We do a lot of things right in the South, especially when it comes to Potato Salad! This classic Southern Style Potato Salad with a Twist is perfect for Memorial Day, or anytime for that matter. It’s good served warm, but even better served cold after the flavors have had a chance to meld together!
I’ve been making this potato salad longer than I care to remember. Whether I serve it at home, or take it to a pot luck, it’s always a huge hit. In fact, the Master Taste Tester’s face always lights up when I announce that I’m going to make a batch of potato salad!
What’s the Twist?
What’s the “twist” you might ask? Well, it’s the addition of shredded carrots for color and a very subtle taste, and the use of dry mustard in place of prepared mustard. It’s also the Master Taste Tester lightly breaking up the potatoes with a potato masher to perfectly blend all of the ingredients together!
Cooking the Potatoes
I started by peeling and cutting the potatoes into about 1-inch cubes. Then, I added the potatoes to a 4-quart saucepan, and covered them with salted water. I brought the water to a boil, lowered the heat to medium, and cooked the potatoes until they were soft. This took about 20 minutes. When they were done, I drained the potatoes in a strainer.
Making the Southern Potato Salad Dressing
While the potatoes were cooking, I made the dressing. To do this, I started by adding the salt, pepper, dry mustard, and sugar to the mayonnaise. I generally do this in an 8-cup measuring cup, but could just as easily use a large bowl. Then, I added the vinegar and pickle juice (Photo 1), and whisked the mixture to combine everything (Photo 2). Next, I added the onions, celery, shredded pickles, shredded carrots, and eggs (Photo 3). I gave the mixture a stir to ensure that everything was well mixed (Photo 4).
Putting the Southern Potato Salad Together
To save on cleaning, I rinsed and dried the pan that the potatoes were cooked in. Then, I dumped the cooked and drained potatoes into the pan. Next, I poured the dressing over the potatoes.
I used a wooden spoon to mix all ingredients together. As a final step, the Master Taste Tester plunged the potato masher into the mixture five or six times.
In the early days, I worked incredibly hard to ensure that the potatoes were perfectly cooked to retain their shape. However, one day, the Master Taste Tester pulled out the potato masher and to my horror, proceeded to “mash” my perfectly formed potatoes! The result, however, was really good. It caused the potatoes to somewhat “soak” up the dressing and produced a creamier potato salad. From that day on, I’ve called on the Master Taste Tester to use the potato masher in the last blending step.
As a final step, I transferred the potato salad to a bowl, and covered and refrigerate it. This classic Southern Style Potato Salad with a Twist is perfect for Memorial Day, or anytime for that matter. Yum!
With Memorial Day just around the corner, I decided to update this post originally from March 20, 2017 and subsequently from May 31, 2019. In this updated post, I tweaked the text a bit and added a video.
Chula’s Expert Tips
- Russet potatoes work best in this recipe. The reason is that I use a potato masher to blend the dressing with the potatoes. If you’d prefer to forego the mashing, however, Yukon gold or red potatoes would be perfect.
- If you like extra celery in your potato salad like we do, then add several additional stalks of celery, finely chopped.
- You might think that shredded carrots are an odd addition to potato salad. However, they add a nice color and crunch without dominating the flavor. If desired, however, you can leave the carrots out.
- To perfectly hard cook eggs, remove from the refrigerator and steam the eggs for about 12 minutes. If you’d like more information about why steaming is the superior way of hard cooking eggs, check out Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs Every Time.
- I like to crumble the egg yolks between my hands rather than chopping the yolks. The reason is that I don’t especially like to bite into a piece of egg yolk. This is, however a personal preference.
Other Delicious Salads that Are Perfect for Any Occasion
This potato salad is perfect for cookouts. However, you should also check out these amazing salads:
- Classic Southern Macaroni Salad: Classic Southern Macaroni Salad is the perfect make-ahead side dish for your summer barbecues, picnics or potlucks. It’s filled with crunchy vegetables and a simple creamy sauce. Nothing says summertime like this easy to make Classic Southern Macaroni Salad.
- Cucumber Dill Salad: Cucumber Dill Salad or Gurkensalat is an incredible salad that is easy to make. It’s not only tasty, but also very refreshing, making it perfect for your any get-together.
- Classic Southern Seven-Layer Salad: When you’re planning the perfect make-ahead dish for your holiday gathering, look no further than Classic Southern Seven-Layer Salad. It’s as versatile as it is delicious, and always receives rave reviews!
- Tomato Vidalia Onion and Cucumber Summer Salad:Two of the best things about summer (well, almost summer!) are homegrown tomatoes that actually taste like tomatoes and Vidalia onions. This summer salad combines the tomatoes and onions with cucumbers and an awesome dressing. It’s perfect for your Memorial Day cookout!
- Caesar Salad: Caesar Salad was invented in Tijuana, Mexico in the 1920’s. It’s a wonderful dish on its own or paired with any number of toppings or entrees. What makes a great Caesar Salad is a great dressing and freshly made croutons, both of which are quick and easy to make.
- Creamy Southern Coleslaw: Creamy Southern Coleslaw is full of tasty goodness, with the perfect blend of sweet and sour. It’s consistently amazing, and goes well with so many dishes. What’s even better is that the food processor does most of the work.
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Southern Style Potato Salad with a Twist
Ingredients
- 4 pounds russet potatoes (peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 8 cups) (See Tip 1)
- 1 cup (8 ounces) Mayonnaise
- 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons sweet pickle or gherkin juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 to 1 medium red or sweet yellow onion finely chopped (about a cup - more or less depending on taste)
- 5 stalks celery finely chopped (about 1-1/2 cups) (See Tip 2)
- 8 small sweet pickles or gherkins, shredded
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and shredded (See Tip 3)
- 4 hard-boiled eggs peeled; whites chopped and yolks crumbled (See Tips 4 and 5)
- Paprika and chopped chives for garnish if desired
Instructions
- Add water to cover potatoes and 1 tablespoon Kosher salt. Cook potatoes in salted water until done (should be soft, but not mushy), 15 to 20 minutes. Pour into colander; rinse well with cold water and drain well. Place in a large bowl.
- In a medium bowl, mix mayonnaise and remaining ingredients, stirring well to combine. Pour mayonnaise mixture over potatoes; toss gently with a wooden spoon until potatoes are thoroughly coated.
- Plunge a potato masher five or six times into the mixture, to lightly break up potatoes. Cover, and chill thoroughly. If desired, garnish with paprika and chopped chives or chopped parsley. Yield: 10 to 12 servings.
Video
Chula's Expert Tips
- Russet potatoes work best in this recipe. The reason is that I use a potato masher to blend the dressing with the potatoes. If you'd prefer to forego the mashing, however, Yukon gold or red potatoes would be perfect.
- If you like extra celery in your potato salad like we do, then add several additional stalks of celery, finely chopped.
- You might think that shredded carrots are an odd addition to potato salad. However, they add a nice color and crunch without dominating the flavor. If desired, however, you can leave the carrots out.
- For Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs every time, steam them.
- I like to crumble the egg yolks between my hands rather than chopping the yolks. The reason is that I don't especially like to bite into a piece of egg yolk. This is, however a personal preference.
I like the recipe for potato salad especially the carrots and dry mustard. I put a twist in mines by adding a red apple. I boil it when potatoes are almost done so they’re still crunchy.
Yum – that sounds delicious Dianne!
Chula