I think that if we’re going to continue to be grand old friends, you’re going to have to admit that you at least occasionally wish you could have potato salad for lunch any day of the week. That you think it’s kind of lame that potato salad is relegated to backyard barbecue indulgence; packed up in Tupperware, saved for 3-day weekends, eaten with apology to the swimsuit you’ll wear the next day. If nothing else you might admit this so that I can feel my habits are less cuckoo. You’d do that for me, wouldn’t you?
And of course, I’ve been craving potato salad like a madwoman for the last week and who can blame me? Summer Is Coming* and picnic season is nigh. But given my need to not groan any further when bathing suits are required, I wanted to swap the standard mayo-assaulted potato salad for something with different proportions — a salad with potatoes, rather than a straight-up potato salad. I let the market dictate what to fill the salad out with — this week in New York is all about asparagus, sugar snaps, radishes and spring onions, and so is this salad, but in another month, I think it would be equally welcome with some cucumbers and green beans.
But then, of course, I had to pickle something. I apologize to any of you with pickle fatigue but I’ve realized that I need at least one ingredient in every salad these days pickled. It’s an obsession, and apparently, it starts young in our family. This time, the bulbs of the spring onions took a vinegar bath, and they come out all the more punchy for it. (Lushes.) The greens add a kicky garnish. Together with a coarse Dijon vinaigrette, this is about as far from a squidgy monotonous potato salad as you can get, and I think that could be welcome anywhere, not just cookouts. Really, I think it wants to come home with you.
* Who else is obsessed so much with Game of Thrones that they’re now galloping through the five books so they can think about it all of the other days of the week it’s not on? Anyone?
One year ago: Scrambled Egg Toast, Strawberry Brown Butter Bettys and Shaved Asparagus Pizza
Two years ago: Strawberry Shortcakes, Grilled Shrimp Cocktail and Graham Crackers
Three years ago: Haricot Vet with Shallots and Molly’s Dry-Rubbed Ribs
Four years ago: Coconut Pinkcherry Yogurt, Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble and Zucchini Carpaccio Salad
Salad with New Potatoes and Pickled Spring Onions
I realized as I was editing photos for this post that they reminded me of something else, and that I’d likely been inadvertently influenced by Heidi Swanson’s Mostly-Not-Potato Salad from her incredible book, Super Natural Everyday. Great minds think alike! Heidi’s version is a bit different, including tofu, celery, cucumber, green beans, chive and dill, but I love that it also gives a the classic potato salad a makeover, and reprioritizing. I could imagine delighting in them both all summer.
2 pounds small new or fingerling potatoes (I used a mix of reds and yukon golds)
1 pound asparagus
1/4 pound sugar snap peas, green beans or other spring pea
4 small-to-medium radishes, thinly sliced
Pickled spring onions
3 spring onions (about 6 ounces)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon kosher salt (I use Diamond brand; use less if you’re using Morton or table salt)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
Sharp mustard vinaigrette
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard (both Roland and Maille make a whole seed one I’m tremendously fond of)
2 teaspoons smooth Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Place potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with one inch of water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the tip of a knife easily pierces through a potato. Drain the potatoes and let them cool until they’re almost room temperature. You can hasten this by covering them with cold water, and replacing the water a few times as it warms up.
Meanwhile, pickle your spring onions. Whisk vinegar, water, salt and sugar together in the bottom of a small container with a lid until the salt and sugar dissolve. Slice the bulbs and paler green parts into very thin coins and submerge them in the vinegar mixture. Cover and put in fridge until you’re ready to use them; if you can put them aside for an hour or even overnight, even better. Reserve the onion greens.
Refill the saucepan you used for the potatoes (here’s to fewer dishes!) with salted water and bring it to a boil. Prepare an ice bath, a large bowl with ice and water in it. Trim the tough ends off the asparagus. Once the water is boiling, add the asparagus. One minute later, add the sugar snap peas. Two minutes later, drain both together then dump them in the ice bath until chilled. Drain the vegetables and spread them out on towel to absorb excess water.
Slice the cooked asparagus spears and sugar snaps into 1/2-inch segments and place them in a large bowl. Chop potatoes into moderate-sized chunks and add them to the bowl. Cut the radishes as thinly as possible, with a mandoline if you have one. If they’re especially big (mine were), you can first quarter them lengthwise. Cut some of the reserved onion greens into thin slivers (no need to use all of them, as the onion flavor might take over) and add them to the bowl.
When you’re ready to serve the salad, or an hour or two in advance, whisk the dressing ingredients and toss it with the vegetables, to taste. (You may find you don’t want to use all of it.) Stir in as many pickled onion coins as you please, save the rest for anything and everything. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Eat and enjoy!.
Do ahead: Pickles can be started in the day or days before. Potatoes can be boiled and chilled in fridge overnight, as can other vegetables. Vinaigrette can be made in advance as well, but I might wait until the last minute to toss it with the vegetables as the vinegar, over a long sitting time, can ever-so-slightly discolor the cut edges of the asparagus and beans.
Looks delicious – love how seasonal it is.
“I let the market dictate what to fill the salad out with”– I think that’s wonderful and I try to do that with ALL my cooking, meals, recipes..buy what looks good and is, ahem, cheapest :)
Your photography is just jumping off the page at me today, Deb. So vibrant against the black. Love it!
Happy Memorial Day!
Yum! You’re not alone with the potato salad obsession…
Gorgeous photography!
I do always find the traditional potato salad way too heavy for me and so I usually stay away from it but this looks perfect for summer and might just have converted me! I love the colours in this and how it looks so fresh!
Ohhhhhh my goodness. This is one of those magical days where I have EVERY SINGLE INGREDIENT for this in my kitchen!!! Can’t wait to give it a shot!! Seriously, you know it is bad when I don’t go directly searching for Jacob, but for the ingredients of the recipe first!
I’ll be making this at the next BBQ! I love all of those beautiful ingredients…plus a mustard vinaigrette. Heaven.
Beautiful! Love the colorful ingredients, especially the spring onions and asparagus! This look so fresh and delicious.
Hello
Never commented before, there’s always a first time I suppose.
I follow your blog and just want to say what a lovely blog you have, it’s such a pleasure to read it, with the extra bonus of always a lovely picture of your lovely son.
He is so adorable!!
Thank You for providing us with a lovely space
Many Thanks
Carla
I could eat this potato salad every day from the bowl probably while standing in the kitchen. I love the idea of lighter, tangy, bright potato salad that isn’t just potato plus mayo. This is a keeper, you are keeper!
I wish I was going to a picnic today, so that I could make this! I love the idea of NOT using mayo, and can’t wait to make this!
also, your son is ridiculously adorable, as always.
L
Love the salad… and NOW I NEED TO GET THOSE BOOKS!
G.O.T. FTW! Did last night not just make you gasp for air?!
This looks wonderful. Never thought of adding radishes, I can’t wait to try it!
And omg Game of Thrones…! This needs it’s own post for commenting. Addicted!
I was actually just talking to my husband yesterday about wanting to make a potato salad that isn’t mayo based. This is right on time! Thank you!
I couldn’t agree more…potato salad does not need mayo! I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Here’s another simple and delicious mayo-free salad that I tried last summer:
http://the-dogs-breakfast.com/2010/06/13/roasted-potato-salad/
I don’t have HBO!!! But in celebration of the new book coming out this fall I’ve been rereading the whole series on my Nook reader while I nurse. The baby loves this new arrangement, as I will sit and rock her for hours (rather than putting her down for the nap) just to have an excuse to keep reading ;-)
Incredible-looking recipe, impeccable timing. I’ve long preferred potato salads dressed with vinaigrette as opposed to mayo, and I can’t wait to whip up a batch of this soon. Thanks for the inspiration!
about to go on summer vacation to the beach and this sounds like just the delicious lunch break I’ll be wanting, thank you!!!
Can you read minds? I was looking for a recipe for a lighter potato salad over the weekend – this recipe is exactly what I was looking for! Thank you!
Deb, you ask some very important questions. I don’t know how anyone could have pickle fatigue. And I am totally in love with this potato salad.
I love the addition of the radish. That I have never before seen.
Love salads with potatoes like this. Ina’s Provencal Potato Salad is excellent.
On another note, I’ve recently converted my picky boyfriend to the creamy variety. While his aversion to mayo is a food prejudice that I actually empathize with, potato salad is one of my exceptions to the no-mayo rule. No dice with him–he’d never even tasted potato salad before. But tossing steamed Yukon Golds with his beloved tzatzki? Not only a passable interpretation, but devoured by the mayo-hating man of the house. His next request? Baked potato salad (with sour cream, of course, no mayo).
this looks wonderful! and i completely understand your game of thrones obsession (i have one too!)….i think i’ll be eating potato salad the next time i watch it! Also, (you might find this interesting, though perhaps not the best recipes to replicate) there are two ladies who have started a blog devoted to making every single dish mentioned in the book series. seriously. grrm commented on it here (http://grrm.livejournal.com/212266.html).
