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italian potato salad

Italian Potato Salad with Lemon and Fresh Herbs

Italian potato salad combines tender baby red potatoes with a bright lemon and red wine vinaigrette, fresh garlic, parsley, and chives. The warm potatoes soak up the dressing as they rest, creating a fresh, tangy, herb-filled side dish that’s served at room temperature.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 144
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Potatoes
  • Potatoes: 24 oz baby red new potatoes quartered
  • Salt: 1 tablespoon kosher salt plus more to taste
For the Vinaigrette
  • Extra virgin olive oil: ¼ c extra virgin olive oil
  • Red wine vinegar: 1.5 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • Lemon: 1 lemon zested and juiced about 1 teaspoon lemon zest and 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • Garlic: 2 cloves garlic minced
  • Ground pepper: ½ teaspoon ground pepper
  • Fresh parsley: 2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • Fresh chives: 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

Method
 

  1. Cut the potatoes. Slice each potato lengthwise into halves, then cut each half across so you end up with “fat” quarters.
  2. Start them in cold water. Transfer the potatoes to a large 6-quart pot, leaving enough room for them to move. Pour in enough cold water to cover them by about two inches.
  3. Boil until tender. Set the pot over high heat and bring the water to a boil. Add the kosher salt, lower the heat to medium-high, and boil for 8-10 minutes. They’re ready when the tip of a knife can pierce the potatoes easily.
  4. Whisk the vinaigrette. While the potatoes cook, combine the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, parsley and chives in a small bowl or 1-cup measuring cup. Whisk until the vinaigrette is emulsified.
  5. Drain thoroughly. Drain the potatoes, then shake them to release as much water as possible. Return them to the hot pot so the heat can help with any residual water.
  6. Dress and season. Pour the vinaigrette over the warm potatoes and toss until coated. Taste, then add additional salt or pepper as needed.
  7. Let the flavours develop. Leave the salad to marinate at room temperature for at least 1 hour and up to 4, then serve at room temperature.

Notes

  • New baby potatoes with waxy skins work best. The supplied notes also identify red, Yukon gold or fingerling potatoes as suitable waxy types.
  • Start the potatoes in cold water so they heat and cook evenly.
  • Season the cooking water generously. When scaling up, the supplied guidance is at least 1 tablespoon kosher salt per two pound of potatoes.
  • Allow at least 1 hour for marinating. A longer rest within the supplied method gives the dressing more time to flavour the potatoes.
  • For advance preparation, combine the boiled potatoes with the vinaigrette and let them marinate for 1 hour before covering and chilling. The next day, place the salad on the counter for several hours to bring it back to room temperature. Add the fresh herbs, toss and serve.