Herbed Potato Salad

I admit, I’ve never been a big fan of mayo, homemade is fine, add a little garlic to it, even better, but from a jar?  I’ll pass.  But the thing is, you don’t need mayo to make a great potato salad.

Forget the mayo and sour cream, fresh herbs and a creamy yogurt based dressing is the key to this healthy potato salad.  The light but creamy dressing is punched up with lots of scallions, dill, chives and parsley.  It’s a simple and delicious side any time of year, but particularly so in the warmer months when fresh herbs and outdoor parties are abundant.

Ingredient Notes:

(Here are a few notes about the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe.  As always find the full list of ingredients and directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)

• Potatoes – I like one or two bite baby potatoes the best because they are quick cooking but any creamy potato will do.
• Vinegar – Use your favorite white wine vinegar or feel free to substitute fresh lemon juice if you prefer.
• Olive Oil – Use a good quality, peppery olive oil if you can for the best flavor.
• Yogurt – Choose a plain full-fat yogurt.  I think goat yogurt works well here with the fresh herbs but you can also go dairy-free if you’d like just make sure that the yogurt you choose has a bit of tang to it.
• Scallions – Thinly sliced they bring a mild onion flavor to the salad that won’t overpower the other ingredients.
• Fresh Herbs – I like a combination of chopped parsley, dill and chives but feel free to mix and match your own favorite fresh herbs.

How to Make a Creamy Herbed Potato Salad:

(Here are the basic steps and some helpful tips on how to make the recipe.  Find the full directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)

1. You start by cooking the potatoes.  Slice your potatoes in half and cover them with water that’s at least one to two inches higher than the potatoes, then bring to a simmer and cook until fork-tender but not falling apart.  (Depending on the size of your potatoes this could take between 8-10 minutes.)
2. Once cooked, drain you potatoes and let them cool slightly while you whisk together the dressing and herbs.
3. Add the cooled but still warm potatoes to the dressing and gently toss to coat.  Dressing the potatoes while they are still a bit warm is the key to a flavorful potato salad.  Warm potatoes absorb dressing better than cold ones so don’t allow your potatoes to cool off completely before you dress them.
4. And that’s it; your potatoes are ready to serve!  Serve them at room temperature or chill them and serve them cold. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Variations:

Want to mix things up?  Try these variations.

• Use lemon juice instead of white wine vinegar and increase the amount of dill for a lemon dill potato salad.
• Use a combination of both red and yellow potatoes for a more colorful salad.
• Can’t find baby potatoes?  Use fingerling potatoes instead.
• Use your favorite dairy-free yogurt to make a vegan potato salad.