Of all of the foods you should make yourself, potato salad is screaming for some DIY magic. The stuff in the tub at the store is just scary, and the deli counter's potato salad sits soaked in so much mayo, you might think you're eating soup, not salad.
And it's summer, which is no time for soup.
But the path to good, homemade potato salad is not always an easy one. Overcooked potatoes might turn your salad into a mash, or a thick, uninteresting salad dressing may leave your salad bland. You may even encounter the dreaded undercooked tuber, ruining an otherwise perfectly good salad. Whatever your gripe, we've got a fix for it.
Problem: Bland Potatoes
Solution: Season Your Water With Salt and Herbs
Before bringing your potatoes to a boil, add salt and sprigs of parsley to the stockpot of cold water. This step brings so many extra opportunities for flavor infusion in the potatoes—add garlic if you like, or a tablespoon of vinegar to help the potatoes get even punchier.
Problem: Dressing That Just Doesn't Work
Solution: Toss Your Taters While They're Hot
When you toss warm potatoes in dressing, they'll absorb some of the dressing, producing a sort of magical cohesion and better flavor all around. For oil-based salads, toss the potatoes with dressing and vinaigrette when the potatoes are hot. If using a mayo-based dressing, stir in the potatoes when they’re warm, not hot—you don't want to break the mayo.
Problem: Soggy Potato Texture
Solution: Smart Shopping and a Steam
So much of your final potato salad's texture is based on potato choice. A waxy potato has a great texture and keeps its shape when cooked. Use small baby red potatoes, fingerlings, or baby new potatoes. They won't break up too much while you're mixing, keeping most of your salad intact. Some of these have such soft skins, they don’t even require peeling.
If your waxy potatoes are still soggy, try steaming them in a basket. You won’t get the same kind of flavorful potato that a seasoned boiling creates, but you’ll be able to avoid overcooking easier.
Problem: Overly Heavy Dressing
Solution: Brighten Up Your Seasonings
Use pickle juice, buttermilk, and additional vinegar to freshen up a heavy dressing. A squeeze of lemon never hurt, either. If you have fresh herbs or scallion greens around, chop and toss them into the potato salad for some additional crunch and call it a green goddess potato salad.
And while we're on the topic of lighter dressings, let's just think outside of mayo altogether. German potato salads, tossed in a vinegar-laced dressing, are mouth-puckering, bacon-crusted, and way too underrated. Rhoda Boone, our Food Editor, loves a warm bacon-mustard vinaigrette on the potatoes.
Problem: Deadly Mayonnaise
Solution: Put Your Salad on Ice
And the biggest question: how long can a potato salad sit out before getting bad? Around four hours unrefrigerated (and out of the sun) is the max for mayo-based salads—at that point, it's been in the "danger zone" between 40°F and 140°F for too long. To keep potato salad safer longer, fill a larger bowl with ice for nesting the potato salad bowl, and always keep it out of direct light.
