My husband and I recently gave our back yard a bit of a makeover. To celebrate the new look we invited a few people over for a casual barbecue. I wanted to fill the menu with classically summer foods. Thumbing through my recipe collection I rediscovered my favorite light and fresh take on traditional potato salad.
The dressing for this salad features a combination of tangy Greek yogurt and decadent mayonnaise. It makes for a low-calorie dressing with all the creaminess you could ask for from a traditional potato salad. Swapping some, or all, of the mayonnaise in a creamy salad dressing with yogurt, is one of my favorite tools for a healthy recipe makeover.
This potato salad was a highlight of our patio warming dinner menu. I served it alongside turkey bratwursts heaped with grilled sweet onions, and a lightly dressed green salad provided by our guests. The potato salad was a hit around the table and I know a few people went back for more. As with most potato salad recipes this one improves as a leftover and I enjoyed another scoop the next day with a poached egg.
I really like the visual impact of multi-colored “rainbow” fingerling potatoes in potato salad. If multi-colored potato salad is a little too far out for you, use a single color spud with thin skin, such as baby red or Yukon gold potatoes.
My favorite part of preparing this salad was making mayonnaise for the dressing. I no longer keep mayonnaise in the house — Greek yogurt has become our multi-tasking condiment of choice — but I wanted our potato salad to have that creamy mayo texture and extra rich taste that comes from a hint of egg yolk in the dressing.
Homemade mayonnaise was a new technique for me, but thanks to a recipe from Alton Brown, an engaging teacher and the reigning king of kitchen chemistry, I felt confident giving it a try.
Mayo from scratch turned out to be a quick and entertaining activity. Holding the bowl, whipping the ingredients, while slowly drizzling oil into the mixture proved a three-handed operation. I recruited one of my husband’s hands to hold the container while I held the mixer and drizzled. To make it work we had to nestle together creating a single three armed chef. Who knew whipping the heck out of an egg yolk would be so romantic!
The finished sauce was a real treat. The flavor and texture were richer and creamier than anything I have tasted from a jar. Homemade mayo, or not, I hope you have as much fun making, and sharing, this colorful potato salad as much as we did.
Greek yogurt potato salad with parsley and dill
3pounds fingerling, red skin, or yukon gold potatoes
Dressing
1/3cup mayonnaise (see recipe below)
1/3cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
1tablespoon dijon mustard
1/4cup minced green onion (firm white stem only)
3tablespoons pickled capers with the brine
2tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
2tablespoons minced fresh dill
1/8teaspoon salt
A light take on traditional potato salad, this recipe cuts the fat by using Greek yogurt with mayonnaise in the dressing. Fresh herbs keep the flavor fresh and summery. As with most potato salad recipes, these flavors are enhanced with a bit of time. Prepare this salad recipe a minimum of 4 hours before serving — best made a day ahead. Prep time includes 1 hour to chill potatoes after cooking.
Fill a large pot 2/3 full with water and bring to a boil. Wash the potatoes and halve any that are especially large. If using a multicolor mix separate the purple potatoes from the others. Once the water has boiled add the potatoes and let them boil uncovered for 15 minutes (see note below). The potatoes are finished when a fork slides in and out with no resistance.
Rinse the cooked potatoes with cool water to stop the cooking process and chill them in the refrigerator until cold throughout (about an hour). If possible arrange the potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet to expedite the cooling. Once the potatoes are completely cold chop them into bite size pieces and put them into your salad bowl.
Prepare the dressing by mixing together the mayonnaise, yogurt, and mustard before folding in the remaining ingredients. Pour the dressing over the chopped potatoes and mix gently until they are evenly coated.
Refrigerate the finished salad for several hours, leave overnight if possible.
Notes: If using a rainbow potato medley do not add the purple potatoes until the final 10 minutes of cooking. If you prefer your potato salad with a little crunch, add some diced green bell pepper or minced celery to this recipe.
Prep time: 1 hour. Cook time: 20 minutes.
Makes 12 servings.
Serving size: 1 cup Calories: 135 Fat: 4.5g Carbohydrates: 20.5g Sugar: 1.2g Sodium: 190mg Fiber: 2.6g Protein: 3g Weight Watchers Points Plus: 4
Calorie Counter Tip: Reduced-fat mayo will cut the calories to 110, fat to 1.4g, and 3 Weight Watchers Points Plus per serving.
Homemade mayonnaise
1large egg yolk (see note)
1/2teaspoon fine salt
1/2teaspoon dry mustard
2pinches sugar
2teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1tablespoon white wine vinegar
1cup oil, safflower or corn
In a glass bowl or 1/2 quart jar, whisk together egg yolk salt, mustard, and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine lemon juice and vinegar, then whisk half of the juice mixture into the yolk mixture until fully combined. Whisking quickly, add the oil a few drops at a time until the mixture appears to thicken and lighten in color, this means it has emulsified. Once you create the emulsion increase the oil flow to a thin, continuous, stream. When half of the oil has been incorporated add the remaining lemon juice mixture.
Continue whisking and resume streaming oil into the mixture until the remaining oil is incorporated into the mayonnaise. Leave the finished mayonnaise at a cool room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before sealing in an airtight container and refrigerating for up to 1 week.
Note: Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness, especially if you have a medical condition.
Prep time: 15 minutes.
Recipe adapted from Alton Brown via FoodNetwork.com.
Rose McAvoy blogs at Light for Life at www.heraldnet.com/lightforlife and also at halfhersize.com. Email her at rose@halfhersize.com or find her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/halfhersize.
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