Spring Potato Salad

Spring Potato Salad

This Spring Potato Salad recipe has always been a favorite of mine. The creamy mayo, the celery seed and the addition of onion and crisp, tart green apple is what makes it unique. This recipe is best when made ahead of time and it sits in the fridge overnight.

Potato Salad Stories

I think it is safe to say that every family has their own  Potato Salad recipe that they think is the best. They aren’t wrong. To them, their recipe is THE BEST! When discussing the topic of Potato Salad with my friend Mandee, who blogs over at The Kitchen Wife  We spoke about how every person has their own special ingredients they add to their potato salad that make it unique. Often times the recipe is passed down from a favorite Aunt or a Grandmother and little things are changed or added along the way. Along with those recipes come stories of family parties, picnics, and memories of when this salad was served. It had me thinking how every recipe has it’s own “Potato Salad Story”.

Remembering Yolanda

My potato salad story is one that I cherish. I have mentioned before that I worked for The Chicago Park District for 16 years before I decided to leave and embark on the self employed career path. The job itself and what it entailed is a story for another time but overall it was a very family oriented and cozy place to work. Most parks in the park system were outfitted with a full kitchen and cooking was a part of my career both personally and professionally. I taught countless cooking classes in my 16 years but eating together as a staff was a normal part of park district culture.

I had the good fortune of working with people from all different cultural backgrounds and walks of life. Sharing food together during breaks was a daily ritual. One particular co-worker  was my friend Yolanda who was Puerto Rican. Our paths crossed at a park on the Northwest Side called Avondale. She was the caretaker of the building and I instructed all the classes. We became fast friends and bonded over our love of cooking, eating and drinking.

Meeting The Family & New To Me Foods

I was welcomed to attend all her family parties that were filled with a mix of amazing Puerto Rican food, Mexican food and American dishes. I have so many great memories of being included in these parties. One of my favorite things that Yolanda made for a lot of her family parties was her potato salad. I begged her so many times for the recipe. One day she finally agreed to show me. We walked to the local grocery store near the park and we bought all the ingredients needed to make the dish. We went back to the park and she showed me her secrets. I may have adjusted her recipe ever so slightly over the years, but the memory of her and this dish have stood the test of time.

The Full, Printable Recipe for this Spring Potato Salad is below. Beyond that there are a few more details for those who would like to read on.

Full, Printable Recipe

Yield: 15 Servings

Spring Potato Salad

Print

This potato salad recipe was taught to me by my friend Yolanda. Creamy and delicious with the taste of onion and the crunch of tart green apple. This is a perfect side dish for all your Spring brunches.

Ingredients

• 4 to 6 Medium to Large Idaho Potatoes, Peeled
• 3 Stalks of Celery with the leaves intact, diced and the leaves minced
• 1 Medium Sized Yellow Onion, diced
• 1 Medium Sized Granny Smith Apple, not peeled, diced
• 4 T of Fresh Parsley Minced
• About 4 T of Hellmann’s Mayonnaise, You can use more or less, my version is not super thick with mayo, but you can adjust to your taste.
• 1 T of Celery Seed
• 2 t of Celery Salt
• 1 t of Dry Mustard or 1 T Dijon Mustard
• Black Pepper to Taste
• 2 Hard Boiled Eggs, Chopped

Instructions

1. Boil the potatoes whole until they are just soft, it’s ok if they fall apart slightly but you do not want them mushy. Ideally you will be able to cut them into bite sized cubes.
2. Drain the potatoes and let them cool completely. I put them in the fridge for a bit to cool. While they are cooled, rough chop them into a large bowl into bite sized pieces.
3. Combine your mayo with your celery salt, celery seed, pepper, mustard, onions, celery, apples, and parsley. Stir until well combined. Stir into your potatoes.
4. Slice your hardboiled eggs and cover the top of the potato salad with this, cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight in the fridge.
   

It’s a very simple recipe really, the trick is letting it sit overnight so the ingredients work together. It tastes great when you make it, and tastes even better the next day. Here is what you do:

This recipe is one of mine and definitely one of Mr. Tipsy’s favorites. He can sit and eat this whole bowl if I didn’t stop him. I love making it not only because it’s delicious but for the great memories of my old friend that it evokes. Memories I cherish and when I make this recipe I always smile thinking back on good times.

My friend over at The Kitchen Wife was also posting her potato salad recipe today. I encourage you to go check it out and see what you think! You can find it HERE I would also love to hear what your Potato Salad Story is. What are the special ingredients you add to your recipe that make it yours? Tell me in the comments!

For another great recipe check out my recipe for The ONLY Way To Cook Cauliflower.