Nothing says summer to me like a cool, refreshing mix of potatoes, eggs, cucumbers, and celery mixed with the perfect blend of spices in creamy mayo.

To make it healthier and minimize my use of processed ingredients, I made my own Italian salad dressing.  If you’re running short on time, store-bought dressing will work.  But if you have a few minutes, give the homemade dressing a try and you will see how simple it is to make.  This delicious substitution is healthier and less expensive than the store-bought, and it gives me peace of mind being able to control the oils I use and to eliminate the high fructose corn syrup that is present in virtually all store-bought dressing.

The following recipe is my idea of a perfect potato salad.  Feel free to add or eliminate ingredients to your liking (for example, my family doesn’t like onions, but add them if you like).

Ingredients

4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, washed and cubed into bite-sized pieces

¼ cup Italian Dressing (recipe below)

½ teaspoon salt

pepper, to taste (I just use a few shakes)

½ cup mayonnaise (we use Kraft Real Mayo)

1 medium stalk celery, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1 cup cucumbers, chopped into bite-sized pieces

2 hard boiled eggs, chopped into bite-sized pieces

Instructions

1. Add potatoes to a pot, adding just enough water to cover. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and cook until tender. Drain and cool.
2. After potatoes are cool, stir in Italian dressing, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
3. Just before serving, toss with cucumbers, celery, eggs, and mayonnaise until potatoes are well coated.  Enjoy!

Italian Dressing recipe (makes 1 1/3 cups)

½ cup white vinegar

½ cup olive oil

2 ½ Tablespoons Grapeseed oil

1 Tablespoon water

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon honey

1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon thyme

¼ teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon parsley

1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt (if you don’t have any, just use regular salt)

Pour ingredients into a 2 ½ cup glass measuring cup. Transfer to a glass salad dressing bottle. Cover and shake well. Refrigerate to store.

Recipe modified from http://www.pennilessparenting.com/2010/07/perfect-homemade-italian-dressing.html.