Celebrating Warm Weather with A Simple, Homemade Potato Salad

I made my first potato salad this weekend. You’d think with something so easy, I would have done it before, but those clear little plastic grocery store containers just seem so easy.

Well, with the spectacular sunshine this weekend, I made a go of it as a side dish with some burgers.

I read up a little on the basics and whipped together one of my own. I got a few tips from Barbara Lauternach’s “Potato Salad”, which reminded me that there really are hundreds of variations on a potato salad (her book as 50) that range from ones with vinaigrette-style dressings to things way fancier than I’m likely to put with a burger. I also searched around the Internet for various recipes and settled on making a basic version of my own, noting that most have some sort of vinegar, mayo and of course potatoes. I also made good use of fresh herbs growing in my garden.

Other folks add sugar and more crunchy items like relish, parsley and/or celery. I stuck with some very basic and quick ingredients, but did change it up a day later by adding a boiled egg, mustard and paprika to make it a more filling lunch.

I wrote down the basics of what I used below. What are some of your favorite additions? Or do you have a different basic recipe?

Basic Potato Salad

1 1/2 pounds red or Yukon gold potatoes (use a variety that’s likely to hold its shape)
1 Tbs chopped fresh dill or other herbs
1/2 cup mayo
1 Tbs white wine vinegar (or more to taste)
1/2 cup finely chopped scallions or yellow onions
salt and pepper to taste

Scrub and cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Place in a pot and cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, until potatoes are tender but not mushy. Drain and run under cold water to stop the potatoes from cooking.

Mix the herbs, mayonnaise, vinegar and salt and pepper. Toss gently with potatoes and onions. Refrigerate until cool and serve.

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