Nothing is quite like potato salad in the summer. Growing up, potato salad was synonymous with cook outs and our weekend spent on the Mississippi River. Still it was never really something I got super into, but a summer picnic feels incomplete without it.
I, of course, would still eat it no matter how adverse I was to the eggs and mayonnaise. I loved the way the powdery potato mixed with the creamy dressing. The subtle crunches of celery mixed in with mustard and dill really won over though.
When I made the switch to mostly dairy free it became increasingly tricky to emulate that same flavor and texture profile. I am also not a huge fan of veganaise – which doubled the challenge. So like any good cook – I gave up. Or at least I stopped trying to force dairy free potato salad to be something it wasn’t. Instead I started to assess other flavor profiles that would work well with potatoes, dill, and celery.
That is when tahini popped into my mind (after coconut milk and avocado?? – what even?). I figured once it mixed with the starchy outsides of the potato it would develop into a nice creamy yet crunchy summer side! Plus tahini, celery and dill create a wonderful flavor trifecta.
The result was as anticipated, except better because I naturally jazzed it up a bit. The sweet carrots, musty mustard, and earthy herbs gave me a new take on potato salad I wasn’t expecting but thoroughly enjoyed.
The recipe is pretty straight forward, really just your run of the mill potato salad with more fix ins. One thing I will emphasize is to NOT by any means overcook those potatoes! You will end up with accidental (yet tasty) mashed potatoes. And with that note I turn you loose on the world of barbeques and kickbacks:
Ingredients:
- 3 large yellow potatoes or 8 small red potatoes
- ¼ cup tahini
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp ACV
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Juice ½ lemon
- ¼ cup water
- 2 stalks celery – diced
- 1 medium carrot – diced
- 2 – 3 radishes – diced
- 2 tsp fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano
- 2 tbsp chives – chopped
- 2 tbsp dill chopped
- ½ tsp paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Place a large pot on the stove to boil and salt well
- Wash or peel potatoes and cut into large cubes – a little larger than you want them in your salad
- Once the water has come to a boil reduce the heat to medium-high and drop in the potatoes – cook for 10 minutes or just until fork tender. You do not want your potatoes crumbly and falling apart – the potato salad will basically just turn into mashed potatoes
- While the potatoes are cooking mix together the tahini, mustard, acv, lemon juice, olive oil, herbs, and seasonings – set aside
- When the potatoes are finished drain them and allow them to cool to near room temperature. Avoid spraying or rinsing them with water, this will risk breaking up the potatoes (aka mashing them).
- Combine the cooled potatoes with the dressing and other chopped vegetables and toss to coat
- Chill the salad for at least 2 hours before serving
Enjoy!
Green and Gluten Free 