Recipe
Easy potato salad that's ready in 30 minutes
- Prep time:
- 10
- Cook time:
- 20
- Skill level:
- Low
- Serves:
- Serves 8-12
A classic, creamy salad that's a welcome addition to any summer spread. (ABC News: Clementine Day)
Potato salad is a classic side at any festive event or barbecue. It can be made ahead of time, keeps well in the fridge and fills you up.
My rendition is punchy and outrageously quick to pull together, about 30 minutes from start to finish because you can chop the other ingredients while the potatoes boil.
Tarragon and chives feature heavily, along with some caramelised shallots and zingy pickled onion.
This is a vegetarian potato salad and gluten free, so it's a good one to take to a party where you need to bring a dish.
Tips:
- Start the potatoes in cold water: Boiling the potatoes from cold water rather than submerging them into boiling water will help you to get a good texture for your potatoes, preventing starchy and unevenly cooked spuds.
- Shallots add sweetness: Caramelising the shallots brings out a lovely sweetness and depth of flavour that works well to balance the other salty, tangy flavours in the dressing. When shallots and their other allium counterparts are cooked at a hotter temperature or over a long period of time so that the water can release and cook out, it allows the sugars to react with the heat and create a brown, deeply flavourful caramelised result.
- Scale it down: This makes a relatively big batch, about 8-12 serves. But it can be easily halved or quartered should you wish to make a smaller amount.
- Turn it into a meal: I like to make this as a base for a simple lunch that can last you throughout the week. Jazz it up with some tinned fish, soft-boiled eggs and some mixed greens and you've got a meal that will fill you up and sustain you throughout the afternoon.
Potato salad ingredients on a dining table, ready to cook the classic side for a summer gathering. (ABC News: Clementine Day)
Easy potato salad that's ready in 30 minutes
- Prep time:
- 10
- Cook time:
- 20
- Skill level:
- Low
- Serves:
- Serves 8-12
Ingredients
Method
- Wash and halve your potatoes and add to a large pot. Cover with cold water by a few centimetres.
- Place over high heat on the stove with a lid on and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add a generous amount of salt and lower heat to medium for a relaxed boil. With a relaxed boil you are still looking for the bubbles rising to the top and bursting but you want this to be a bit more slow and steady than a rapid, high-heat boil.
- Cook for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of your potatoes. You'll need to keep an eye on these because the cooking time will vary, as mentioned above. Keep a fork at the ready so you can test the potatoes. Your fork should be able to pierce the potato without too much force but the potato should not break apart.
- Meanwhile, in a small frying pan over medium heat, heat olive oil and add the diced shallots, stirring frequently until caramelised and starting to crisp, about 8-10 minutes. They will first become translucent as they soften and cook and then start to take on a golden brown colour. Just as you start to notice signs of darker brown, crisped edges, remove from heat and set aside.
- Drain your cooked potatoes and run under cold water to cool faster. Set aside.
- Prepare dressing by combining sour cream, mayonnaise, mustards, hot sauce, diced pickled onions, pickled-onion liquid, chopped herbs, cooked shallots and any of their remaining oil, and pepper. If it feels a bit too thick, add a tablespoon or two of water.
- In a large bowl, add your boiled potatoes and your dressing and toss to evenly coat. Keep leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge and consume within 5 days.