![Classic Potato Salad](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2022/06/10/dining/mp-potato-salad-reshoot/mp-potato-salad-reshoot-mediumThreeByTwo440.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
Herby Potato Salad With Smashed Olives
![Herby Potato Salad With Smashed Olives](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021/06/17/dining/lh-potato-salad/merlin_188895786_5c74f57b-24a9-4d0f-8a5a-9cece0630855-articleLarge.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
- Total Time
- 30 minutes, plus cooling
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- 2pounds small (or baby) red or Yukon Gold potatoes, all about the same size
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ⅓cup olive oil
- 1cup Castelvetrano or other green olives, pitted and smashed (about 4 ounces)
- 1large shallot, thinly sliced
- 2tablespoons capers, roughly chopped
- 3tablespoons chopped fresh mint
- 3tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Preparation
- Step 1
Place the potatoes in a large pot; add 2 teaspoons salt and enough water to cover generously. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes, until just tender when pierced with a fork. (Be careful not to overcook!) Drain and set aside until just cool enough to handle.
- Step 2
While the potatoes cook, in a large bowl, combine the vinegar and mustard with 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Add the olives, shallot and capers, and set aside to marinate for 10 to 20 minutes.
- Step 3
When the potatoes are just cool enough to handle, cut them in half (or quarters, to end up with bite-size pieces), and add them to the bowl with the dressing. Gently combine and set aside to cool completely, tossing occasionally.
- Step 4
Stir in the mint and parsley, along with more salt and pepper to taste, and serve the potato salad at room temperature.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
Italians often use "smashed" olives in salads. As a child my job was to smash... The tool of choice... a heavy bottle (in those days it was an empty milk bottle) Even if the olives have pits, they pop out when you smash them.
everyone loved this! Very easy and fast to make. Used the olives on hand which were Crespo green olives stuffed with anchovies. Used 2 cutting boards to squeeze them between and “smash” them. Vinaigrette does tend to absorbed by the potatoes.
This is a keeper! I prefer plain white or cider colored vinegars and made that substitution. The olives are wonderful. I am going to try this again, adding a few anchovies suggested below. — Partly for fun and also for curiosity, I looked at the substitution guide for capers and olives; nothing was suggested.
Has anyone made this the night before and if so any suggestions???
Cut potatoes in bite size pieces before cooking and add to vinaigrette immediately after draining. Potatoes then absorb more vinaigrette. Very tasty.
This was easy and delicious. The leftover salad tasted equally as good the next day. I'm definitely in the no-mayo camp.
Really nice change from Mayo based potato salads and German potato salads. Used a mix of roughly cut pimento stuffed green olives, black olives and herb flavored green olives. Also added 1/4 C diced red pepper for both color and crunch. Definitely leave at from temp. Bought some of the recipe olives today and tried a few bites with them. For a mellower flavor, use them. If you want more punch use pimento stuffed green or a combination. Maybe use tapenade as a short cut? Maybe add celery?
This was great. Didn't have mint, used dill, and green olives had garlic stuffed in them! Added touch. Delish.
Great recipe. Paired exceptionally well with Sheet-Pan Roasted Fish With Sweet Peppers: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017725
Actually, the recipe *calls* for capers and they were an essential part of the mix for us.
Made this as directed. It’s lovely though I find the mint overpowers other flavors. Will leave it out next time / perhaps sub chives.
Not as much salt, a few less olives, and an added squirt of lemon at the finish — no other modifications needed!
It's the best potato salad I've ever made, and I'm old. I had my doubts when I tasted the dressing. It seemed too salty, but those warm potatoes soaked up that dressing. They were delicious!
Used a whole jar of olives - great decision. Doesn’t hurt to over herb as well
2T plus 2t is half of 1/3 cup
Wowzer. I did all but the herbs last night & finished to take to a BBQ today. I subbed tarragon for mint (because I have a pot of it & it seemed like a good flavor profile match) & added one lemon’s worth of zest to…make things more zesty. This is a winner.
Best potato salad recipe ever!
I went a bit off-road with this one because--it's potato salad! But I kept the basic recipe structure and just improvised a few things. I used a random leftover vinaigrette my husband had made that was in the fridge. Random leftover olives. Dill + parsley, as I didn't have mint. Chopped onion instead of shallots, same reason. Took another commenter's advice and drained the potatoes and added them immediately to the dressing. Stunning!
So a friend made this for a potluck (everyone loved it!) and I wound up with the leftovers. Two days later I was looking at it. One thing about left over potatoes, is that they get kind of mealy and dry... one of the downsides of a non-mayo potato salad. Anyway, threw the whole thing in a pan with a little olive oil and fried it up as home-fries. DELICIOUS!! Moral of this story? Don’t throw the leftovers away!
We did what Rebecca did two years ago and added arugula and magnificent it is! YUM! Rebecca: Cut potatoes in bite size pieces before cooking and add to vinaigrette immediately after draining. Potatoes then absorb more vinaigrette. Very tasty.
If using a rolling pin when smashing the olives, wear an apron.
This potato salad was a huge hit at our Labor Day BBQ! Some guests even took home leftovers. I swapped out the vinegar for lemon juice, used Kalamata instead of green olives for even more colour (and because I love the flavour) and added some basil to the herb mix.
A big hit with my family. Used lovage instead of parsley but otherwise made according to the recipe.
This is not something that my family would want to see again. The individual ingredients are all something we enjoy, but the dressing as written is very vinegary.
Baby red potatoes and I cut them in half before cooking them. Goes faster. Used piquant green olives, ie. marinated in oil with red pepper flakes. And I cut them in three to four pieces. Seemed kinder than smashing them! Capers, grainy Dijon, parsley and microgreen arugula! Excellent!!!
This was an absolute 10/10; very fresh and tangy. I added some grainy dijon and it gave it just a nice extra bite and texture. Super fresh and easy to prep!
I substituted tarragon for the herbs and marinated haricot verts in the same dressing. Always a crowd pleaser, especially with deviled eggs to accompany!
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