’s your favorite way of eating potatoes? Do you have any ideas for recipes you want to see here on the blog? Please, do tell!
If you try this recipe, don’t forget to tag me @foodandmoodblog on Instagram or Facebook or send me some photos. I enjoy seeing your creations so much!
For some more inspiration, you can find me on Pinterest too! Do you love video recipes? Then don’t forget to subscribe to my Youtube channel!
Until the next recipe,
Herbed Potato Salad With Capers and Onions
Ingredients
- 700 g red potato (baby potatoes, if possible)
- 60 g red onion
- 2 tablespoon capers
- 2 teaspoon mustard
- 4-5 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon rosemary (finely chopped)
- 2 tablespoon mint (finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon parsley (finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon chives (finely chopped)
- ½ teaspoon pepper blend (ground)
- salt (adjust the amount to your taste)
Instructions
- Wash the potatoes, cut them into equal pieces if they're bigger, and put them in cold, salted water. Bring water to a boil and cook potatoes until they become soft. Be careful not to overcook.
- Meanwhile, near the end of cooking potatoes, prepare the dressing. Chop fresh herbs and blend them together with mustard, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and pepper in a blender. Once the potatoes are cooked, strain them. Slice the onions into half-moons, add warm potatoes together with capers and the dressing, and toss everything thoroughly.
- Give it a try and add more salt or olive oil if necessary. Serve warm or cold.
Notes
- Instead of capers, you can use pickles.
- All herbs that I’m using in this recipe are fresh. If you don’t have access to fresh herbs, you can use dry ones, but you’ll have to adjust the quantities.
- If you find this potato salad too sour, you can add 1 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup to the dressing.
- If the dressing is too thick, add a bit of water into the dressing, but not too much so it doesn’t become watery.
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided is an estimate based on ingredients data and should be used for informational purposes only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on factors such as portion size, preparation methods and ingredients used.
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