Hello,
I have never commented before, but it is past time that I tell you that I simply LOVE your blog, that EVERY.SINGLE.ONE. recipe of yours that I’ve tried turns out to be awesome (even when I really don’t know how to cook!), that every time I get interested in a new ingredient or technique I search for it here first, and, to sum up, that you have improved my life in a small but very noticeable way.
And, being a huge fan of Martin’s books, I had to tell you today! I love how your writing makes me feel like I somehow know you.
Thank you, deb. :)
i love the mustard roasted potatoes in your archives – i think this salad is its spring cousin! and it would probably be great with the garlic mustard skewers!
There’s nothing wrong at all with pickles… in any form. So, I’m aboard any recipe that has them.
Haven’t seen Game of Thrones, but I’ve heard it’s quite good.
You are the best food blogger. Every photo makes me feel like I am right there in the kitchen with you. And your writing is phenomenol. Thank you!
I have never heard of the game of thrones, but now I am intrigued and have to look it up after this comment !
The salad looks lovely. I have to say I never made a potato salad with mayonaise, but that could be a cultural thing? Anyway, yumm. I already have dinner in the oven right now, but otherwise I would have made potato salad!
I love that this is a potato salad not drowning in mayo which is why I normally avoid potato salad. Mustard vinagrette on the otherhand, well thats a dressing of a different color.
Up here in Ottawa, we refer to spring onions as ramps. They are illegal to pick in Quebec because they are an endangered species (as of 1995) but we are fine to pick them here in Ontario. Responsibly, of course.
I am going to try your pickling recipe. It is a bit different from what I did last year.
I love a bit of bacon crunch in my potato salad too.
Your picture looks so delicious.
Loooove the idea of this potato salad. Can’t wait to make it. Also, I’m right there with you on the Game of Thrones obsession. I’m just about to finish the first book.
I actually don’t usually like potato salad but this sounds so much more interesting!
What a fun(and healthier) take on potato salad! I bet this would go well with a tall, cold porch swing cocktail :)
Funny – GoT has inspired a weekly dinner party so that those of us without HBO can crash the living room of those that do. Now I know what I am bringing next Sunday!
This looks so fresh and delicious – summer in a bowl! :)
i just made a similar salad for today’s memorial day BBQ! i loooove potato salad with a vinaigrette. best thing ever.
I hope this won’t result in revoking my blog reading rights, but I don’t really like the mayo-type potato salad… This, on the other hand, looks perfect.
This looks amazing!
Where was this post three hours ago. I just got back from the store with the fixin’s for another salad. Oh well, there is always lunch tomorrow!
SO excited you gave a shout-out to Game of Thrones…I am obsessed too! Can’t.Get.Enough of those crazy families..so scandaliciously good.
Not only am I super excited about this potato salad because it has everything I’ve been craving lately, pickled things, asparagus, light summery consistency, but I’m also thrilled you mentioned Game of Thrones, I simply can’t get enough of it. Great post!!
The other great thing about the mayonaise-free part, in addition to not having to apologize to my bathing suit the next day, is that this looks like it will stand up so much better in warmer weather. I’ve been to a few barbeques in the summer, where you wonder just how long has that mayonaise based salad been out of the fridge and whether it’s safe to eat. I am always looking for a good potato salad recipe that is mayo free. This looks devine, and the ingredients are going on the list for tomorrow’s shopping trip.
The series is doing a great job staying close to the feel of the books! Enjoy them, but know that there are a few books that still haven’t been finished. The next one is supposed to be coming out this summer!
So funny–I do this kind of thing with leftover potatoes whenever I can! Love them with veggies and vinagrette–my favorite lunch for one! Will have to pickle some things to add in there, too…
Yes. Just finished all the GoT books and anxious for the next one. Show’s been really great too!
You can never Pickle too much. But than again My nick name growing up was Pickle. This looks amazing. Will have to try it sometime this week.
“Summer is Coming” – Words of the Perelman House. The Perelman House is the principal noble house in the Northeast of the Land of The United States. Though their domain is small (with many a lament being sung about the kitchen space), they are knowledgeable and always ready to grasp opportunities at hand — whether this comes in the form of sour cherries at the market, babysitting from the grandparents, or another stiff drink. Their sigil is a black cast iron pan on a field of green (reasons being: can you imagine getting hit by one? OUCH).
…you’re in good company with the Game of Thrones love, haha. I actually picked up the books first (as reading is one of my Great Loves) and was scared all my expectations would ruin the show for me, but almost everything about the adaptation has been a delight. Enjoy your reading!
Holy yum! I’m making this for todays lunch, thanks for sharing Deb :)
Ever since your pickled onion post, I pickle all raw onions that go into a salad or on a burger. It just takes that sulfur-ie edge and murky-milky fluid that weeps from onions away while the onions remain crisp and retain their flavor but don’t overpower a salad (unless you use too many). I love this technique. I use shallots most of the time for salads because of the size. The small rings are so pretty in a salad.
If there was ever a spring & summer dish, this is IT! WOW! And I’m always looking for potato-y sides. Looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it this week, as it FINALLY warmed up in Chicago and I’m ready for summer eatin’!
Salad looks great, on book 3!
Almost every day I shop for vintage clothes at the thrifts and as I go through the racks of coats (and there are lots here because no one needs a coat in texas) the words “winter is coming…” are running through my head! I’m going to have to pick up the books. And potato salad ingredients, of course!
Love Game of Thrones! your site’s not too shabby either!
Cheers from Southern alberta
I’ve been experimenting with pickling recently (strawberries to be exact). Such an easy way to transform flavors. Definitely going to have to give this a try. Thanks for sharing!
Yum! I just go back from the grocery; is it wrong that I want to turn right around and go back?
I go to bbq’s just for the potato salad. If its a mayo based, I usually dip the bites in bbq sauce. I always get weird looks but its delicious. Someday I will get around to making a bbq potato salad, that day just hasn’t come yet. Now all I can seem to think is that I have to have this potato salad now.
looks yummy, love a vinaigrette flavoured potato salad, seems to work really well with smoked fish for some reason. I made one last month with wild garlic leaves instead of spring onion.
This looks so good! Perfect for an easy lunch to take to work…
Also, Game of Thrones is great!! I’m glad you’re a fan too.
Thanks for a beautiful blog Deb!
This is amazing, I love potato salad and this is such a great looking salad. I haven’t made potato salad in a long time I should make this soon. That is such a great idea to have pickled spring onions as an ingredient, it seems it would add a great element to the recipe.
Thanks so much!
my mom makes a mean traditional potato salad, but i love how light the dressing is on yours! nothing like a great potato salad for Memorial Day weekend BBQs!
Great salad recipe! Love it!
YESSSSSS! This is just what I needed/wanted. Mostly wanted. Thank you :)
Almost as good as the salad itself? Eating a few of my baby potatoes halfway through sprinkled just with a bit of Old Bay. Tastes like summer.
well – here’s to our friendship, as we LOVE potatoesalad on any occasion. it can be easily prepared and tastes even better the next day. but then i am german, so what do you expect?
I love pickled onions and how nice to have a potato salad that is not the usual mayo based standby. I love the additional fresh veggies. Really nice.
You are not alone with the potato salad addiction – I had some of the deli version for lunch the other week to fulfill a craving. But your version looks SO much better!
Oh Deb, I am, both addicted to salad of potatos and Game of thrones.- My sweet stud of a man just got me the books; he’s a real keeper.
Btw, I made your pudding a few nights ago and we literally died and went to pudding heaven. Cue the singing angels. Thank you for you!
While I am not a fan of potatoes, in any sense, I am a HUGE fan of both pickled things AND Game of Thrones. This salad looks so good, however, that I”m tempted to try it and see if it changes my mind about potatoes!
This salad looks delicious, per usual. But can we also just discuss how incredibly adorable that photo is? His hair is absolute tops. If Pantene made baby shampoo, Jacob would be their spokesperson, I swear. As someone who was bald as a bowling ball until they were two, my infant self is wholly jealous of that mane.
I am loving fingerling potatoes so much, this looks delicious!
your pictures are absolutely amazing.
Looks great, I’m going to try it sometime this week. I’ve been making a mayo-less potato salad lately with feta in it. I think I might try tossing some in your recipe. I hear you on Game of Thrones! My husband and I read it at the same time, and our kids were basically orphans for two weeks!
Yes, serious fear of bathingsuit season developing over here. But as long as we’re healthy and enjoying our bakes and guilty pleasure’s, and (!) Keep supporting one another we’ll be just fine (fingers crossed).
What a beautiful palette of different potatoes you’ve brought together.. let’s be serious. A life with the pleasure of eating all those wonderful foods, but maybe a little less confident at the beach, or the other way around? If anyone chooses the last one, please hand your bowl of potato salad over to me.. I’ll be very happy to eat it!
You are actually able to gallop through those books?! My husband reads them. I look at how many characters there are and give up.
Great-looking salad, by the way!
And I have an awesome memory of my little nephew sucking half a lemon (on a dare from his uncle, ahem), making an awful face, and going back for me. Aww.
Yum. What I love most about potato salad is that sharp zing! of vinegar, mellowed out by creamy potato-carb goodness. Now my mouth is watering — can’t wait!
Oops, not “going back for me” but “going back for more.”
