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
- Add potatoes to a pot, adding just enough water to cover. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and cook until tender. Drain and cool.
- After potatoes are cool, stir in Italian dressing, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
- 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.