Classic Summer Potato Salad

Wren’s Little Nest
by Wren’s Little Nest
6-8 Servings
30 min

What better way to kick off the start of summer then with a potato salad served along side some delicious bbq?

Classic Potato Salad is a summer staple in our home, and I usually end up making the first batch for Father’s Day dinner. I have tried several different variations over the years but I always keep coming back to my original. It’s super creamy, tangy and has just the right amount of crunch.

Potato salad makes a great make ahead side, and in my opinion tastes better the next day. The dressing uses only a few staple ingredients you likely already have on hand. I love to use fresh herbs in my potato salad to give it a lighter taste as well as to add a pop of fresh colour to the dish. You can of course substitute any of the salad ingredients to suit your taste, my favorite combination however is red potatoes, red and green onions, hard boiled eggs, fresh parsley and a little extra secret ingredient.

Read below to find out what my secret is to making the perfect classic potato salad!

Begin by washing and boiling the mini red potatoes until fork tender. You can of course use regular red potatoes as well. I like to prep all of my veggies while the potatoes are cooking to make the whole process faster.

After your potatoes have cooked chop them into bite sized pieces. If you are impatient like I am you can run the potatoes under cold water to cool them off faster.

Add in the hard boiled eggs and the rest of the salad fixings.

Pour the dressing over the potato salad and give everything a good mix until evenly combined. Garnish with some parsley and enjoy!

This Potato Salad is so delicious and creamy! It has the perfect amount of crunch and tang. My secret to achieving this is the addition of chopped dill pickles and adding pickle juice to the dressing. I find that the pickle juice adds the perfect flavor without overpowering the salad. It’s something my mother always did and I have adapted it into my own recipe.

Potato Salad makes the perfect side dish to any summer bbq!

Potato salad is so versatile and completely customizable! This is how my family enjoys this classic dish, but I would love to know what are some of your favorite potato salad variations?

Classic Summer Potato Salad
Recipe details
  • 6-8  Servings
  • Prep time: 20 Minutes Cook time: 10 Minutes Total time: 30 min
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Ingredients
Dressing
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp yellow mustard
  • 2 tbsp dill pickle juice (liquid in the pickle jar)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/8 tsp paprika
Salad base
  • 1.5 lb bag mini red potatoes
  • 1/3 cup minced parsley
  • 1/3 cup chopped red onion
  • 1/3 cup chopped green onions
  • 1/3 cup chopped dill pickles
  • 4 hard boiled eggs chopped
Instructions
For the dressing
Whisk together mayonnaise, yellow mustard, dill pickle juice, salt, black pepper, onion powder, paprika and set aside.
1/8 tsp paprika
For the Salad
Boil the potatoes until fork tender, approximately 10 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
Wash and chop the parsley, red onion, green onion and add it to a large bowl.
Chop the pickles and hard boiled eggs and add them to the same bowl.
When the potatoes have cooled, cut them in halves or quarters and add them to the bowl.
Pour the dressing over the potatoes and veggies and gently stir until evenly combined.
Garnish with some additional parsley and enjoy!
Tips
  • You can substitute the fresh parsley for fresh dill for a slightly different variation, both are equally as good!
  • Add in a 1/3 cup chopped celery for even more crunch!
Comments
  • Sandy Adair Sandy Adair on Jul 05, 2021

    I use tri color mini potatoes, Yukon gold, red and purple. I cut mine in half and add to boiling water. I have my dressing finished before potatoes are ready. when fork tender I drain, add to dressing immediately. Sample for any added seasoning, cover and refrigerate. I agree tastes better 24 hours later.

  • Ros30022812 Ros30022812 on Jul 06, 2021

    It’s almost exactly the same as my grandmother and mother made in Germany. We mix the chopped onion, gherkins and apple with vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper, add the potatos and eggs. Leave over night, add the mayonnaise the next day. Perfection!!!

    I have also tried many variations, some even made by well known Chefs, and still think this is the best.

    Thank you for reenforcing my opinion👏👏👏

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