Beautiful salad, I love your blog, BUT I just wanted to say I’m with you on Game of Thrones!
Read the books! You’ll be glad you did!
Thank goodness. Our families are as fond of barbecues as anyone, and my boyfriend and I are always trying to lighten/freshen things up a bit, and introduce our families to new things beyond the standard potato salad/pasta salad/ mac and cheese routine. We will be making this potato salad this weekend for his parents!!!
I have been craving picnic food and this looks just perfect for a picnic! Awesome!
This looks nice and light after making Bobby Flay’s lemon-ricotta fritters for brunch.
I hadn’t read anything by Martin since the early 1990s, but the HBO “Game of Thrones” series got me to go out and buy and read all the books that are currently available.
This salad looks absolutely fabulous! I love pickled anything in, well, everything! One problem: I have a MAJOR aversion to dijon mustard. I’ve tried to like it, but just can’t do it. Do you have any ideas for substitutes for the dijon? I would love to make the salad minus the dijon. Thanks in advance!
yes to mayo-free potato salad! i actually can’t stand the stuff, ever, anywhere. so i made a potato salad yesterday with tarragon vinegar, olive oil and parsley. it was a huge hit at our bbq, and was already thinking that it would be a great start to an everyday side dish with other veggies thrown in. yours looks delicious!
Pickling anything… I’m on it! :)
Love new potatoes and fresh green onions. I’ve never had them pickled, but they sound so good! This salad looks fantastic :)
One of my favorite potato salads is a recipe for Mediterranean Potato Salad: basically cubed russet potatoes, lots of chopped scallion and mint, salt and pepper and a vinaigrette made with lemon juice and olive oil. Simple and absolutely delicious.
OMG I love your site anyways, but that tidbit you mentioned about plowing through all 5 books in the Game of Thrones series makes me love it even more. Ever since seeing the first episode, I have been desperately reading the series on my Kindle every chance I get (which isn’t much time at all, given that I have both a full-time job and a toddler to chase around). But I’m about halfway done through the second book. How far are you? Do they keep getting better (as I suspect they do)?
This looks wonderful! I’m hoping to need to use this recipe soon, as soon as we start getting boxes of produce from our CSA!
Haven’t watched the HBO show yet but I tore through the books last year in anticipation. This post is right on time. My mother was asking me today for a potato salad recipe. This looks delicious.
Sooo glad I checked out the internet before heading to the grocery store today! I had been planning to pick up the ingredients for my usual vinegar-dressed potato salad (olive oil, red wine vinegar, capers, parsley, and a can of good tuna) but much preferred the idea of a more vegetable-laden salad. I’m eating this right now and it’s just as delicious as it sounds! The only note that I’d make is that my medium saucepan was a little small for the potatoes with boiling water and again for my asparagus – next time I’ll definitely use a large one.
This post made me do one of those “EEeee!”‘s in my mind. I would just take that bowl, and eat the salad very slowly…because it’s just so pretty, I wouldn’t want to rush it. *dreaming*…
Just made this and added some crumbled up bacon…delicious!!
Especially beautiful photos in this post! I love the new potato colander and the chopped scallions.
The salad looks amazing and I’m anxious to put it together soon. I am also ‘galloping through Game of Thrones’ and totally obsessed with the books and series!
Goddess of Spring Salad! I love the idea of making pickled onions just for this dish. And two kinds of Mustard!! I need black countertops now.
I think it’s full on summer here in the mid-atlantic, what with highs above 90 all week. It’s not global warming, though, it’s the apocalypse, right? Anyway, most of my salads include pickles instead of cucumbers, often olives, feta (which is like a pickled cheese), and capers. The latest addition has been pickled daikon and am waiting for everything to come into season to make gardiniera so that half of my salad would be pickled. Are you sure there aren’t any health problems caused or implicated by a love of pickles?
Swimsuit season or not, potato salad is one of those things that you sometimes just _need_ to eat! I myself unabashedly ordered it a few weeks ago at a restaurant and it was the first thing I attacked upon receiving my plate. Thus, this recipe is dangerous(ly perfect) for me.
This looks so amazing! I want to make everything you put on your blog-your photography is awesome.
This is a first for me, commenting on the same post twice in one day, but I just made this scrumptious salad and devoured every bite. WOW! Thank you so much for a memorable dinner, Deb!
Not only do I want to make this salad, I want to make everything you’ve made around this time in the last three years. Goodness!
Yes. Yes, you’re right. I do wish I could eat potato salad everyday. Here I was, hungry for something for lunch, and I was craving the potato salad my mother-in-law made for yesterday’s get-together, but had none.
I like this idea very much and am determined to try it soon!
I have been craving/searching for a salad like this forever (potatoes are my favorite food), but my few half-hearted attempts haven’t yielded anything that looks half this fantastic. Cannot WAIT to try!
This reads like a must try. I love every ingredient.
Looks delicious.
Might want to check out the last sentence of the body text – it looks a little fishy.
Wow! That is really healthy. Not to mention delicious. The dish seems to exude an earthy vibe.
It’s not Summer here either, but I’ve book-marked your potato salad for when it is.
I could happily eat potato salad anytime, anywhere.
This one looks absolutely delicious.
I can’t wait to make this potato salad! Sorry, A salad with potatoes! The fact that there is no mayo really intrigues me, and I am always interested in salads that are different. Beautiful photos! Thanks for a great post.
Try assembling and eating while the potatos are still a little warm. I always liked salad with warm potatos.
Thank you for the recipe. I’m recently drawn to spring onions (the ones we get here are puny and never with the purple bits!) and when I saw your pickled lot on Flickr my eyes went big. And yes, who needs mayo, even on potato salads.
Totally with you on this, LOVE potato salad, always hoover it up!
Also loving Game of Thrones!
looks so good! bookmarking to try one day this summer!
We have a large vegetable garden here in the Netherlands and I have been using your wonderfull recipes to cook with our produce. This spring we have made the shaved asparagus pizza + asparagus, goat cheese and lemon pasta (several times and even the kids love it). Also about 4 of your rhubarb recipes. And tonight I am making this potato salad, the onions are already being pickled in the fridge.
But…our red currants are almost ripe and I couldn´t find any recipe for them here. I´m counting on you! :-)
Looks incredible – I’ve made Heidi’s potato salad and absolutely loved it and this looks equally amazing!
Funny, just made the ‘first potato salad of the season’ last night!
This one looks delish, Deb…
edie
Game of Thrones….ohhh that would be me. I looove it – and between the books and the ability to revisit the epis on HBO-On Demand…well…ermmm…I am guilty of obsession as well.
Great recipe too – and I have all the goodies to make it.
Great salad recipe! And as others have said ..I love every single recipe you send out! I’m still getting raves for the French Onion Soup.
As for the GAME OF THRONES, OMG ..I’m so into that show! We read the books so it was torture waiting once we heard the show was coming on!
You go girl! I was assigned the potato salad recipe this weekend and resolutely declared out loud to no one in particular that ‘It shall not contain mayonnaise’.I did a freshly grated horseradish/mustard vinaigrette- I’m thinking I may try yours next time and cut back on the mustard and add a little bit of the horseradish, I’ll let you know how it turns out if I do. Love the pickled onions idea.
i am actually a bit of a sadist, who likes those sort of mushed up and mayo-y potato salads! i know it sounds sick, but i think something about them reminds me of the beach and my childhood and everytime i see one i take a little scoop (sans grains of sand of course).
this however looks magnificent – i love dijon roasted potatoes (i have made the recipe for those from your site too!) and this is like a warm weather version of them. Do you think you could add in some fennel to the pickle mixture? or even just thinly slice/chop it and add it? i have 3 bulbs at home stuffed in the fridge on the verge and would love to use them up! really cant wait to make this multiple times this summer – thank you! ;)
I’d join you with the potato salad for lunch any day. I’m always looking for one that is different and fresh. Still love my traditional style, but change is good, too. Love the addition of the quick-pickled onions.
I just made this salad last week! Really! Although I didn’t pickle the spring onions, and I used diced cucumber instead of asparagus. And no radishes. Ok, so not so identical, but the same idea. Definitely the Dijon vinaigrette. As for Game of Thrones, I’ve devoured the first book on my iPhone and I’m now halfway into the second, and I’m totally engrossed to the point that I wake up early before work to read a few pages… Just have to make sure to save at least one of the books for our vacation. And hope we don’t miss any episodes!
I just discovered whole seed mustard, having convinced myself that I didn’t like any kind of mustard at all, and it’s amazing. I’ve been making my own whole grain dressing and it’s so fresh and delicious. And though I love potato salad in any form, my husband doesn’t care for mayo based salads so I think he’ll really enjoy this one. Also, he and I love Game of Thrones and can’t wait until July for Martin’s next book!
mmmm, okay, now i want potato salad. i will have to make this asap ;) ;) looks delish!
I am always looking forward to your posts, both for the mouthwatering recipes and the gorgeous step by step photographs. I love the simple, natural, uncluttered settings that force you to focus on the vibrant colors of the ingredients of each recipe and not the props. You have an excellent eye for the small details!
Would you mind telling us what kind of lights you use indoors for your food photography?
