Herbed potato salad

Red potatoes with herb, lemon & dijon dressing

Warning: You need a food processor for this one. And self control. 

A couple weeks ago, I became obsessed with Cookie & Kate's veggie chili. Well, Kate's recipes are now two for two. This potato salad is so fresh and scrumptious and (surprise!) mayo-free. I love mayo, so falling hard for this potato salad surprised me. But Kate was absolutely right: The dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, herbs, and dijon is creamy and indulgent. Taste-testing the salad for the first time, I actually pumped my first in the air and said "A triumph!" Okay, I did that in my head, but still. It really is a triumph. 

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HERBED POTATO SALAD

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

2 pounds red potatoes, washed and sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds

1 TBS salt, plus scant 1/4 tsp salt, plus more to taste

1/4 cup olive oil

1/3 cup lightly packed fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

1/3 cup roughly chopped green onions, plus more for garnish

2 TBS fresh lemon juice (1/2 to 1 lemon, depending how juicy)

2 tsp dijon mustard

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

scant 1/4 tsp black pepper, plus more to taste

WHAT YOU'LL DO 

1. Clean and slice potatoes and mix with salt in a large pot or dutch oven. Cover potatoes with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook about 5 to 6 minutes, until potatoes are tender and easily pierced with a butter knife. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water, then drain. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl.

2. In a small food processor, combine olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, green onions (I used both the white and green ends — about 3 onions total), mustard, garlic cloves, and scant 1/4 tsp of salt and pepper. Drizzle in a little reserved cooking water. Blend until emulsified. 

3. Drizzle potatoes with the herbed dressing and toss. Add chopped celery and additional chopped onions and parsley, and toss. Let the salad sit for a few minutes, then toss again. Do this several times over the next 10-or-so minutes until all of the potatoes are coated and the dressing seeps in. Add more salt and pepper as you toss. Serve immediately, or let rest at room temperature if eating shortly. Store in the fridge if making far ahead. 

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I loved this potato salad most when it was just dressed and the potatoes were still a little warm. That said, I kept it at room temperature for about an hour before a St. Paddy's Day party and it was also awesome. I packed up the leftovers, kept them in the fridge, and they were super tasty the next day, too. So you can't really go wrong with this one. Plus, it comes together so easily! The hardest thing about this salad is not eating it all yourself.