Baked New Potato Salad with Peanuts & Mustard Dressing
Submitted by karyni
Baked new potato salad with toasted peanuts, double mustard dressing, cumin, and low-fat yogurt. A make-ahead potato salad with crunch and a tangy, nutty edge.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
60 minCOOK
30 minREADY
90 minThis is not your standard creamy potato salad. Red-skinned new potatoes get roasted in olive oil until tender, then tossed with rice vinegar while they’re still warm so the acid absorbs straight into the flesh. That step is what keeps the salad from tasting flat.
The dressing is built from two kinds of mustard: grainy and Dijon, whisked with light mayo, low-fat yogurt, cilantro, and cumin. It’s bright and sharp, with a warmth from the cumin that steers this firmly away from the usual backyard barbecue direction.
Two prep techniques in this recipe are worth noting. The red onion gets soaked in ice water for 20 minutes before going in, which takes the edge off its raw bite without losing the crunch. The carrots get a quick 2-minute blanch and cold water rinse, so they’re tender but still have some resistance.
Stir the peanuts in at the last minute, not when mixing. They lose their crunch quickly once coated in dressing.
Kitchen Tips
- Toss potatoes with vinegar while hot: Warm potatoes absorb the vinegar and season from within. Cold potatoes won’t do this.
- Ice water the onion: 20 minutes in ice water takes the harsh raw edge off red onion without killing the flavor.
- Blanch carrots, don’t skip: Raw carrot in this salad is too hard; blanched is the right texture.
- Peanuts go in last: Add them just before serving or they soften in the dressing and lose their crunch.
Variations
- Cashews instead of peanuts: For a slightly sweeter, buttery nut that works well with the cumin-mustard dressing.
- Add pickled jalapeno: A tablespoon of finely diced pickled jalapeno in the dressing adds heat that works well with the cumin.
Ingredients
Directions
Put the peanuts in a small baking pan and toast in a preheated 350-degree F oven 5 minutes, or until the skins start to crack. Cool slightly. Rub in a kitchen towel to remove the skins; chop coarsely.
Cut the potatoes into quarters and place in a baking pan. Toss with the olive oil, salt and several grindings of pepper. Bake in a preheated 375-degree F oven 30 minutes or until tender. Stir occasionally. Remove from the oven, toss with the vinegar and cool.
Place the diced red onion in a small bowl and cover with ice-water. Let sit 20 minutes to reduce the acidity. Drain and squeeze out the excess moisture with a paper towel. Bring a small pan of water to a boil, add the carrots and time for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Pat dry.
Combine the cooled potatoes, onion, carrots and celery in a large bowl. Stir together the mayonnaise, yogurt, cilantro, mustards, cumin and several grindings black pepper. Combine with the vegetables and refrigerate. Stir in the peanuts just before serving.
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