The BEST Summer Potato Salad
The BEST Summer Potato Salad
This Summer Potato Salad is one of my favourite things to have in the fridge during the summer months. It’s the perfect chilled side to have on your weeknight dinner menu or to bring to any summer potluck. This recipe is made with buttery baby potatoes, crispy bacon, chopped pickles, purple onions and more. All tossed in a creamy mayo and sour cream dressing, it is absolutely delicious! I also love that it actually keeps in the fridge for more than a day, unlike most salads. So, you do have the option to make it a day or two in advance to save time if you like. I actually find it’s even better once it’s been chilled!
Around here, most summer potlucks include a large bucket of potato salad from Costco, and hey I get it, it’s pretty good! Imagine though, bringing a fresh, homemade potato salad with all real, good quality ingredients and insane flavour instead. I promise there won’t be any leftover! Everyone loves potato salad and homemade, all the more. It’s an easy recipe to make and it only takes about 30-35 minutes total. The potatoes simmer for about 15-20 minutes and you can prepare all of the other ingredients and the dressing while they’re boiling. Speaking of ingredients, let’s go over a few:
For the salad:
Baby potatoes - There are so many different kinds of potatoes out there and many that work well for potato salad, but I find that baby potatoes work the best! They’re super buttery in texture and a bit sweet. You don’t have to to any peeling and they only need to be cut in half or thirds depending on the size. I like the mixed baby potatoes so that you get a little bit of yellow potatoes and also some red potatoes as well.
Bacon - You can’t have a potato salad without bacon! It’s a very important ingredient. To make things easier, I like to dice up the bacon before cooking so that I can cook a larger amount at a time. It’s more efficient, especially if you are going to chop it afterwards anyways. Try to find bacon that has no added nitrites as they can be cancerous. There are lots of brands that use smoke instead as a preservative.
Celery - Adding a little chopped celery into the potato salad adds a really nice to crunch to the otherwise softer textures in the salad.
Dill pickles - The dill pickles absolutely make this salad! They add a really important element of acid to the salad. They also add some crunch to the texture. I like to add some pickle juice into the dressing as well for extra flavour.
Purple onion - The red onion in this salad also plays an important role in balancing flavours. It adds a bit of spice and contrast to the other ingredients. You can use white onion, yellow onion or shallot as well. Though, I like the colour that the purple onion brings.
Herbs - I love the addition of fresh herbs to this salad! They add a beautiful tinge of green colour as well as delicious flavour. I added both chives and dill to this recipe. Fresh parsley would also be delicious.
For the dressing:
Mayonnaise - Be sure to use a really good quality mayonnaise that is made with real ingredients like avocado oil, olive oil and eggs. Using real mayonnaise will make a big difference in the overall flavour of the dressing.
Sour cream - Most potato salads use just mayonnaise as the base for the dressing, but sour cream and potato is such a good combination that I wanted to do a little of both. It works really well in this recipe. The sour cream adds, well a sourness; a little bit of an acidic touch that is desirable.
White vinegar - I added a little white vinegar to create a bit of zing in the dressing. Along with the pickle juice, it makes a delicious, flavourful dressing for the potato salad.
Pickle juice - Get your pickle juice right from the pickle jar! It takes that pickle flavour to the next level by adding it into the dressing.
Garlic - No salad dressing is complete without garlic. I love to add a little fresh garlic for flavour and a little spiciness. I recommend using fresh garlic for this recipe for optimal flavour.
Dijon mustard - Mustard pairs well with potato too, so I added a little dijon mustard to the dressing for flavour. Though you don’t need much, it makes a difference in the overall flavour of the dressing.
Spices - We are keeping it simple with spices in the dressing. All you need is a little paprika, salt and pepper to round out the dressing. It’s the perfect finishing touch!
This potato salad is definitely a favourite of mine and I hope it will become one of yours too, gracing all of the potluck tables this summer!
The BEST Summer Potato Salad
The BEST Summer Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 5 cups mixed baby potatoes
- 185g uncooked bacon
- 1/2 cup diced dill pickles
- 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
- 1/4 cup red or purple onion, finely diced
- 2 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, packed and finely chopped
- 1/2 cup real mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup full-fat sour cream
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 2 tbsp pickle juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- First, boil the potatoes: heat a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until fork tender.
- While the potatoes are boiling, make the dressing: In a small bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, vinegar, pickle juice, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper until combined. Set aside.
- Cook the bacon: Dice the bacon and add it to a fry pan, cooking over medium heat until brown and crisp, draining the fat as you go. Set aside on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Drain the potatoes and let them cool to the touch, about 10-15 minutes. Then, cut them in half (or thirds if they are larger).
- Add the cooled potatoes to a large mixing bowl along with the cooked bacon, pickles, celery, onion, chives and dill. Roughly mix with a large wooden spoon.
- Pour over the dressing and gently mix again until all of the ingredients are coated in dressing.
- For optimal results, cover and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight. Otherwise, serve semi-warm and enjoy!