Indulge in the timeless allure of classic potato salad, where tender boiled potatoes meld with creamy mayonnaise, tangy mustard, and crisp veggies to create a versatile side dish. Elevate your picnics, barbecues, and family gatherings with this rich and comforting favorite potato salad.
My Mother’s Twist on Classic Potato Salad
This is my mother’s vintage potato salad recipe. It was never written down, but after years of making it, she knew exactly how to make it taste right every time. This recipe has all the classic crunchy ingredients of vintage potato salads: bell pepper, sweet pickles, onion, and celery. However, it distinguishes itself by adding raw carrots for some extra crunch.
Ingredients in Classic Potato Salad
Potatoes: Use peeled and cubed yellow potatoes such as Yukon Gold. They have a delicious flavor and retain their shape when mixed in the salad.
Sweet Pickles: Pickles give this salad sweetness and added crunch.
Eggs: Hardboiled eggs are chopped and added to impart creaminess, texture, and flavor to the salad.
Celery: Chopped fine, celery adds flavor, color, and texture.
Green Pepper: Adds flavor and color to the salad. You can substitute red pepper for added color.
Onions: Use a sweet onion to add subdued flavor and crunch to this salad.
Carrots: Adds flavor, crunch, and orange color to the salad.
Mayonnaise: Binds together the potatoes and vegetables.
Mustard: Yellow mustard takes the salad from bland to tangy, imparting color and flavor.
Salt: Add flavor to the salad.
Paprika: Sprinkled on top of the salad to add color.
Make-Ahead Tips for Classic Potato Salad
This potato salad is easy to assemble, especially if you prepare the eggs and chop the vegetables the day before. However, if that’s not feasible, you can always chop the ingredients while the potatoes boil.
Vibrant and Delicious
Despite not being a fan of classic potato salad when I was young, I always appreciated its vibrant and colorful appearance. My mother always served her classic potato salad in a white dish, garnished with a sprinkle of colorful paprika or fresh herbs. This made all the difference in how it was perceived–so much so that one day, I tried it and discovered that I loved this classic potato salad with carrots!
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Classic Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 2 pounds yellow potatoes, peeled and cubed
- ⅓ cup sweet pickles, chopped
- 2 hardboiled eggs, coarsely chopped
- ½ cup celery, chopped into small pieces
- ⅓ cup green pepper, chopped
- ⅓ cup sweet onion, chopped
- ⅓ cup carrots, chopped
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- salt
- paprika
Instructions
- Place peeled and cubed potatoes in a pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and then add 1 teaspoon of salt. Boil for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool.
- At the same time the potatoes are cooking, add the eggs to a pan of water and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Cool the eggs in ice water once cooked. Then peel and chop.
- Mix together the mayonnaise and mustard in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Combine the cooled potatoes, pickles, celery, green pepper, onion, and carrot in a large bowl. Add the mayonnaise and mustard mixture and stir to coat. Stir in the eggs. Add salt to taste.
- Refrigerator for 4 hours or until cold. Before serving, sprinkle with paprika.