Thank you,
Marilena
Oooh, I love you for publishing this recipe. I’m on a vegan diet right now and this looks divine/marvelous/delicious!!! So many vegan recipes are soooooooooooooo bland. And then something like this rolls around and I can’t wait to make it. Probably for dinner tomorrow.
fitzie
My mouth is watering right now. This looks amazing!!
Yes on Game of Thrones but also Camelot and the Borgias….After withdrawal from The Tudors it’s great to have something wonderful to look at back on television!
The Spring Salad looks amazing…wonder if I’ll ever get it together enough to do anything but look at the luscious photos and drool?
The photos are gorgeous! This sounds delicious!
Beautiful and creative as usual! Quick edit comment – 2nd blurb – looks like either the “I wanted to swap” or the “had to be nixed” is extra :) Thanks for sharing with us . . . always a highlight of the day!
Wish I Was Baking — Thanks.
marilena — Thank you. I don’t use any lights. There’s a window to the right of my kitchen counter.
Game of Throne books — I’m only about halfway through the first book. But I started it just days ago! If anyone is intimidated by the length of them, be assured that they’re huge page turners and you will not be able to put them down.
elaine — My husband wants me to “Favorite” your comment! Loved reading it aloud in the car on the way to grilling yesterday.
OHHHMAHHHHGAWWWWDDDDDD. I’ve been following your blog for over a year without comment (yes, I know, I’m a lurker), but that GoT comment is PURE WIN. Can’t wait until the 5th book comes out. I think he’s the screen writer for the television series, and he just needs to leave that in very capable hands so he can FINISH THE OTHER TWO BOOKS, UGH. haha!
Also, as a vegetarian and a potato connoisseur, this recipe is NOM. :D
This is perfect. I always tell people I hate potato salad (and many other ‘summer salads’), because I am highly mayonnaise averse. This could signal a new wonderful relationship between me and my lovely potatoes. (and I want to pickle shallots for mine!)
Game of Thrones (both HBO and the books series) are amazing! Hooray!
Have you checked out the blog that recreates dishes mentioned in the books? It is hilarious and the photography isn’t bad. http://innatthecrossroads.wordpress.com/
Love the potato salad, especially the pickled spring onions – definitely going to have to try this!
I usually have only one type of mustard in the fridge at a time (except for the time I was missing Germany and bought some specialty kind with a neat-looking bottle), whether dijon or something more rustic. I usually just use them interchangeably unless I happen to need more at the same time I’m planning to make something that calls for a particular kind, then I’ll go buy whatever that recipe dictates. I never realized just how many different kinds of mustards there are, and I usually get overwhelmed in the condiment aisle until I start to feel embarrassed about the amount of time I’ve been standing there weighing my options like it’s a life-or-death situation, and just go with the standard Grey Poupon. Would you be willing to pass on some of your mustard wisdom? I remember you once writing of your dreams to open a pretzel shop complete with all manner of assorted mustards with different accents…so perhaps a full-fledged mustard primer is in order?
I love potatoes, I love salad…’nuff said.
GOT is the best. I would love to read the books, but am enjoying the HBO series. More times than not, I’ve been disappointed with movies based on a book I have already read. N
Darn, I wish I had seen this before I had gone to the greenmarket near Columbia on Sunday; they had goooorgeous radishes and I wanted to buy them but have NEVER used radishes in anything. I’m going to have to make it back down to Union Square at some point this week!!! Can’t wait to make this, thank you!
Oh this salad remind me of summers in Sweden. New potato salad of all kinds and some herring YUM!!!!
Oh man! I needed a fabulous potato salad recipe for yesterday. I scoured and scoured the web and my books but did not find one that I liked so I skipped it. And now here it is Tuesday and the weekend is over and I want this salad. So I guess I’ll be calling all my friends over again this week for dinner. I have to have this potato salad. It looks sooo amazingly delicious. I’ve never pickled anything (!) but you make it look very easy. Is it hard to screw up? Love your blog. I eat very well because of you. So thank you!!!
I love when you mention Heidi Swanson and her awesomeness – because together, you and she have entirely transformed my kitchen prowess and I love you both!!
AAAH if only my husband could eat white potatoes. And sweet potatoes are just not my favorite and would not be a good sub in this recipe.
This is definitely going to become my go-to potato salad for many Summers to come!
love that my fave blogger / kitchen-inspiration is also a game of thrones fan!! im obsessed with the books but am having trouble making it through an episode of the show without screaming in frustration at the television. that being said, i love peter dinklage and i absolutely cannot wait for dance of dragons to come out!!!
have been thinking of potato salad recently (i think it was Heidi’s book, too!) – im more a fan of sweet potatoes so am considering a slightly tweaked version. also wondering if turnips would work, too. i love the idea of pickled onions, as well as a mustard vinaigrette (or cream dressing – maybe with plain yogurt!). definitely going to play with this recipe over the weekend – ive been working through all your slaws but the gf loves potatoes so this might be perfect!
Thank you! Thank you!
1. Thanks for posting such a delicious potato salad when I was craving it most, you’re very, very good at that, you know? You’ve never once let me down on a great recipe.
2. Thank you for introducing me to pickled onions. OMG, they’re good. Like I want to eat the-entire-salad-in-one-sitting-just-for-the-onions good. How have I missed them before?
This looks so fresh and easy. I wish I could whip it up right now. Gorgeous pictures, as usual :)
It’s official! You have taken over my life! Not only do I get 90% of my recipes / cooking ideas from your site, now I’m also following your reading recommendations. Up until reading this post I had never even heard of Game of Thrones and now the first book is downloaded onto my Kindle and I am anxiously waiting for this work day to end.
Not that I’m complaining of course…
I happened to have leftover cooked baby potatoes in the fridge, and you totally inspired one of the best lunches I’ve had in recent memory…those potatoes, with a diced hard-cooked egg, diced red onions & green peppers, arugula, all tossed with your delish vinaigrette. It was just what I had in the fridge, but I don’t think I’ve put it all together had you not posted this. I may now be officially on a potato-salad kick. ALL YOUR FAULT.
Thank you. I started A Song of Fire and Ice series 5 years ago! When I finished the last book I had I went looking for the last one. George RR Martin’s website promised it was going to be published soon. Uh huh. Amazon was even taking pre-orders! So, here we are today and I read your little note about the series. I’m about to warn you that the last book is not out, but I pop over to Mr. Martin’s site and low and behold, he’s finished it! It will be in my hands on July 12. Whew. Oh and that salad looks yummy too.
Looks like a great recipe and I will try it this weekend!
Im not a fan of mustard so is there any other vinaigrette that would work with this?
I just want to let you know that yes, I am re-reading the entire Game of Thrones series because watching it on HBO once a week is just not enough Game of Thrones for me. And also, this potato salad looks incredibly delicious.
yum! just what i was craving!
Anyone else thinking this could make an awesome light dinner with the addition of some egg, either hard boiled in the salad or maybe poached/fried on the side?
Yay for vegan and/or vegetarian recipes! Thank you for posting this- the timing is perfect. You are my cooking hero!
OMG! Just look at those chopped spring onions and the medley of colours in the following photos. Forget about BBQs, this is going straight into my ‘anytime snack’ list for this year.
This looks fantastic. I love that you have lightened up a typically heavy dish. Can’t wait to try it.
This looks so delicious! I love the photo of the potatoes in the strainer–gorgeous!
This looks really good! I love potato salads with vinaigrettes instead of mayo. Even my grandmother used to make potato salad by putting a vinaigrette on the potatoes while still warm, and then adding just a bit of mayo after they had absorbed all the yummy olive oil and vinegar!
I’ll have to try the pickled onions, and I definitely will make this potato salad soon! Thank you!
SO Good! I had baby potatoes, purple white & red, that were begging to be cooked. Asparagus and fiddleheads, plus a couple of radishes from the spring market. No spring onions, but a clove of garlic got pickled nicely!
This will be such a wonderful way to use whatever comes in the CSA box!
One question, though: there was a slight bitterness around the edges. Is it use of a less-than0perfect mustard?
We are on a SK bender here – in the last 4 days, I made the strawberry cake (great, everyone loved it), the squash and goat cheese pizza (another hit) and tonight this. It was really delicious, and def. a notch above the usual mayo-potato business. AND I am about 2/3 way through the first book of Game of Thrones. Not getting enough sleep!
This salad looks amazing!! I’m starting to go into panic mode about the looming bathing suit season and I love this twist on one of my bbq faves. I LOVE that it included asparagus!
Had this for dinner tonight – delish! Thanks for all the great recipes, I love this website!
Just wanted to help out Deb – your comments about mustard ended up posting in the Strawberry Summer Cake comments:
Mustards — I have a bunch but 99% of the time I’m using Grey Poupon smooth Dijon or the Maille whole seed mustard I mentioned. I have others around that my husband likes, a hot mustard, maybe a horseradish one and a local one from the North Fork… I’m almost afraid to see how many. But for cooking, a smooth and maybe a coarse Dijon are all you need.
P.S. Mustard is one of my favorite condiments, currently I have nine different ones.
neecie — Ah, thank you. Will move it to the appropriate location…. Voila!
