I will be the first to admit that I used to HATE potato salad (with a passion). This most likely stemmed from my detestation for all things mayonnaise. The texture, the color, the taste…. it all just grossed me out. Looking at a typical ingredient label now, I am STOKED that I hated the stuff. If you haven’t yet, take a look at a jar of Best Foods “Real” Mayo and see what you find. Or better yet, I will tell you (in this order): soybean oil (read THIS post for my thoughts on this), water, whole egg (I wouldn’t like to see the living conditions of those chickens), vinegar, salt, sugar (we know the issue there), calcium disodium EDTA (huh?), “natural flavors” (aka possible beaver butt juice or HFC).
Dodged that bullet.
Anyways, since diving head first into the world of real food, I have seen recipe after recipe with delicious looking meals made with actual “REAL” mayo, and I finally decided to give it another go. And guess what… this mayo hating chick actually loves the creamy, properly made condiment. Who would’ve thought? It was THIS recipe from Nom Nom Paleo that made me come around, and when I am in a pinch, I only buy Sir Kensington’s mayo, which is pretty delicious. Oh, and side note, their stone ground mustard is by far the best I have EVER had.
If you look at the ingredients for high quality mayo, this is what you get: high quality, healthy oil (olive oil, avocado oil, macadamia nut oil), egg yolks (loaded with nutrients), mustard and spices of your choice. Simple right?
So why all the crap in store-bought stuff? Well, crop oils (or crap oils, really) are a big business, which means there is money to be made and money to back the marketing to keep them on shelves; it’s also waaaay cheaper than the healthy oils and has a much longer shelf-life because of the ingredients in there that I cannot pronounce. I will not touch your average canola or soybean oil filled mayo, but when made right, this stuff can be the perfect finishing touch on a delicious recipe, simple tuna salad, bunless burger, or #hotdogasthebun (that’s a real thing). So I decided to take a chance with my new found love for mayo and whip something up for our family’s Labor Day BBQ.
So here you have it. And this was a REAL hit! Not your average potato salad…
Pure Potato Salad (GF, NF, DF)
WHAT YOU NEED:
- 2 1/2 lb red potatoes, large cur into wedges
- 3 TB apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 cup CLEAN mayonnaise (HERE is a great recipe, but I recommend Sir Kensington’s in a pinch)
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 1-2 TB dried parsley
- 2 TB chopped fresh tarragon
- 1 TB minced garlic
- 1/2 cup small dice red onion
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
WHAT YOU DO:
- put potatoes in a pot of water (so they are submerged) and bring water to boil
- once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and let them cook until a fork goes through easily (about 15 minutes)
- drain the potatoes and put them in a bowl of water to cool
- the skin should peel off really easily at this point, so strip those taters
- put them in a bowl and toss them in your apple cider vinegar until coated, cover, and put in the fridge for at least 3 hours (overnight is great)
- combine mayo, mustard, parsley, tarragon, garlic, and onions in a bowl
- add the potatoes, mix it up gently (so as not to smash them) and season with salt and pepper to taste
- let your salad chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before it’s time to eat
- enjoy!!! We had ours with beautiful grilled steaks, roasted romanesco, and farmers market green salad (yum!)
What are your Summer BBQ favorites? I am planning a summer recipe round up so DO SHARE in the comments below!
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