Potato Salad

Something about being cooped up during perfect weather me cooking all my traditional summer favorites. We recently moved to a house with a yard and screened in porch (and much better kitchen), and have been wishing we could have a housewarming, but just because I can’t have 25 people over to grill in my new yard, doesn’t mean I can’t eat my weight in potato salad.

This potato salad is adapted from my mom’s recipe (@Cindy thank you, I love you, you’re my idol), but I made it vegan. It calls for candied jalapeños (also called sweet pickled jalapeños) which are usually available at HEB with the other jars of pickled goodies, and are worth having around. I like them on my cheese free charcuterie platters. They aren’t overwhelmingly spicy so if your spice tolerance is low, don’t worry this will be fine. This recipe also calls for veganaise (I buy Follow Your Heart brand) but if you want to use regular mayo or even miracle whip it’s a simple 1:1 substitution. As with most mayo based “salads” this is good the first day, but even better the second day, so I like to make it the night before I want to take it somewhere.

Potato Salad

2lbs of Yukon Gold Potatoes, cut into inch pieces (I usually cut my potatoes into eighths)

¼-½ cup of pickle juice

¾ cup finely chopped pickles 

¼ cup of candied jalapeños

1½ tbsp Dijon mustard

¼ cup veganaise 

Salt, pepper 

Bring the potatoes to a boil in a pot of salted water (like you cook pasta), cook for about ten minutes, until the potatoes are soft enough to be easily pierced with a fork. Drain and transfer to a medium size bowl, add pickle juice immediately, I like to use closer to a half cup but if you’re nervous about that much pickle juice a quarter cup will do the trick. While the potatoes cool, chop the pickles and jalapeños by hand or by pulsing a food processor. Mix pickles, jalapeños, Dijon, veganaise, and salt and pepper into the potatoes with a fork and serve cold.