Mustards — I have a bunch but 99% of the time I’m using Grey Poupon smooth Dijon or the Maille whole seed mustard I mentioned. I have others around that my husband likes, a hot mustard, maybe a horseradish one and a local one from the North Fork… I’m almost afraid to see how many. But for cooking, a smooth and maybe a coarse Dijon are all you need.
I can honestly say that is the first potato salad I’ve ever looked at and wanted to eat. Looks incredible!
lovely! such an exciting time in the garden & kitchen
This looks awesome. Perfect for this time of year. Thanks for posting.
Several thoughts,
A. I dreamed about this salad and slicing radishes (that are ripening in my garden as I am typing this) last night. I will be making it soon. I have everything I need but the potatoes of all things.
B. I had to look up Game of Thrones last night after reading these comments. I now have the books on my Kindle and I am watching episode 3 right now.
Dang, more obsessions for me. Thanks. (no really, Thanks!)
Um, WANT.
Just popped over here from another blog, and that first picture just hooked me. I’m SO HUNGRY now!
as always, amazing photography. cheers!
I started reading Game of Thrones when the first book came out… maybe 10 years ago? But I am now committing to re-reading the entire series before I visit my brother this summer… who has saved the series on his PVR for me.
Also… Sean Bean? With a sword?
Can’t go wrong with that…
Just for you Deb, I’m going to make this for our Game of Thrones marathon after the final episode airs. Soggy pizza? Never! I feed my fellow geeks REAL food!
i LOVE the photography in this post! the picture of the potatoes in the colander is so beautifully arranged. great work!
This salad looks amazing. Personally I wish I could have potatoes for every meal. If porridge is an acceptable breakfast option, why not puree?
But, I digress. Game of Thrones, yes yes yes! Sadly I already read the books as a teen so I’ve already fallen in and out of love with everyone before, but on the other hand I get to reread them and discover new things and see everyone in a new light :)
I love potato salad and yours looks really refreshing. Also loved the Game of Thrones but don’t have cable so I will have to wait until it comes out on DVD before I can watch it. I was secretly hoping a little bit that it wouldn’t be very good so I wouldn’t feel as though I was missing anything. Rats! I hope Mr. Martin feels inspired enough to finish the series as I have been on tenterhooks since finishing the last book.
While others are going to comment on what looks wonderful and sounds delightful in your salad…. I am going to comment on your last tidbit about “Game of Thrones”. I loved the books however I have warned all my friends who are now trying to read them “Don’t get attached to any characters, just when you form an attachement to one they will die!” They have all responded lately with, “You were right, he does kill them right after you become attached to them.” Which is the opposite of an author who keeps characters around for too long.
I hesitate to mention this publicly, but I’ve never heard of “Game of Thrones”. Books? DVDs? TV? I guess I’ll stick to cooking – and your salad with potatoes looks terrific!
Love the purple scallions. We found some of those at the market a few weeks ago, and I had never seen them before. I’m not a big fan of onions in general, but I had to try them–so beautiful!
I have been reading your site for a while now and I absolutely love your food/photography/writing style!
I absolutely had to comment on this post and let you know that, I too am obsessed with the Game of Thrones. My boyfriend and I read the series together while we were long-distance for a while, and we were PSYCHED when we heard they were making an HBO series.
It’s fantastic!
I love anything pickled especially with potato salad.
Perfect timing! I just got all of the veggies for this in my CSA basket. I make a similar potato salad without the asparagus and with eggs and corn. But the asparagus sounds like a great addition here! I’ll have to try it out!
Deb, it’s as though you peeked into my CSA bag this week! Down to the baby radishes!
So, of course, this was our dinner tonight and it was AMAZING! Truly! Your recipes are always outstanding, but this one is something very special. The creaminess of the potatoes, the cold crispness of the peas and asparagus, the sharp bite of the pickled onions and the tang of the mustard vinaigrette all play off each other to become something absolutely transcendent.
I know exactly what I’m bringing to the next BBQ to which I’m invited…! And what I’m eating for lunch tomorrow….and dinner next week when we get more asparagus from the CSA…
Another winner from Smitten Kitchen!!!
Forgot to mention–our CSA emails us each week to let us know what we’re getting that week, and to offer recipes for some of the items. And they’re ALWAYS linking back to you! Such good taste…! ;)
Looks fabulous. Happy to know I’m not the only one who swoons and dances at the sight of certain items’ arrival at the farmers markets.
What a beautiful potato salad! I love it!
No fairs mentioning Game of Thrones when I just got the cliffhanger from Sunday’s epi out of my head! Baelish, you b*st*rd!
are you loving game of thrones?? i haven’t read the books but my husband has, and he is so excited for the series! it is making me excited too :)
also this salad looks great! love the dijon vinaigrette with it.
Just made this. Confident in saying that this is the best potato salad I’ve ever had! Yum!!! Thank you!
I made this tonight and it was excellent. My husband doesn’t like the texture of onions, so I have to be creative. I ended up pickling some kohlrabi instead. It was good! I ended up with potatoes, kohlrabi and cucumbers and I was happy.
Indeed, it reminds me of Heidi’s, and also of Salade Nicoise (minus the tuna, of course), both of which I love for the way they mix up the staid old tater. Love the addition of crunch and spring veg, the asparagus, most especially.
I’ve never had asparagus and potato, and why IS that? I can taste it already, and I suspect they’re a match made in heaven. Maybe with a bit of hard boiled egg chopped in…
I am on a long, pickled veggie kick, too! Just made a new batch this morning. I ~heart~ that sweet (or is it sour, with him nibbling on that picke?) Jacob.
Great salad, and HELL yeah to Game of Thrones! That is all we do.. we watched it once and then I ran out and purchased all the books.. In love with it.. simply in love!
GAME OF THRONES!!! obsessed! salad looks totally delicious too! :)
Ha! I actually have Heidi’s potato salad leftovers in my fridge from last night’s dinner (I see no reason to wait for a picnic to have potato salad either). I love the pickled onions idea — will try your version this weekend, for an actual picnic, perhaps! Thank you for a lovely recipe, as always.
Oh goodness. I made this and it will be made over and over. You could make 10x the pickled onions and it still wouldn’t be enough! What a great recipe, thank you!!!
I am totally with you on the Game of Thrones obsession. AND… if you’re like me, and you love a theme, there’s an amazing food blog to go with it, where they make medieval (and modern) recipes to correspond with the food eaten in the books. I’m going to be making themed dinners before the show for the rest of the month.
http://innatthecrossroads.wordpress.com/
Looks beautiful and fresh… I cooked up a soup last night but felt like having a salad… this does it, I want a spring salad tonight :)
Teresa D.
This looks very intriguing. I like the idea of making a veggie and potato salad.
Game of Thrones translates really well to TV! We hope that between HBO and the author, someone can finally figure out how to conclude the series…
The pickled onions sound amazing. Will definitely need to make this over the summer!
Up until now the words ‘healthy potato salad’ brought up a series of sad, unsatisfying, and I’ll-eat-it-but-only-because-it-won’t-make-me-fat images to mind.
This looks just plain delicious. I don’t even like radishes, but here I am craving radishes.
A Springtime meal for you, a late Autumn one for me…. We still are pulling our potatoes out of the garden as winter arrives here in New Zealand… and I don’t want lots of soups yet! So this looks perfect. Spring onions are easy enough to come by – Asparagus is WAY out of season here, though, i’ll have to substitute that with something – frozen asparagus if I can’t think of a fresh alternative!
I’m happy to say that I’m about to head out to the backyard to go dig up some radishes and spring onions to make this with. Yay!
Thank you for making a potato salad that doesn’t contain mayo. I have an extreme dislike of mayo and all the related mayo salads so you can be sure this one will make it into my summer repertoire!
TEAM DROGO!
Also, love the potato salad!
Firstly,can I just say that the photography on this site is stunning, it just goes to show that you eat with your eyes,as just looking at this blog makes me want to cook.
I think that this potaoe salad will make a great alternative to the usual mayonaise rich potatoe salad. I’ll try it at the weekend,if the weather keeps warm for my BBQ!
wow, i am drooling over this potato recipe!!! this is bookmarked for sure. amazing powerhouse veggies backed with delicious flavoring~~~ :D LOVE IT!
Game of Thrones! Yes! Yes! Yes!
I love this recipe. I love everything in it, so I’ll definitely make it. It won’t, however, look as gorgeous as yours. I need a live-in food stylist.
I’m renewing my GoT obsession as well. So much so that I’m seriously considering ditching the book I’m reading to go back and reread the series. With a FT job outside the home and a 5-month-old my reading time is very limited and precious, so I don’t make a decision to ditch and switch lightly.
Oh, and someone else said they were frustrated by the tv version, but I have to say I love most of the choices that they’ve made so far.
Games of Thrones rules – they’ve made such a good job. And btw, the new book is out :)
Oooh, I have all the ingredients (thanks to my CSA!) I think I’ll be making this tonight!
This looks amazing. I have to travel a long way to get to a “good” store, but I will definitely be picking up the ingredients! Bravo!
