New American Potato Salad
By Sidonie Maroon, Culinary Educator for The Food Co-op
Want to elevate your potato salad game? Start with the right potato—try waxy red potatoes or versatile Yukon Golds. No peeling required! These varieties hold their shape, avoiding the mashed potato salad effect. We’ve all been there, and it’s disappointing.
Roast, Don’t Boil
Skip boiling and roast your potatoes instead. Roasting brings out their natural sweetness, creates caramelization, and helps them maintain their structure. Toss the potatoes with a little oil and salt before roasting. For easy cleanup, I recommend using a parchment-lined sheet pan. A small step that makes a difference.
Feeling Adventurous? Try substituting half—or even all—of the potatoes with peeled golden beets. Beets take longer to roast, so if you’re doing a half-and-half mix, start roasting the beets about 10 minutes before adding the potatoes. The result? An earthy twist on the classic.
Ditch the Store-Bought Mayo
Homemade dressing is the key to a standout potato salad. Store-bought mayo often makes salads heavy and bland. Instead, whip up a dressing with equal parts vinegar and oil, Dijon mustard and maple syrup for balance. The maple syrup tempers the acidity of the vinegar and oil. I like to add dehydrated onions for a secret umami-sweetness. Raw apple cider vinegar is my favorite—it’s flavorful and gentle on digestion.
For a beet-based salad, swap the mustard for prepared horseradish.
The Power of Add-Ins
Add-ins make your potato salad. I’m for the crunch factor, using extra celery. If you can find lacto-fermented dill pickles, use those. Fresh herbs like chopped flat-leaf parsley and dill say summer.
Now, about eggs. I’m particular about hard-boiled eggs—no blue-edged, chalky yolks. My method: bring a pot of water to a boil, lower in the eggs, and once the water returns to a low boil, set a timer for seven minutes. This yields cooked whites and yolks that are set but moist.
Once you’ve mixed in the dressing, let the salad sit for a moment, then taste. You’ll likely need more salt and pepper. Potatoes crave salt, and cold dishes often need an extra kick of seasoning—salt, heat, and acidity—to shine.
Why Does This Salad Work?
This revamped potato salad hits the right notes. The roasted potatoes provide sweetness. The dressing balances creaminess, tang, and umami with a mustardy-peppery zing. Crunch comes from the pickles and celery, while the fresh herbs sing freshness and aroma. And let’s not forget the eggs—they add protein and a layer of creaminess.
Potato Salad Safety
For summer potato salads, it’s not the mayonnaise you need to worry about—it’s the potatoes. Store-bought mayo is pasteurized, and even homemade versions include acidic ingredients like lemon juice or vinegar, which inhibit bacterial growth.The real culprit is starchy, low-acid foods like potatoes and rice, which can harbor bacteria like staph.
To keep your salad safe, follow the USDA’s guidelines: refrigerate within two hours of preparation, or within one hour if the temperature is above 90°F. For outdoor gatherings, transport your salad in a cooler with ice, set the serving bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice, and refrigerate leftovers.
New American Potato Salad
Servings: 6 to 8
3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
Dressing
6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
6 tablespoons avocado oil or neutral salad oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon maple syrup or sugar
2 tablespoons dehydrated onion powder
Additional Ingredients
3 ribs celery, chopped
4 boiled eggs, peeled and chopped (be careful not to overcook)
1/2 cup dill pickles, drained and minced
1/4 cup green onions, white parts minced
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Toss the scrubbed and cut potatoes with 2 teaspoons of oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Roast for about 20 to 25 minutes or until fork-tender.
While the potatoes are roasting, prepare the dressing by combining the apple cider vinegar, avocado oil, sea salt, black pepper, Dijon mustard, maple syrup and dehydrated onion powder in a small food processor or blender. Blend until thick and creamy.
In a large bowl, mix the roasted potatoes with the dressing, chopped celery, and minced pickles.
Fold in the chopped eggs, fresh parsley, and dill. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.
Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Ethiopian Style Beet and Potato Salad
Key Sir Alicha
Serves 4
2 medium potatoes, like Yukon Gold, cut into a medium dice
2 medium beets, peeled and cut into a medium dice
1/2 of a medium onion, finely diced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Dressing
1/4 cup avocado oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
Ready a big serving bowl. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a big pinch of salt. Add the diced potatoes, bring back to a full boil and cook for 5 minutes or until tender. Strain them into the serving bowl, using a spider, sieve, spoon skimmer or use a steamer basket.
Add the beets, bring back to the boil and cook until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Strain them in the same manner. Add onions and boil for one minute and strain them into the serving bowl.
While waiting for the veggies to cook, make the dressing. Dress the salad. It will need the salt and pepper to bring the flavors up and out. Not too much, but potatoes always need some salt. You will know when the dressing, potatoes and beets taste balanced between salty, sweet and sour. ground pepper and good salt make this dish!
New Potato Salad with Fresh Peas
2 lbs new potatoes, leave the skins on and dice
4 scallions, finely sliced using both green and white parts
½ cup fresh dill, finely chopped
½ cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 ½ cups shelled fresh peas, or sugar snaps sliced
Dressing
6 tablespoons salad oil
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar or maple syrup
½ teaspoon sea salt or to taste
¼ teaspoon white pepper
Steam the diced new potatoes in a steamer basket until tender but holding their shape.
Blend the dressing ingredients together, in a small food processor or by hand, until emulsified.
Mix the potatoes, scallions, peas and half of the herbs together with the dressing. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Sprinkle the remaining herbs on top of the salad.
Note: Potatoes often need time to soak up the flavors of the dressing. You can serve it straight away or refrigerate for several hours.
Pickled Herring, Beet, and Potato Salad
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon sugar
1 1/4 cups whipping cream
4 large beets, peeled, diced and boiled until tender
2 tart apples, cored and diced (peel if that’s your style)
1 cup pickled herring, rinsed, drained and chopped
4 large red potatoes, boiled, peeled, and diced and boiled until tender
2 large dill pickles, cut into a small dice
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
Sea salt and ground white pepper, to taste
½ cup fresh dill, chopped
Lettuce leaves, for serving
Boil beets and potatoes: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the beets and potatoes and cook until tender but not falling apart. Drain.
Make the Dressing: In a large bowl, combine the Dijon mustard, sugar, and whipping cream.
Using a hand whisk or an electric mixer, whip the mixture until it holds soft peaks. Set aside.
Prepare the Salad: In another large bowl, combine the diced beets, apples, potatoes, dill pickles, and pickled herring. Season with salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste. Toss the ingredients to combine.
Combine and chill: fold in the chopped hard-boiled eggs and 3/4 of the whipped dressing into the salad. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
Serve: Transfer the chilled salad to a plate lined with lettuce leaves. Sprinkle on the fresh dill. Top with the remaining whipped dressing before serving.
