Italian Summer Potato Salad Recipe (no mayo)
I’m pretty sure it’s the hot and muggy weather that’s gotten to my cooking gene, but I’ve been in a slump when it comes to meals. I mean, really, for the love of Pete, do you people have to eat every day, multiple times each day?! In my kitchen, we don’t have the dog days of summer; we’ve got the crab days. So, it was quite an unexpected gift – a Christmas in July, if you will – when I got on a food bender. And naturally my mind went to potato salad.
I had been thinking a lot lately about how time flies. We’re already getting things together for the boys to go back to school – which sent me on the nostalgia train to when I was a girl getting ready to go back to school. I will spare you the brain caboose that got me from that all the way to remembering things I loved most about summer dinners with the family. But it did. And Mom’s Italian summer potato salad is definitely near the top of that list.
A little skip hop down memory lane
When I was growing up, if the weather was hot, you could be sure Dad was in the backyard grilling kebabs, pork chops, chicken or burgers and yelling at us to stop doing whatever it was we happened to be doing in the pool. Mr. Long would be next door swaying in his hammock, smoking one of his stinky cigars, occasionally yelling a hello or random commentary on George’s grill skills over the fence. Bill, you could be sure, was across the street mowing his grass for the umpteenth time staring daggers at us if we just looked like we might be thinking about riding our bikes near his lawn. And Mom would be inside whipping up the rest of dinner, probably grateful for the cool and quiet.
Most weekends, we would eat out on the patio in sopping wet bathing suits snarfling down fresh corn on the cob dripping in butter and speckled with salt and pepper. There were usually sliced tomatoes from the farmers who would park their trucks along the sides of the road, never refrigerated or bruised from travel. Sometimes there was saffron rice or a pasta dish but if you were lucky and the stars aligned just right, Mom would make her Italian summer potato salad. We didn’t have the mayo/egg potato salad growing up (which we called regular potato salad oddly enough since our regular potato salad was this Italian version). Creamy but firm potatoes, crunchy vegetables, and the tang of vinegar and Dijon mustard with herbs … ah, memories.
The. World’s. Best. Potato. Salad.
This Italian summer potato salad is the perfect anytime/entertaining salad. It can be whipped up early in the day so the kitchen doesn’t get too overheated by the boiling potatoes (yes, my kitchen is so small that boiling potatoes inches the thermostat up). If dinner is more than an hour or two off or even the next day, just put this covered in the refrigerator to hold it. Be sure to give it time to get the chill off though; it’s far more suited to room-temperature than icy. The ease of making, and it’s lack of mayonnaise, make this the perfect potluck, barbecue or picnic side.
I hope you get a chance to make this recipe. Please enjoy my cooking bender while it lasts… a bit of my childhood in potato form.
The guest photographer (aka the cook aka yours truly) – a legend in her own mind – decided that an artistic still life of chopped vegetables was in order. Bask in its loveliness… And be kind. I am still not adept at cooking and photographing. Add a icy Belgian white to the mix and you get three photos. For some of you reading, that’s a blessing. You are welcome.
The recipe in a nutshell:
While the potatoes are in the pot coming to a boil, finely dice all of the washed veggies. Set aside. I always use inner celery stalks and their leaves. They add a nice crunch and flavor without the bitterness (to me) of the woody outer stalks.
Mix the vinaigrette ingredients in the serving bowl you will be using so that you can toss the hot potatoes in after they’ve drained. They absorb so much more flavor than if you wait until they have cooled. Time is of the essence!
See above and below how nicely the potatoes retain their shape even after tossing with the dressing? You don’t want mooshy potatoes. This is why you need to cube them before cooking so that each bite cooks through as opposed to a whole potato where by the time the inside is done, the outside is overdone. Starting at 7 minutes into a rolling boil, start checking the potatoes by poking with the tip of a sharp knife. It should take about 15 minutes but you don’t want the moosh. So check about once every minute or so starting at the seven minute mark.
Close your eyes and imagine…
Since my photographer is not only a legend in her own mind but also a minimalist, I have no useful photos. The Philistine didn’t even take a picture of the completed salad in the bowl. I am assisting you with today’s visualization exercise. Please… picture it.
And here she is in all her potato glory aside a tasty bit o’ barbecued chicken. BD did a mighty fine job with that chicken… maybe he’ll share the recipe one day. In the meantime, I’m having fond thoughts of some of the best barbecued chicken ever grilled at a beach party by Nick Hamilton (a story for another time, may God rest his wonderful, patient soul). Add the potato salad and I was in seventh heaven.
Thanks for reading. And please let me know if you make this recipe. Comments/questions? Put them down below and I’ll respond. Glad to see your creations on Instagram as well. Just tag me @piecrustandpasta #piecrustandpasta
Italian Summer Potato Salad Recipe (no mayo)
Ingredients
- 4 lbs. red-skinned potatoes scrubbed, unpeeled and cubed
- 2 inner stalks of celery with leaves chopped
- 1 sweet red pepper chopped
- 1 white onion chopped
- 6 oz can whole black olives drained and sliced
- 1/4 c capers drained
- 2/3 cup olive oil good quality extra virgin
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 Tbs Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped
- 2+ tbsp salt (Diamond Kosher) 2 tbsp for potato water/to taste for salad
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Into a large pot put the scrubbed cubed potatoes and cover with cool water to about 2 inches above the potatoes. Add 2 tbsp of salt to the pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to maintain just a rolling boil. The potatoes should be done about 10-15 minutes from the time they come to a boil. A sharp paring knife should easily go through a cube without it falling apart. Begin poking cubes with a knife starting at about 7 minutes if you don't know the age of the potato which affects cooking time.
- While the potatoes are coming to a boil, chop the vegetables, olives and parsley. Drain the capers.
- Put the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon, oregano and basil into the bowl you will be serving from.
- As soon a knife will pierce three cubes of potatoes with little resistance, they are ready to drain.
- Drain the potatoes in a colander until they are no longer wet. DO NOT RINSE.
- While still hot, add the drained potatoes to the dressing ingredients in the serving bowl; toss gently. Add salt and pepper to taste. Potatoes are pretty bland so it takes more than you'd think – I start with about 1 Tbs of salt and 1 tsp pepper. Let sit out on the counter for 20 minutes until the potatoes are just warm (a quick toss every five minutes or so will help).
- Add the chopped vegetables, olives, capers and parsley; toss gently.
- Ready to serve! However, patience and about 1 or 2 hours let the flavors blend nicely. Beyond 2 hours, cover and refrigerate.
Love this! You could be a food editor. I am hungry from reading this and might try it with a grilled steak (if the weather holds out!).
Peter, the weather is perfect for grilled steak and potato salad. Enjoy and let me know if it strikes a memory chord! And I would loovveee to work with food. From your lips to the industry’s ears. Thanks for the very kind words.
I’m saving this one for later. I’ve been meaning to make this kind of potato salad for a while, and I just love the simplicity of your recipe. Nice!
Let me know what you think!
Love! The only potato salad–I’ve never been able to eat the “regular” version as I abhor mayo. Bee-yoo-ti-fool EOS!
Amen, toots!