Sounds great! This is on the menu :)
Yummy salad. I bought the Roland mustard that you recommended and the seediness of it makes the potatoes really pop with flavor. As always your recipes are so delicious. I found you by accident when searching for Alice Waters’ apple tart when I had a computer in the mountains but not a cookbook – now my mouth waters as I wait for your next post. Thanks for sharing with all of us.
Made this last night, and it’s divine. I would also think it could be done without potatoes, if one wants to go lower-carb. So tasty!!
I love potatoe salad in countless variations – as long as it’s without mayonnaise. This is a perfect summer comfy food!
Made it today with green beans and cucumber. DELICIOUS!! Totally doesn’t even need mayo. Thank you!!
I adored the game of thrones books, I got my husband absolutely obsessed. We’ve anxiously been awaiting the last book! However, the books that ruined my social life was “Wise Man’s Fear” by Patrick Rothfuss, (the first book is called “Name of the Wind”. If you haven’t read these books, RUN to the bookstore to get them. Unbelievable-someday snooty book critics are going to discuss why these books are instant fantasy classics :0)
We are following the Game of Thrones series and my husband, who read all of the book, is really impressed with the quality and how true it stays to the books.
Can’t wait to try this salad! Looks like I will have to make a visit to the green side of the farmer’s market–I tend to hang out with the cheeses and honey.
Ok, all I had in the CSA this week to match up was spring onions and radishes (and potatoes, of course); was still the best potato salad with a little fresh tarragon.
Used what I had from our CSA, with a few tweaks: pickled both garlic chives and the radishes, then threw those and the potatoes over a pile of peppery arugula. Topped the whole thing with crumbled hard-boiled egg. Perfect early summer meal. Thanks for the inspiration!
I’m in love with this salad, and now with you. Galloping thru Game of Thrones while eating this salad? That’s my weekend, in a nutshell.
I can’t believe nobody has mentioned the Inn at the Crossroads food blog yet: http://innatthecrossroads.wordpress.com/ If you haven’t read it, you are TOTALLY missing out!!!! They’ve got recipes up for Dothraki goat with firepods and sweetgrass, honeyed chicken, potted hare, quails drowned in butter…all the most nom-worthy dishes from the novels. And it’s a freshly-struck blog, so they have tons of recipes from the series left to go!
As for this potato salad? Delish. As usual.
Yum! I love potato salad especially those that don’t drown in mayonnaise! The added veggies make it look so fresh and full of nutrition… I need to add this to my list of recipes to try!
Made this salad for my sister’s bridal shower and everyone absolutely loved it!! Another great recipe!! I haven’t been disappointed yet!
This recipe is FANTASTIC. However, I live alone and I’ve had a LOT of leftovers. So I threw them in a hot skillet, added some tofu and mixed the remaining dressing with soy sauce, honey and sriracha…AMAZING STIRFRY.
Oh wow, this salad looks ideal for the summer, cannot wait to cook it! your food never fails to me me drool deb!
I made this salad yesterday for dinner and it was delicious! Grilled out steaks and this salad were a perfect pair! I couldn’t find any kind of spring peas, so I just used some frozen peas and it was still so good!
Can’t wait to try this! I DO want potato salad for lunch!
AMAZING!! It’s almost better the next day!!
This looks great! And yes, I have to limit my access to the Game of Thrones books or else I get basically nothing else done but reading them (this sounds like an exaggeration, but sadly it’s not)!
mmmmm…. Sounds good will be making for my lunch tomo :)
I made this salad with a couple of chopped boiled eggs thrown in and called it dinner – and I can already foresee how often I’ll be making it this summer, because we devoured it.
Also, this post catapulted A Song of Ice and Fire up to the top of my reading list!
Made this yesterday because it fit last Saturday’s csa offerings to a t. Very yummy! Thanks for being so timely. :)
I’ve been a SK devotee for 9 years now, formative years of my cooking life – you even gave me the confidence to make a wedding cake – but I’ve never commented. And now I’m here to say I’m making this for a potluck before the Game of Thrones finale tonight. Time flies! Thanks for everything!
i torture myself everyday when around lunch time and get sooo hungry from your posts. thanks for the healthy, seasonal recipes. i have so many to try out!
This really appeals. Of course, I have no potatoes in the house. Why?! This weekend. My CSA gave me lovely radishes and I’ve pickled those already so will add them on top for color and zing.
I just wanted to say I follow your blog and love the layout and content. Your recipes are wonderful and this potato salad looks especially good. I just made your spinach quiche again last night, so yum. Keep up the amazing work! You rock this casbah :)
I made this last night and it was scrumptious. Truly. A girlfriend was visiting and we ate all but about half a cup of it! Added bonus: it was gorgeous plated. Thanks for a lovely food experience!
About the onions: For me the number and the weight don’t match. Three pretty average spring onions I have here weigh a total of 50g, which is just under 2 oz. So, I would need like 10 to make the 180g (=6 oz.) In your pictures there seem to be more than three. They look roughly in the same league as the ones I have, so it is not a matter of size. So, what shall it be 3 stems or 6 ounces?
Hi Hendrik — I did not use all of the spring onions pictured, just 3. Mine weighed in, with their stems, at 2 ounces each. It could be a little confusing since you then do not pickle the greens, but set them aside for the salad. Was that where it didn’t match? Spring onions can really range in size too, but not by several ounces…
I made this potato salad for a cottage dinner party where we BBQ red meat and it was the perfect companion. I enjoyed the picked onions, the only thing I would change the next time I make it is I would not add as much of the dressing. I found it was a little overpowering and smothered the taste of the vegetables. His recipe is a keeper in my file. Thanks, Patricia.
Hi Deb – I just brought this and the peach and creme fraiche pie that you posted (7/18/09) to a potluck picnic for Gourmet Underground Detroit. Both were a big hit. Thanks so much for all of the great recipes on your blog!
We made this salad last night (with crunchy breaded pork chops and strawberry cake – an entirely smittenkitchen dinner) and it was wonderful. I think next time I’m going to try white balsamic vinegar in the dressing, and maybe a little garlic. And we’ll be picking onions pretty much forever, after this. Thanks for sharing all of this with us.
Oh, this just confirmed our grand ol’ friendship!
@ Deb re spring onions: No, I weighed them with the greens alright – 3 at 50g. So yours must’ve been humungous, wow. I used those three pretty much entirely though.
On a related note, marinade and vinaigrette. I don’t like to throw stuff away and noticed that the vinaigrette starts out with the vinegar, salt and pepper that is the marinade. So I decided to re-employ the latter, drained the onions and used it as a starting point for the vinaigrette. As for the water in the marinade, well, water is for fish to … you know the W.C. Fields quote. I substituted vegetable stock for that. This correspondingly does stretch the vinaigrette a bit, but that is quite welcome as a) it tones down the combined sourness of vinegar and lots of mustard and b) the potatoes do positively soak up the liquid.
Finally I let the potatoes cool only so much that I could handle them for cutting them up. When still pretty hot they take up the vinaigrette much better. And I let them sit for half a day, but only added the greens 30 min. before serving as they don’t need as much “steeping time”. Used coarsely chopped arrugula instead of the peas. Made a wonderful Whitsun lunch on the balcony with a glass of German Riesling. Prost (Cheers)!
I’ve discovered potato salad without a creamy dressing and I’m totally hooked. I make one that is so simple and relies on the ingredients more than the dressing…go figure huh? Especially great this time of year when I’ve got fresh herbs in the garden and we’re doing picnics and potlucks…not worrying about a potato salad spoiling is the coup de grace!
This looks incredible. I have most of the ingredients from the farmers’ market, so I’ll be whipping it up tonight. Thanks for the great inspiration! Also: Game of Thrones is just too good. Midway through the second book and I can’t stop, only I’m going to have to if I’m making this tonight.
Planning on making this tonight. Got a bunch of new potatoes and green onions from my mom’s and neighbors gardens. :)
And yes, I’m loving Game of Thrones. Haven’t read the books but I might have to, seeing as there’s only one more episode left this season…
Made this last week for my son – a huge hit. Thanks for the wonderful recipe as always!
Made this for a light lunch this morning and what a wonderful recipe! I thought the ratio of vinaigrette to vegetables was perfect, but then again I like mustard a lot. I look forward to making it again, it seems like a nice flexible recipe you can adjust and play around with. Thanks!
I made this for father’s day supper and it was a complete hit! My parents have vowed it will come out at future family bbqs as a dish that is delicious and interesting but also something that won’t freak out our less flavourfully adventurous family! I used chives instead of the onions and threw in some of the chive flowers as well which adds a huge onion kick and looked really pretty.
Tried the salad and added fresh peas. I get frustrated with potatoes this time of year. They never have fresh ones in the markets in Montreal. They are all from last fall and are all a bit spongy. I love love love the pickled spring onions though! I also pickled some radishes for this salad.
Finally made this the other day – it got better and better the longer it sat! Thanks for another great recipe!
I too have been following your blog for sometime sans posting. Either I’m laughing (more like snorting much to chagrin of the husband) or drooling on my keyboard from all the delectable treats and stunning food photography (that is some nice natural light). Either way I do a little happy wiggle when you post a new recipe and am uber excited about the book. That all said, I made this potato salad the very next weekend and thanks to you I was the belle of the backyard bbq potluck! Loved by all on the first bite. Lots of fork in mouth smiles. YUM! And a very big thank you.
