This Greek Potato Salad will be a hit at your next BBQ. A lemony dressing with fresh oregano coats new potatoes, red onions and capers.
This is a classic side dish that has a place on any table. It's just at home on your Christmas table as it is at your next picnic or BBQ.
This Greek potato salad is different from its' more traditional creamy cousin. Instead of mayonnaise, it's dressed in a lighter olive oil that's filled with lemon, garlic and fresh oregano. Gone are the chopped pickles and celery, and in their place are zesty red onions, salty capers and cool cucumbers. Gone are the mushy King Edward potatoes, to be replaced with the firmer and waxier new potato. Greek potato salad refuses to be that nostalgic gelatinous, heavy gloop of your childhood picnics. It's brighter, lighter, fresher and more modern, but still has that comfort food factor that's essential in any good potato salad.
Ingredients in Greek Potato Salad
- New Potatoes: New Potatoes hold their shape better than more floury potatoes like King Edwards. They have a crisp, waxy texture that keeps them firm. They're also sweeter, making them the ideal potato for salads.
- Red Onions: Red onions have a milder taste than the more pungent yellow onion. They're perfect for salads, especially if they're thinly sliced as we're doing here.
- Cucumber: I love the cool crunch of cucumber against the meatier, softer background of potatoes. They provide the perfect opposing texture.
- Red Wine Vinegar: Red wine vinegar is a staple in Mediterranean cooking. It has a milder, sweeter taste than the more aggressive white vinegar.
- Olive Oil : Use the best quality extra virgin olive oil you can afford here. It will make all the difference to your Greek potato salad.
- Mustard: I love a good wholegrain English mustard. It's milder than Dijon, and provides an added layer of texture. If you use Dijon mustard, you'll need to use half the amount called for in my recipe.
- Lemon Juice: Always use the real thing, not bottled lemon juice! Lemons are so readily available, that I have no idea why people choose to buy the juice in bottles. Here they add a zesty, bright note that really makes this salad shine.
- Capers: Tangy, sharp and briny, capers give some oomph to this salad.
- Oregano: Fresh fresh, fresh please! If you can't find fresh oregano, don't substitute dried oregano. Instead, choose another fresh herb like dill, parsley, mint, or coriander.
*The full recipe with measurements is below.
Instructions
- Perfect Greek potato salad starts with new potatoes. Scrub them well and cut them in half. Boil with a pinch of salt for about 10 minutes.
- While the potatoes are cooking, put your Greek dressing together in a small bowl. Cut your cucumber and onions as finely as you can with your sharpest knife (or using a mandolin or food processor.)
- As soon as the potatoes can easily be pierced with a fork, drain them and put them in a salad bowl. Immediately add the dressing while the potatoes are still warm. This simple step will allow the potatoes to soak up the flavor or the dressing.
- Now add the red onions, cucumber and capers, turning everything over with a spoon.
- You can serve Greek potato salad immediately, but the flavors will benefit from allowing the salad to rest in the fridge for two hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends...if you just made it, and are storing it in the fridge straight away then it should stay fresh for about 3 days. If you've had it out in the sun or heat, don't put it in the fridge, discard any leftovers.
This recipe has a fairly small amount of oil compared to other potato salad recipes, but it's fine to use less if you want to make it a bit lighter.
Yes, you can! Freeze it in an airtight container and it will keep for up to 3 months. However, do not reheat it! Let it defrost overnight in the fridge before eating.
You could soak the sliced red onions in a cup of boiling water. This will reduce their pungency.
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Recipe
Greek Potato Salad
Ingredients
For The Greek Potato Salad:
- 1 pound new potatoes
- ½ red onion thinly sliced
- 1 cup cucumber thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons capers
For The Greek Dressing:
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ½ lemon *juice of
- ½ tablespoons wholegrain mustard
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Scrub the potatoes and cut each one in half. Boil in a medium size saucepan for 8-10 minutes.
- Slice the onion and cucumber as finely as you can.
- Put all six of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until combined.
- When the potatoes are done cooking, drain them and put them in a serving bowl. While still warm, add the dressing, onions, cucumber and caper. Stir gently with a wooden spoon.
- Serve immediately or leave in the fridge for 2 hours to marinate.
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