What I love about 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 unreal 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…
Recipe Notes
Here’s a list of ingredients that you will need:
- Baby potatoes – I find that baby potatoes work the best! They’re super buttery in texture and you don’t have to do any peeling. I like the mixed coloured baby potatoes, but it’s not necessary!
- Bacon – You can’t have a potato salad without bacon! 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 much more efficient, especially if you are going to chop it afterwards anyways. Try to find bacon that has no added hormones.
- 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.
- 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. I recommend full-fat sour cream for the most creamy, delicious flavour.
- 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.
FAQ:
Yes! This is one thing that actually gets better with a little chilling time. So, you can certainly make it a day in advance.
Baby yellow potatoes work best for this recipe as you don’t need to peel them. They are also deliciously buttery in texture and flavour as well.
Yes, if you want to make it vegetarian you can simply omit the bacon.
Yes, plain greek yogurt won’t give quite the rich and tasty flavour thats intended, but it would also work if you prefer a more light version.
This classic summer side dish goes perfectly with grilled meats, burgers or smokies. Ideal for summer potlucks and backyard bbq’s.
The Best Summer Potato Salad
Ingredients
For the potato salad:
- 5 cups yellow (or multi-coloured) baby potatoes
- 185g uncooked bacon
- 1/2 cup dill pickles diced
- 1/2 cup celery finely chopped
- 1/4 cup red or purple onion finely diced
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh dill packed, finely chopped
For the creamy dressing:
- 1/2 cup avocado mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup full-fat sour cream
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons pickle juice
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon 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 into quarters.
- 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!
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