Yet another one of your recipes that I’ve gotten lots of compliments on. Made it on Father’s Day and everyone loved it. (Also made the strawberry cake and best cocoa brownies which were very popular too!) Thanks a lot!
When you said Summer was coming and had the star I KNEW it was a GoT reference and I totally skipped to the bottom to see.
You’re totally my favorite person and favorite blog!
I love this recipe! I have made it at least 3 times since you posted it. I didn’t have asparagus but I did have spinach which I blanched at the last minute in the potato water and is a great addition. Also bacon, just a few pieces finely chopped, yum. Last night I added steamed broccoli, whatever I have fresh from farmer’s market always seems to work, it’s a wonderful flexible recipe. Thanks Deb!
Can I just say that I love you? I can always count on you to find a new way to use up my CSA share during the week. Just put this together. Haven’t added the onions yet but will right before dinner. It is already delicious. I am in potato salad heaven.
I made this and it was simply amazing! My mother even commented on this being the best potato salad hands down. Thank you!
I made this salad for a housewarming party last night and it was a hit! The only thing I changed was the salt-to-sugar ratio of the pickling solution. I increased the sugar content because I felt it was a tad to salty otherwise.
Made this last night to use up some veggies from my CSA share. It was delicious but I think it would be even more so if I’d used the right vinegar (white distilled is NOT the same as white wine…I’m such a cooking newbie!). I might try it as a pasta salad next time, just for fun. =)
Just made and was told that this was “The Best Ever” potato salad by my husband and guests…very high praise. I, of course, gave credit to my favorite food blogger!
Thanks for our new favorite potato salad!
PS: Was this NOT supposed to be a main course?! ;-)
This recipe was so delicious – and used up spring onions, new potatoes and green beans that I got in our CSA this week. I think I’ll have the leftovers for lunch today :)
Minnesota has turned into a steam bath with a heat index above 110F for the last week – so potato salad was just the thing we needed. But, running to the grocery store was just not going to happen. So, I used what I had in the house – little red potatoes from the farmers’ market, radishes, and edamame. Delicious and pretty on the plate. My daughter has proclaimed it the best potato salad ever!
Also a nice salad to end summer
This week’s version: Ran out of white wine vinegar, but white balsamic worked beautifully–it was slightly sweeter, but absolutely delicious. Veggies: string beans thrown in to the last minute of potatoes, thinly sliced raw zucchini and yellow squash, radishes, a carrot. I put arugula in mine. And the pickled onions? Now a staple in my fridge in a Ball jar.
We threw in some “Slap Ya Mama” spicy salt and some “Bac ‘Uns” to boot.
Truly the best, highest use of CSA food.
But now I’m thinking of your corn and tomato pie… that’s gotta get made soon!
I am in love with your salad idea. I have taken it several different ways and loved it every single time! My husband too is a fan. I was never really able to appreciate the taste of whole grain mustard until I had it in this recipe. Too give it an additional kink, I also added some prepared horseradish and it was delish. Thanks so much for this recipe. I have acknowledged it in one of my recipes on my blog.
I know this is late and wrong, but my vegan mother came to visit last summer. I made this potato salad and it was gone baby gone! Im making it again next week for another friend visiting. I know it isnt spring, but I’m getting all the ingredients from my CSA box anyway so I take it as fate. I also made your everday yellow dal including peas and cabbage salad for my mom, it was worth every minute slaving over a hot stove and there were no leftovers.
I just made this today for dinner. It was really good great flavor the only thing different I would do is make it earlier in the day so the flavor could soak in more and it would be colder. I will be making this again. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
This salad is too good to be true! Seriously, so good. I followed the recipe exactly, using sugar snap peas instead of green beans, and it’s wonderful. I agree with Natalie, next time I’ll let it sit for an hour before serving it so the flavors can marinate. My husband added it to our “Favorite” list and I shared this link with all of my friends on FB because it’s just that good. THANK YOU!
I love this salad and it has become one of my staple sides. Upon revisiting the recipe post today I noticed your GOT aside(!!!) – I love the HBO series and burned through the books as well. I want Season 2 to never end! Thanks for this delicious recipe and your thousands of others!
I’m making this salad for a party and I wonder how many servings you could squeeze into this recipe? There will also be grilled sausages and a beet and citrus salad, but I tend to underestimate these things…any help would be much appreciated! LOVE your blog, your recipes, everything. Preordering the book immediately.
I made this salad with some buttermilk marinated chicken breasts for a weekend getaway and IT.WAS.AMAZING!! I love all the colors and the taste was perfect. I made a bit more “pickle” than called for but it did not alter the oh so yummy goodness of this recipe! Thank you for letting us in on your cooking journeys!! And the book looks amazing and I have requested it as a birthday gift (makes it even more special!)
I’m making this for a crawfish boil tomorrow and i am SUPER. EXCITED! i couldn’t find spring onions this week at the farmer’s markets so I am substituting scallions and pickling the radishes instead and using first o’ the season english peas!I know it’ll come out great!
Just made this for a memorial day bbq and added some freshly shucked corn. Not local(midwest), but from Florida. The salad was a huge hit. Thanks!
I just made this for a dinner I had last night—no spring onions in sight so I used some small leeks—beautiful and pickly all the same :)
Your opening paragraph “I think if we’re going… ” is absolutely spot on. I really enjoy the content but more importantly just completely dig your style. I’m beaming from ear to ear just reading this. As a side note, I will cook the salad tonight (I’m am from NZ but now living in the northern hemisphere and can’t believe I can get fresh spuds in mid June – fantastic) and I hope your recipes are as good as your writing. Take care of yourself, WN.
This has been on my summer BBQ rotation, and I love it. I swapped in Yukon Gold potatoes when I didn’t have small reds (I cooked them whole then cut – worked well). I also swapped in/out different amounts of green veggies depending on what was around — more/less asparagus, snap peas, green beans, yellow beans, fresh snow peas. The radishes and pickled onions really make this. Thanks!
Made this today for Mother’s Day lunch and it was such a hit! Such a refreshing twist on potato salad. Everyone enjoyed! Can’t wait to experiment with different veggies. Thank you!
I have never liked potato salad, but I made this and LOVED it! I bought the different colored potatoes and it was so beautiful. Thank you!
I made this last night with green beans and kale – it was a great way to use up some of those potatoes from my CSA! I’ve never been a fan of potato salad, but a few vinaigrette versions are making me change my mind. Unfortunately, none of my radishes made it into the salad as they got eaten thinly sliced on challah with butter and salt!
Any reason why I couldn’t chop the veggies pre-boiling?
No reason you cannot. They will probably need less cooking time. That said, I prefer the texture of potatoes that have been chopped after boiling — they seem less soggy to me.
I can’t wait to try your potato salad! My mouth is watering! I recently made a spring chopped salad and mentioned your salad in my post. If you get a chance check it out:
http://cupsandspoonfuls.com/2014/05/02/spring-chopped-salad-5-spring-salads-for-mothers-day/
I am going to try this for a Spring Potluck. It seems like the perfect dish! How many does this recipe serve??
Hi, this sald is just fantastic! I like the potatoes in the salad! Thats a great idea! Thank you very much :)
Looks great! Never tried pickling but this could make me give it a go.
Question on the salt–you prefer Diamond to Morton. I guess I thought salt was salt (within the same type of course). Can you explain why there is a difference?
FYI Trader Joe’s makes a pretty decent house brand mustard that would work well for this. I have used it a lot in the French Potato Salad that is in Joy of Cooking (worth a look if you haven’t made it before).
I love this version of a summer favorite…if one wanted a creamy salad they could use 1/2 cup of drained Greek yoghurt and add a nice pinch of dill to brighten the flavor. Good job!
This turned out great- I used what I had and it was very forgiving- nice to have a different potato salad on deck…
My son threw a pig roast to celebrate my 60th birthday yesterday. This salad and your hot & smoky baked beans (http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2006/07/beans-beans-theyre-good-for-your-heart/) were among the sides we served. Both were great — and forgiving of the errors I probably made as I multiplied the recipes up to serve a crowd. Thanks!
Hi Deb! Another fantastic recipe — I love love loved it and the pickled spring onions add just the perfect little bite to it. Made it tonight with some farmers market picks (spring onions and pod peas) from last week and my boyfriend is already asking if we can make it again, but I’m worried that it’s getting to be a bit late in the season for fresh peas! Do you think this would work with frozen peas? If so, how — would you just let them thaw and throw them in? I think I would be nervous about heating them because I wouldn’t want them to be too mushy…
I made this for a BQQ – so delicious and it received many compliments. The picked spring onions- suddenly I want to put them in everything. Thank you for sharing.
Could you freeze the leftovers without the dressing?
Megan — I’ve never tried to freeze cooked potatoes before; they might be okay, but I’m not confident that the whole thing will have any crisp or lightness once defrosted.
I am eating a bowl of this potato salad as I write. This may be my most favorite potato salad ever!
Is there a good substitute for spring onions? Scallions?
