I really love mayo. I use it in dips, salad, even as a coating for chicken and fish. But when I'm getting ready for an end-of-summer picnic, I opt to leave the mayo at home and make my potato salad heat and sunshine friendly. Is that a letdown? Nope:
Packed with tender red potatoes and crisp green beans (both in season!), this salad gets a flavor boost from a fantastic, garlicky dressing that brings it all together. What's more, this salad is equally at home chilled or served warm. So don't worry about your hot picnic day spelling disaster for this potato salad. Just grab another helping instead!
In addition to being resilient, this potato salad pairs well with everything from fried chicken to burgers to grilled steaks and more. I like making a big batch because any leftovers easily find themselves alongside all manner of weekday meals. Of course, about as often as I double a recipe for my picnic offering, I end up seeing it get entirely emptied. May your summer woes be limited to such wonderful problems!
Bean & Tater Salad
- 2 lb. red potatoes - unpeeled and cut into bite-sized pieces (cooked until tender)
- 1 lb. green beans - rinsed, trimmed, and cut into bite-sized pieces (cooked until crisp-tender)
- 1⁄4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 cloves chopped garlic
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1⁄2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper, to taste
In a large bowl, combine the potatoes and green beans.
Add the remaining ingredients (balsamic vinegar through salt & pepper) to a resealable jar or small food chopper (that's what I used) and shake or process until well-combined.
Add the balsamic vinaigrette mixture to the warm potato/bean mixture; toss well to coat.
Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Yields: 10 servings
- Preparation Time: 30 minutes