Herby Roasted Potato Salad

Potato salad is a staple side dish that can be found at almost every summer barbecue.

However, I must admit that it is often a sloppy creamy mess with mysterious chunks that do not appeal to me at all.

Over the years, I’ve created this alternative, which I believe is a healthier and more flavorful choice that I genuinely like eating.

Try our mustard beer potatoes as an alternative that includes smoking the potatoes.

Preparing the potatoes

The key difference between my potato salad and others is that I roast the potatoes instead of boiling them. Roasted vegetables just have more taste! So it’s basically a no-brainer.

I prefer to use young red royale spuds since the red skins provide contrast to the salad.

They also roast with just enough crispiness for this meal.

Before you use your potatoes, be sure you wash them! You never know what nastiness has been splashed all over them.

After washing the potatoes, slice them into little bite-sized bits and mix with roughly a tablespoon of olive oil before putting them on a baking pan (hopefully yours is cleaner than mine).

This is undoubtedly controversial, but I never salt the potatoes before baking them.

When I want some crisp on my sweet or ordinary potato, I never do this, and I always get superior results.

So, after the potatoes are done and golden, around 30 minutes at 375F, I’ll remove them from the oven and liberally salt them.

Frying the bacon

You may prepare the rest of the salad components while the potatoes are cooking.

This is because you want to add the potatoes while they are still hot.

This will release more flavor and aid in binding to the potato. More taste can’t be terrible, right?

Slice the bacon and cook it until it is really crispy. This salad does not need soggy bacon.

(To be honest, this was probably a touch too crispy, but I was distracted by someone weeping on my leg.)

So! After you’ve cooked the bacon, remove it with a slotted spoon and set it aside to drain. But don’t throw out that wonderful bacon grease!!

Assembling the potato salad

Return it to the fire over a low heat and stir in the new breadcrumbs. You want to use fresh breadcrumbs so they absorb the bacon taste and crisp up without burning.

Keep an eye on the crumbs while they cook, but move on to the herbs.

I used a generous amount of parsley, chives, and mint. I think of them as a salad element rather than a dressing.

So you want to use enough to make the tastes stand out.

Combine the herbs and finely cut them. This is a matter of personal opinion, but I like them tiny enough that they soften and adhere to the potatoes.

You may now add the lemon zest to the herbs. Everything is lifted by the gentle aroma.

After that, combine the herbs, lemon zest, lemon juice, bacon, remaining olive oil, and pepper in a large mixing bowl.

When the potatoes are done, mix them in with the rest of the ingredients.

This step is optional, however add some greek or natural yogurt for a little richness.

I use around half a cup, but feel free to delete or add more as desired.

In a pinch, you could substitute mayo, but I believe yogurt offers you that creamy satisfaction while still preserving the fresh quality you’re looking for.

After you’ve blended in the yogurt, transfer the potato salad to a serving dish and top with the breadcrumbs and any leftover herbs.

Try our loaded baked potato salad for a new take on potato salad.