The arrival of grilling season means we’re all going to need a few fantastic sides at the ready; especially important –– essential even –– is having a great potato salad recipe. And since I am occasionally not in the mood for the heaver mayonnaise version, I thought I’d share my German potato salad recipe. Traditional German potato salad has bacon (and often, bacon grease too), but I wanted to keep things a little lighter and came up with this fresher vegan version of the potato salad featuring lightly sweet rice wine vinegar and zesty mustard. For color and a little bite, I used fresh chives from my garden and loved the results.Using fresh, flavorful potatoes is one of my secrets to great potato salad. Look for varieties like Yukon gold or red potatoes at you local grocery or farm market.Vegan German Potato Salad
serves eight as a side8 medium potatoes, a mix of red and Yukon Gold or other flavorful potato
3 teaspoons sea salt, divided
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 cup of chopped celery
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 red onion, minced (roughly 1/2 cup)
1/3 cup chives, mincedWash and scrub the potatoes (no need to peel). Cut potatoes into even 1 1/2 inch chunks. Fill a stockpot with water, add the potatoes and 2 teaspoons sea salt, and bring to a boil. Boil for about 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and easily cut with the side of a fork. Drain and set aside.Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan, whisk to combine the vinegar and olive oil over low heat. Whisk in the Dijon, mustard powder, honey, pepper, and one teaspoon sea salt. As soon as mixture is warm, add the minced onion, off the heat and set aside.In a large bowl, toss the still-warm potatoes with the dressing, and add the herbs. Check salt and acid levels and adjust as needed.Potato salad may be served warm, or stored covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.