As we march into summer, we march into barbecue season. Ah yes, smoked meats, ice cream, and salads covered in mayo based dressings. But not all side salads have to leave a greasy film in your mouth this summer.
No. This salad can be a eaten as a side, or spooned on top of a bed of lettuce, or eaten as a meal all on it’s own. It’s light and refreshing yet filling. Plus, these tubers pack a nutritious punch because they’re a medley of baby red, yellow, white, and purple potatoes with the skin on! AND, (this is the most important part), this recipe is easy to throw together. You can eat it warm or chilled, and it keeps really well.
Potato Salad with Lemon Dill Vinaigrette
Serves 6
- 1.5 lbs of baby medley potatoes (red, purple, white, yellow), washed and sliced into 1/3 inch medallions
- 2 lemons, washed and cut in half crosswise
- 1 five (5) oz. can of chunk light tuna in water, drained and flaked
- 1/2 c. of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh dill
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp white wine or champagne vinegar
- 1/4 c. drained capers
- salt and pepper, to taste
- a couple of large handfuls of roughly chopped italian flat leaf parsley
Find a pot large enough to fully cover your potatoes with water when boiling. You don’t want the liquid and potatoes to touch the brim of the pot; it has to leave enough room for your spuds to move around in the boiling water.
Fill that pot about 2/3 with water and salt well (2-3 tablespoons). Turn the heat on to high to boil the water. As the water heats up, squeeze the juice out of one half of a lemon into the water. You can even drop that squeezed half into the water to add more lemony flavor to the potatoes. As the water heats up, make your dill vinaigrette.
In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, the juice of one whole lemon, the vinegar, the mustard, and the salt and pepper until emulsified. Toss in the dill and garlic and whisk until mixed well. Taste the dressing to make sure you like it. Maybe it needs more salt? Maybe more oil? Or lemon juice? The point is, TASTE YOUR FOOD BEFORE YOU SERVE IT! Set the vinaigrette aside.
Once the water is boiling, gently throw in the sliced potatoes. Set a timer for 8 minutes and stir the taters around every couple of minutes. Once the timer goes off, catch a spud medallion and test it to see the center can easily be pierced with a fork or knife. If it can, it’s done. If it can’t, give it another minute or two and keep testing until it’s done. Once they’re done, turn off the heat and drain in the sink using a colander. Allow them to drain and cool for a few minutes.
In a large bowl, toss together the warm potatoes and all of the vinaigrette. Continue tossing until the dressing is almost completely absorbed by the potatoes. Then add in the parsley, capers, and flaked tuna, and continue tossing until evenly distributed. Season with salt and pepper (only after you have tasted it to see if you need to add more).
You can serve this slightly warm, or you can serve it chilled by itself, or on top of salad greens dressed with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Either way, it’s delicious and nutritious. Enjoy!