Erin — Usually, but for pickling, I think shallot slices would be more enjoyable.
This is funny, I didn’t know what spring onions were and the produce guy told me there were scallions, so that’s what I used and they were very tasty, but I was skeptical of his answer all along….next time I’ll try shallots.
didn’t know this would be the answer to midwest white salads….delish even without the radishes
Just made this to feed to two vegetable-haters. The salad was so good they didn’t mind the snap peas and asparagus in there at all, and were helping themselves to thirds! Thanks for another successful recipe, Deb!
Thank you – This salad is delicious! Now I’m addicted to pickling green onions.
This is such a great potato salad – it has all the fav elements, pickled veg, graining mustard but with a fresh and sweet from the Spring greens. Thank you!
Would love to copy the recipe for the potato salad w/asparagus, etc., but can’t figure out how to print it without printing 60 pages of “stuff” about the recipe.
I just made this salad for a getting-to-know-you dinner with my daughter’s new in-laws. It was the BEST EVER potato salad. The grainy mustard dressing was TO DIE FOR. Thank you, thank you, my reputation as a good cook is now spread from the east coast to the south of this great nation!!
Made a small test batch of this before committing to it for an upcoming party. Absolutely loved it. My version included pickled red onions instead of spring onion, and I added boiled eggs, quartered. Loved it! Loved the punch of the dressing and found that it’s best to not overdo it, but in measured amounts it’s divine.
Have you ever tried a Swabian potato salad, Deb? It’s made with warm potato slices, finely cut onion, beef broth, vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, and chives. It’s the local speciality here in South Western Germany and usually goes well with just about anything.
I have! I always think of it as a wintery thing? With schnitzel please. I should try my hand at it; it’s been years and I think I never get it right.
I love this!! I added fresh dill.
This is such a delicious salad and so delightfully springy. Pickling the onions really makes it shine. I don’t have white wine vinegar so i just used a mix of white wine, vinegar, and a bit of sugar and salt as my pickling liquid. I’ve made this twice, and since I really like a creamy potato salad, I added in some sour cream (the 1st time, for an egg-free friend), and then mayo – both work well.
Browsing through the seasonal recipes, I came upon this bright fresh yummy one!! Thank you!!! I have made it a handful of times in the last month! I’ve taken it to a. Any shower and a work event! Everyone loved it! A mayo-less potato salad!!!
The pickled onions and radishes were a welcomed tang.
With all the humidity this week, I haven’t wanted to cook, so I’ve been enjoying this salad on a bed of arugula with tuna, everyday this week!
Thanks! Love your blog/site and your cookbook! Already preordered!
How sweet are the pickled spring onions? I don’t care for sweet pickles (sweet relish almost always makes me gag). Are these as sweet? Would it be a mistake to omit the sugar?
This salad is so delicious ! I enjoyed it with a hard boiled egg cut in quarters. Keeping the pickles, dressing, potato , etc. separately until I want another one.
This will become part of my regular rotation of wonderful recipes .
mingguqq
Hi Deb – We tried this salad tonight, and it is delicious! I only had to substitute red onions for spring onions, because I forgot to get them when I went to market (oops). It was fun to make, and perfect for the sunny day today; I served it with a tossed salad made with a light olive oil, balsamic vinegar and fresh-squeezed lemon juice vinaigrette. Thank you again, we so enjoy trying your recipes, they always come out so good!
I bought a bunch of asparagus with the goal of making three of your recipes: this salad, the spring panzanella and the frittata. I just made this salad for lunch and it was perfect for this sunny spring day. The radishes make it look pretty. I used fingerling potatoes that i cooked in my instant pot for 4 minutes (on high pressure with quick release). I will definitely make it again, maybe with some changes: i always make my vinaigrette a bit vinegar-y, which was not a good idea with green asparagus, as it hid their taste a bit. I live in France and green asparagus are not available everywhere and are crazy expensive, and I think the dressing (which is very appropriate for potatoes) did not let them shine enough. So next time I may try this salad with green beans and artichokes instead. And I’ll definitively add an egg in it.
Did I miss the recipe serving size somewhere? I’m trying to decide if I need to double the recipe for a party on Friday. Any idea about how much a recipe yields?
Also looking for serving size if anyone has made this recipe!
I ended up making 1.5 the recipe for a group of 8 adults where it was a side dish and it was the right amount. We had a small amount of leftovers to take home and enjoy seconds the next day!
This looks delicious, but we manage a mustard seed allergy in our house so this dressing wouldn’t work for us. Any suggestions for a different dressing that would also be great? Thanks!
I think you can make a good vinaigrette without mustard — just adjust the other ingredients to taste. Maybe add lemon.
Another winner! So, so good! We are watching carbs, Dr.’s orders, so I reduced the amount of potatoes. Still incredible!
This is my favorite potato salad, ever. I hate mayo based salads bc they are too heavy with rich grilled foods. I made this for my parents while I was visiting them, and it was a huge hit. There wasn’t a trace left.
Made this yesterday. Had it for lunch yesterday and today, both days on a bed of greens and shaved fennel. Absolutely amazing. 😁 Can’t wait for lunchtime tomorrow.
Another winner! As a personal chef I always look to SK for inspiration! I tossed the potatoes with some of the vinaigrette while they were still warm which I’ve done with mayonnaise based potato salads for many years. Intensifies the flavor!
This is so good. Made this with a side of roast salmon for a Thank God It Finally Feels Like Spring dinner. Can’t wait until I can make this for a gathering. When that’s a thing again.
Great spring recipe. I used what I had on hand: asparagus, shelled english peas, regular green onions. I used about 2/3 of the dressing and it was perfect. Looking forward to leftovers today (may need to add a bit of the dressing to ‘refresh’)
This was a great and easy recipe. I did change it up a bit by adding some agave to the mustard dressing to help balance the acidity and added some fresh dill. We will absolutely be making this again! Thank you so much for sharing!
I’m going to play with this recipe. I’ve learned that I like a vinegary potato salad. The mustard flavor was a little strong, especially the second day (and didn’t go over with the kids). I think I’ll try it without the mustard seed and maybe add some lemon juice (despite the bleaching) and maybe some herbs like parsley and mint. I made it with English peas instead of sugar snaps (and followed the instructions for sugar snaps) and really enjoyed that addition – a nice look and texture. It’s pretty and I’m determined to make it more universally appealing!
This was delicious! The dressing is amazing and the pickled onions really made it pop too! I substituted finely chopped kale for the asparagus because it was what I had on hand … SO good. Will be a staple from now on. Thank you Smitten Kitchen!
This was outstanding! I had to stop myself from eating it all. Thanks for the wonderful recipes!
This recipe is always wonderful, no matter how I make it. As you’ve recommended, Deb, I use this is a template and swap in whatever vegetables are fresh. Perfect for using up CSA veggies and herbs. It’s different every time I make it, and it’s wonderful every time I make it. Thank you!
Thanks Deb for this recipe. So delicious and simple! I had to improvise a bit with what I had and still turned out great. I skipped a step and added the asparagus to the boiling potatoes in the last two min of cooking. Still a slight crunch. Now onto the brown butter rice crispy treats!
I made this for my parents and it turned out great! The dressing is now a favorite. I used pickled red onions instead of spring onions, added the green beans mentioned in the head notes, and left out the radishes (forgot to buy them). I’m already dreaming of a summer version. I love the idea of adding hard boiled eggs. Thank you for the amazing recipe and inspiration!
I would like to subscribe
My new go to potato salad! Absolutely outstanding. Made it exactly to specification of recipe!
What are spring onions? Just reg green onions? Would ramps work? Oddly enough, I have a lot growing wild in my yard.
Ramps aren’t great raw but scallions will work. Spring onions usually have a bulb that’s almost cocktail onion sized and can be red or white.
deb — i think this is the most under-rated recipe on your site!! i always love your recipes, but this one has been my #1 go-to for many years. it is relatively easy to throw together and can be done in advance, and always satisfies all of the different eaters around the table. thank you, as always!
Thank you. I wholeheartedly agree! :)
How many does this serve?
As a main or side?
As a side?
What’s a good substitute dressing for this salad if one is a Dijon despiser? It looks so good otherwise!
Made this tonight!!! It was delicious I to am a fan of all the Maille products. The pickled onions were fabulous. Thank you so much for amazing recipes.
Just ate the whole bowl! This was perfectly delicious. Asparagus and I are not friends so I just used raw sugar peas. I used beaver mustard and Dijon and it was spot on! I pickled the radishes with the onions. Oh and I added 2 hard boiled eggs chopped up. I had to….
Thanks for my lovely dinner.
Oh and I bought my daughter your cookbook and she loves it. As a little girl we cooked many of your recipes together.
I am in the process of making this lovely salad now. I see the radishes in the picture where you are pickling them with the onions but I can’t see where it is done that way in the recipe. Am I missing something?
The spring onions Deb used were purple, so they look a lot like the sliced radishes, but the radishes themselves don’t get pickled
This salad was springtime perfection! I don’t dislike snap peas but I find most of the recipes using them uninspiring, so I never knew what to do with them…until now. From now on, this will be my go-to anytime I get snap peas in my CSA share.