How to make Potato Salad

The world-famous potato salad was originally created in Germany where it’s referred to as Kartoffelsalat. The traditional European method saw the potato salad being served warm, this was later tweaked into being the chilled dish we’re more familiar with today; this change happened as it was introduced to America by European settlers. America also added mayonnaise to the mix which was another step towards the version we know and love today.

Potato salad has since become a staple dish for parties, BBQs and buffets, it’s the ideal dish for these occasions on many levels – it can be made easily in bulk, it’s not time-consuming and delicious tastes and flavours are guaranteed.

With these base methods and a few recommendations from the Love Potatoes recipe collection, you’ll be able to create potato salad in a variety of delicious ways.  

Use the right spud

New potatoes or baby potatoes are commonly used in potato salad recipes, salad potatoes are ideal, such as Charlotte or Maris Peer. Explore a wider selection of salad potato varieties here. These potatoes lend themselves well to boiling or steaming and are delicious hot and when cooled down. You can experiment with slightly softer varieties if you’re looking for a more mashed-style in your potato salad.  Be adventurous and try some coloured varieties to give colour on your plate.  Find out more about the different types and varieties of potato here.

Put ‘em on the boil!

Chop your spuds into chunks and place them on the boil. Cook them until tender – you don’t want them to turn mushy and wet; test the consistency by stabbing a fork in the flesh. Timing depends on how large your chunks are, smaller bitesize pieces will take around 15 minutes to cook up and larger chunks will take around 20 -25 minutes.

Head to our how to boil potatoes page to get this step right!

Build the mix for your salad

The next stage is incredibly easy – it’s just a case of mixing your potatoes in with your preferred ingredients, that’s the beauty of potato salad!

Potato salad is an incredibly versatile dish so you can customise it in any way you like! We’ve got a ton of potato salad recipes on Love Potatoes which you’ll be able to use as inspiration. Here are a few of our favourites:

Creamy new potato salad

This is a more traditional method for a potato salad. Crème fraiche and mayonnaise help to create a delectable, creamy texture whilst the addition of chive and zest brightens up the dish in a tantalising way. A prime example of how just a few simple ingredients and a basic method can create something incredible!

Thai beef & potato salad

Here’s a slightly alternative take on the potato salad. This recipe uses traditional Thai cuisine and mixes it with the potato salad method. The addition of soy sauce, Chinese cabbage, spring onions and chili puts an oriental spin on the traditional method.

Spiralised Potato Salad

A slightly more experimental take on the potato salad featuring a spiralized potato! The presence of potato in its spiralized form allows a different texture and consistency to surface. This dish is peppered with tons of great flavour thanks to the addition of ham, olives and red pepper.