Few foods stand for summer better than home-made potato salad. It's a staple at picnics, BBQs and other outdoor get-togethers. Frankly, you just can't have an outside event in the summer without some kind of potato salad.
The main ingredients for potato salad are cooked potatoes and mayonnaise, and cooked eggs are also a common addition. The process is as simple as mixing your ingredients and leaving to chill. But the right mix of herbs can make all the difference. Serving your potato salad warm is another option for a change of pace.
Simple Potato Salad
Here is a good basic recipe to start with. Serves around 8 people.
- 8 medium-sized potatoes
- 8 hard-boiled eggs
- 1 stalk of celery, chopped coarsely
- 1 small onion, also chopped
- ½ cup relish (sweet or dill)
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- ¼ cup mustard
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- In a large pot of water, cook potatoes for about 15 at a boil until just tender. Drain out the water, and pat dry. Peel if you want, and chop into pieces around 1-inch in size.
- Meanwhile, take the shells off the eggs and chop as finely or coarsely as you'd like.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together the chopped egg and potato, along with all the other ingredients until well blended.
- Leave in the fridge until chilled through, and serve.
Potato Salad with Crunch
No eggs in this one, and the extra veggie gives the final potato salad a bit more crunch than most. Serves around 6 to 8.
- 4 potatoes
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 bell peppers (red or green), chopped
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup ranch salad dressing
- Like in the last recipe, cook the potatoes in a big pot of water until tender. Drain and dry. Peel if you like and chop.
- In a large bowl, mix the chopped potatoes along with the rest of the ingredients. Stir until all nicely combined and coated with dressing.
- Chill in the fridge until time to serve.
For a healthier version, the mayonnaise can be replaced with a fat-free variety. Or even non-fat sour cream could be used, though it will give a less creamy potato salad in the end.
If you are planning on taking a bowl (or two) of potato salad with you to your next outing, make sure to keep it cool. Store in a cooler with ice packs, and for heaven's sake don't leave it in a hot car for hours before eating. Eggs and mayonnaise are notorious for going bad quickly in the summer heat.
