A bright twist on a classic summer side, this Ultimate Lemon Dill Potato Salad will become your new favorite for a backyard BBQ or picnic. Finished with red onion, fresh dill and lemon zest, this simple potato salad recipe is as pretty as it is delicious.
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Perfect summer sides
In my mind, nothing signals the end of winter and welcomes warmer weather like the smell of someone grilling. And once spring takes hold of Michigan, it’s like someone flipped a switch in my neighborhood. I swear everyone has something amazing on the fire nonstop from Friday to Sunday. You can’t take a walk around the block without rethinking your dinner at least a half dozen times.
At our house, after a long day of spring yard work you’ll find us grilling as well. That first meal is usually a simple one – consisting of burgers with my Best 3-Ingredient Olive Sauce and this recipe for Ultimate Lemon Dill Potato Salad. Corn roasted over hot coals and some fresh fruit usually round out the meal. It’s nothing difficult. Just really simple and satisfying food.
And that’s what this recipe is. Nothing fancy or trendy. Just simple, good food with fresh herbs, lemon zest, onion and a little sea salt.
The sum of its parts makes this Ultimate Lemon Dill Potato Salad So Delicious.
When I post a recipe I often have very specific ingredients in mind. Naturally, it stands to reason that the flavor and texture of a finished recipe can vary widely if the ingredients and directions are changed one way or another. Such is the case with this potato salad recipe.
For example, I like to experiment with different salts. You’ll often see one of my recipes call for either Kosher salt or Pink Himalayan Sea salt. The texture and taste of both are very different, but I find them to have neutral flavor profiles. However, for this potato salad recipe, I like the softer texture and mineral flavor that French Grey Sea Salt imparts.
When I was developing this recipe, I actually divided a batch into quarters and experimented with it by using different types of salt in each. French Grey emerged my favorite. If you want to have some fun in the kitchen, try doing the same with a tried and tested recipe of yours. You may find a new favorite salt to add to your spice cupboard.
Use the right potato for the job
Although switching up the salt in this recipe is an option, using the right potato for the job is a must. Believe it or not, potatoes fall into three different categories; high-starch, waxy and all-purpose (think medium level starch). And they all work best with different methods of cooking.
- High-starch potatoes, like the russet, have a drier texture that perform well as mashed potatoes. But be careful not to overwork them or they can become gluey. This is the primary reason I recommend using a hand masher first to break down the potatoes before mixing in the other ingredients. The less you work them, the better the texture.
- Waxy potatoes are younger, have a creamier texture, lower starch content and hold their shape well after cooking. These potatoes are best boiled or roasted. One well-known waxy variety is the Fingerling potato, which I use in my recipe for this simple potato salad recipe. However, they are an example of the type of potatoes you should not use for mashed potatoes.
- All-purpose potatoes fall somewhere in between. They have both a medium moisture and starch level, which make them a versatile and safe potato for any recipe. Yukon Gold, larger Purple potatoes, and Norland Red are some of the most common ones youโll see in the grocery store. I like Norland Red when I want a quick mash, but donโt feel like peeling potatoes.
In this recipe for Ultimate Lemon Dill Potato Salad, I like to use either baby redskin potatoes or Fingerling potatoes. I find their slightly creamy texture and delicate skin to be more appealing. If you use a different potato – like a Russet, which has a thicker skin and drier texture that is more suited for baking or mashing – the finished product is going to be very different.
Choosing the right potato for the job is important to the overall success of a dish. If youโre interested in learning more about potato types, the Martha Stewart blog has a good post on this very topic.
Ultimate Lemon Dill Potato Salad
Course: SidesDifficulty: Easy12
servings30
minutes40
minutesIngredients
3 lbs. fingerling or red skin potatoes – cleaned, cooked, cooled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces.
1/2 cup red onion, sliced very thin – slivered
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. fresh lemon zest
1/2 tsp. sea salt (french grey is my personal favorite for this recipe)
1/4 tsp. fresh cracked pepper
1 Tbsp. fresh dill, minced
Directions
- In a large pot, cover the cleaned potatoes with cold water and add 1 Tbsp. salt. Bring water to a gentle boil, reduce to a simmer. Cook the potatoes until a knife can be easily inserted into them.
- Once cooked, remove from heat, drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Allow to cool completely and dice into 1/2 inch pieces. Set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine all other ingredients to make the dressing.
- Add the potatoes to the dressing and stir until completely incorporated. Garnish with a sprig of fresh dill, additional cracked pepper and lemon zest. Serve well chilled.
Notes
- This recipe for Ultimate Lemon Dill Potato Salad easily can be cut in half if you are serving a smaller group. But honestly, I rarely make a small batch because people always go back for seconds.
