Nothing screams summer quite as loudly as fresh herbs and grilled food. And this herbaceous grilled potato salad has both: a huge bounty of fresh herbs from the garden and smoky grilled fingerling potatoes tossed in a light creamy dressing.
For me, potato salad is super hit or miss. It can be a gloopy mess of overcooked potatoes swimming in way too much mayo (think supermarket potato salad). Or, it can be a simple and elevated side for any barbecue or cook-out. I like to think of my herbaceous grilled potato salad as the latter. The fresh herbs instantly brighten and elevate the salad, adding layers and layers of flavor. The dressing is light but simple, made with tangy greek yogurt, dijon mustard, white wine vinegar and just a bit of mayo for that unctuous mouthfeel. And grilling the potatoes as opposed to boiling them does double duty. It adds an extra layer of smoky grilled flavor to the dish. But also, if you’re serving this dish as a side at a barbecue, cooking the potatoes is easy because your grill is already lit.
I love dishes like this herbaceous grilled potato salad for this time of year (June) for two reasons. One, because the weather is starting to warm up, reminding me of long warm nights and all those summertime recipes I’ve been missing for nine months. I start to crave the distinct flavor of grilled food, and this grilled potato salad (obviously) fits that bill perfectly. And two, because this time of year my garden is bursting with fresh herbs. Most of my other crops (tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, eggplant) won’t be ready until mid-July at the earliest. But fresh herbs are ready to use only a few weeks after being planted. And the more longevity I can get from my garden, the better.
THE HERBS IN “HERBACEOUS” GRILLED POTATO SALAD
You can really use any herbs you have on hand for this herbaceous grilled potato salad recipe. I chose chives, parsley, thyme, rosemary, nasturtium and sorrel. I think chives and parsley are a must for any potato salad. And thyme and rosemary go perfectly with potatoes in any format. Nasturtium and sorrel are less common, but I’m growing them this year and they work perfectly here. Sorrel is lemony and bright, and nasturtium is slightly sweet and peppery with gorgeous orange (edible) flowers. If you want to replicate this recipe as closely as possible and can’t find sorrel and nasturtium, you can use arugula and lemon zest to (respectively) replicate their flavors. But the key here is the freshness and brightness of the herbs. You can use literally any you have on hand, or your personal favorites, and you are sure to capture the spirit of this dish.
THE HOW & WHY OF GRILLING POTATOES
Potatoes are the perfect side for practically any dish because they are vessels for flavor, soaking up whatever you cook them in or with. That’s why I love them for the grill; they are fantastic at absorbing that smoky charred flavor. Use a grill basket or grate on top of the grill to cook them. This will make it easier to turn them as they cook and ensure that none fall between the grates. Potatoes also have a tendency to stick, so make sure to toss them with lots of oil before grilling, and oil the grill. Once your potatoes are grilled, you can use them in any recipe that calls for roasted potatoes, or even serve them on their own as a side.
THE PERFECT POTATO FOR GRILLED POTATO SALAD
I like using these teeny tiny baby new potatoes from Trader Joe’s for this grilled potato salad because they are waxy as opposed to starchy. This means they don’t break down too much, unlike those “on the verge of mashed potatoes” potato salads. They have a high skin-to-meat ratio and are less likely to fall apart. Also, they only need to be sliced in half to be the perfect bite-size for potato salad. If you can’t find them, you can use the slightly larger fingerling potatoes or even yukon gold or red potatoes. Simply cut them into bite sized pieces before grilling.
Herbaceous Grilled Potato Salad
Equipment
- Grill
- Grill Basket
Ingredients
- 2 lb baby new potatoes
- 1/4 cup greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, crushed or finely minced
- 1 cup minced fresh herbs or greens (I used a mixture of chives, parsley, thyme, rosemary, nasturtium and sorrel)
- 4 stalks celery, diced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- kosher salt
- black pepper
Instructions
- Heat grill over medium-low heat and oil the grates well.
- Dice potatoes into bite sized pieces. Depending on the size of your potatoes, this could mean halving them or quartering them. In a large bowl toss potatoes with 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika and black pepper to taste.
- Put the seasoned potatoes in the grill basket and grill over medium-low heat until browned on the outside and fork-tender, 25-30 minutes.
- While the potatoes cook, make the dressing. In a large bowl, whisk together dijon mustard, greek yogurt, mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, garlic, 1 tsp kosher salt and black pepper to taste. The dressing should be thick, but you can add 1-2 tsp water if it seems gloopy. Set aside.
- Once the potatoes are cooked, let them cool for 15 minutes. Then toss them with the dressing, minced fresh herbs and celery. Serve warm, or chill for up to 2 days before serving.
Leave a Reply