Southern Potato Salad

vegan, gluten-free, nut-free

Adapted from a recipe on Simple Veganista

Creamy, savory, and perfect for a hot day, this potato salad comes together quickly. It can be chilled for a few days, but the texture is best on the day it's made, so it's better to make it a couple of hours ahead of your picnic and allow it to chill while prepping other food. Play around with optional herbs as a garnish to bring out fresh summertime flavors.

Serves: 6* / Active time: 20 minutes / Total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 lbs. yukon gold potatoes (red or white work too), chopped into 1/2 inch cubes**
• 1/2 cup celery (some leaves ok), diced (optional)
• 1/2 cup green onions (green parts only), diced
• 1/4 – 1/3 cup dill or sweet relish or finely chopped pickles, optional

POTATO SALAD DRESSING

• 1/2 – 3/4 cup vegan mayo (like Vegenaise, Hellman's vegan mayo, etc)
• 1 heaping tablespoon yellow mustard
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or juice of 1/2 lemon, optional
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
• salt & fresh cracked pepper, to taste (start with 1/2 teaspoon)

FOR SERVING

• paprika and/or finely chopped chives, parsley, or dill

Directions:

1. Potatoes: Place the cubed potatoes in a large pot, cover with 1 1/2 inch of water, and add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a gentle boil and cook about 15 – 20 minutes, until potatoes are just fork tender. Drain and let cool.** 
2. Prep veggies: While potatoes are cooking and/or cooling, prepare the celery and green onion.
3. ​Dressing: In a small bowl, combine the mayo, mustard, dried dill, salt and pepper, and mix well. If dressing is too thick, add a splash of water or more lemon juice.  Alternatively, if dressing is too thin, add more mayo. 
4. Assemble: In a large bowl (or the same pot you cooked the potatoes in) place the potatoes, celery, and green onions. Pour the dressing over top and mix to combine. Season with additional salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.
5. Garnish with paprika, chives, parsley, or dill. Serve as is, or store in the refrigerator for an hour or so before serving.*** 

*Recipe can easily be doubled if serving a crowd.
**Alternatively, boil the potatoes whole, and then remove the skins and chop. I prefer the skins on for gold potatoes, but if you're using the russet variety, you may want to remove the skins after cooking. 
​***Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The potatoes do tend to absorb the liquid though, so the texture is creamiest on the day it's made.