Potato Egg Salad (creamy and easy)
The is the old-fashioned classic salad I grew up with, that I tweaked through the years. It uses everyday ingredients and it's easy to make. The dressing makes it stand out and you can customize it to make it as creamy and tangy as you want to.
Servings 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds baby potatoes
- 2 tablespoons vinegar I use red or white wine
- 4 eggs
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives or finely chopped yellow or red onion
- ⅓ cup chopped pickles optional
For the creamy dressing:
- 1 ½ cups of mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove minced
- ½ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
For the potatoes:
- Boil 2 pounds of baby potatoes in their skins in a large pot of salted water adding 1 tablespoon vinegar. This helps the potatoes hold their shape better. Cook for 7-8 minutes when the water boils or until they are fork-tender (can easily be pierced with a knife or fork).
- Drain well. You can also run them under cold water for a few seconds to cut the cooking. If you want to peel them, do so as soon as you can and cut them in pieces. Or leave them with the skin on and into ½-1 inch pieces.
- Transfer the cooked potatoes to a shallow platter or dish, drizzle with 1 tablespoon vinegar and stir lightly. Leave them untouched until they’re at room temperature.
For the eggs:
- To hard boil them, place 4 eggs in a single layer in a pot. Avoid stacking them to ensure even cooking. Cover with tap water by about 1-2 inches.
- Sprinkle with a little salt or a drizzle of vinegar; it will prevent the egg whites from spreading much in case an egg shell cracks while cooking.
- Let the water come to a boil, and count exactly 10 minutes from that moment. I use my phone timer.
- After boiling for ten minutes, drain and place them in a bowl with cold water. I place the saucepan in the sink under the running water for a minute or two. Let them cool down in the cold water for about 10 minutes and then at room temperature until you use them. Don't keep them in the water for hours until you need them as that is what contributes to eggs having that greenish circle around the yolk. Immediately transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water (or run them under cold water) to stop the cooking process.
For the dressing:
- In a medium bowl, mix 1 and ½ cups mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon mustard, 1 tablespoon of honey, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 minced garlic clove, ½ teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste.
- If making ahead keep it refrigerated in an airtight container or covered bowl.
To assemble:
- Place the cooled potatoes in a large bowl with ½ tablespoon chopped parsley and ½ tablespoon chopped chives and⅓ cup chopped pickles if using.
- Drizzle over some of the salad dressing, stir to mix, taste and adjust for salt, vinegar or other ingredients.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours.
- When ready to serve, stir the potatoes lightly and transfer to the serving platter or bowl. Cut the eggs in four wedges each and place on top. Drizzle with more dressing. Sprinkle the rest of the chives or parsley on top and serve.
- Refrigerate leftovers, covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container.
Notes
Dressing: taste and adjust ingredients to your liking. You can use lemon juice instead of vinegar.
Two secrets to avoid mushy potatoes: add a splash of vinegar to the cooking water and, after draining the potatoes, transfer them to a shallow dish, drizzle with vinegar and oil and let them cool. Don't touch them until they're at room temperature. If you start mixing and handling them too much, they'll turn mushy. And if you add all the dressing while hot, the final result will not be good.
Make ahead: this salad recipe benefits from being assembled and refrigerated a few hours before serving. This will meld the flavors and make it more flavorful.
