Classic Potato Salad

While there are hundreds of ways to make potato salad, I must admit that I’m partial to the classic version. You know the one – vinegar-infused cubed potatoes, diced celery, red onion, and hard-boiled eggs tossed in a creamy dressing – it’s potato salad perfection.

Years ago, my mother-in-law taught me a great trick for making the most flavorful potato salad. Whisk together a little bit of vinegar, salt, and black pepper. While the cooked, cubed potatoes are still warm, toss them in the seasoned vinegar. This allows the potatoes to soak up all that tanginess, infusing each bite of potato with maximum flavor. Another “perfect potato salad” hack is starting with cold water for boiling the potatoes. This promotes more even cooking from the outer edge of the potato to the center. Adding potatoes directly to boiling water can lead to soft, mushy exteriors and hard centers.

When making potato salad it’s important to use the right potato. The selection process involves understanding potato composition. Depending on their starch and moisture content, potatoes fall into one of three categories: starchy, waxy, and all-purpose.

As the name implies, starchy potatoes have higher levels of starch and less moisture. When cooked, the flesh of starchy potatoes easily falls apart. Their texture is often described as being soft, fluffy, and floury (loose and dry). Starchy potatoes are ideal for baking, mashing, roasting, and pan frying. Russets, also referred to as Idaho potatoes, are the most common type of starchy potatoes. Sweet potatoes also fall into this starchy category.

Waxy potatoes have a lower starch and higher moisture content compared to starchy potatoes. Their cooked texture is firm and dense, yet moist and creamy. Waxy potatoes have skins that are slightly waxy and thin enough to scrape off with your fingernail. Because they hold their shape after cooking, waxy potatoes are an excellent choice for boiling, steaming, and slicing. They’re perfect in soups, stews, casseroles, gratins, and potato salads. Waxy varieties include new/baby potatoes, fingerlings, and red-skinned potatoes.

Smack dab in the middle of the starchy to waxy potato spectrum are all-purpose potatoes. Due to their medium starch and medium moisture content, these taters are very versatile and work well with almost any cooking technique. Their cooked texture tends to be velvety. Try them mashed, roasted, boiled, sautéed, or oven fried. They’re also great in soups, stews, casseroles, gratins, and potato salads. All-purpose potatoes include white potatoes, yellow potatoes (Yukon Gold being the most popular), and purple-blue potatoes.

No matter the potato type, know that you’re getting a wonderful dose of vitamin C and potassium. One medium potato provides 30 percent of your daily need for vitamin C and has more potassium than a medium banana.

To your health,

Darlene

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CLASSIC POTATO SALAD

Yield: 12 servings

Serving Size: about 2/3 cup

Prep: 20 minutes

Ready: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds baby yellow or red potatoes, or Yukon Gold potatoes

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

• 1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream

• 1 cup diced celery

• 1/2 cup diced red onion

• 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

• 1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

• 1/8 teaspoon paprika

DIRECTIONS

1. Place cleaned, whole, unpeeled potatoes in a large pot with enough cold water to cover potatoes. Bring water to a boil, then lower heat and simmer until potatoes are easily pierced with a sharp knife; about 10 to 15 minutes (cooking time varies depending on the size of the potato). Drain water and place potatoes on a cutting board. Allow potatoes to cool just until they can be handled. Cut potatoes into bite-size cubes and place in a large bowl.

2. In a small dish, whisk together vinegar, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Pour seasoned vinegar over warm cubed potatoes and gently stir to combine. Cover potatoes with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes. While potatoes are chilling prepare dressing by stirring together mayonnaise and sour cream.

3. To assemble potato salad, add dressing, celery, red onion, hard-boiled eggs, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to chilled potatoes and gently stir to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve. To serve, place potato salad in a bowl and garnish with chives and paprika.

Nutrition Information per Serving

140 Calories, 8 g Total fat, 2 g Saturated fat, 0 g Trans fat, 38 mg Cholesterol, 242 mg Sodium, 14 g Total carbohydrate, 2 g Dietary fiber, 2 g Total sugars, 0 g Added sugars, 3 g Protein, 0 mcg (0%) Vitamin D, 29 mg (2%) Calcium, 1 mg (6%) Iron, 391 mg (8%) Potassium

© 2026 RECIPES MADE HEALTHY BY DARLENE ZIMMERMAN, MS, RD LLC

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