During the warmer months, we all look for some delicious salad ideas. South Africans just love potatoes and everyone has their favourite way of preparing the ever-popular potato salad.
Heleen Meyer, however is not a huge fan of mayonnaise-based dressings and says everyone should try this quick and easy combination of sour cream and fresh dill. This flavour duo is perfect with potatoes and can be whipped up in a flash.
Get creative!
Yes, we hear you ... you may think this is not really a potato salad in the traditional sense of the word. As Heleen says, seasoning is done according to preference, so do add your favourite ingredients to the potatoes. Whether it’s gherkins, boiled eggs, onion, peppers, other herbs or other salad ingredients.
You may think that just a handful of these ingredients don’t constitute a potato salad, but this recipe will not disappoint.
Boiled to perfection
Using small potatoes means that they cook much faster. The skins of the small potatoes are really thin, so why struggle to peel them when they add lots of good fibre to your meals and this salad. No struggle, no waste, and perfectly boiled potatoes!
Have a look at Heleen’s tips to get the best results when boiling potatoes and to prevent them from absorbing unnecessary water – no one likes a soggy potato salad. Don’t skip the step to toss the warm potatoes in some olive oil, as this really adds lots of flavour. And if there’s any salad leftover, add some tinned tuna for a quick and easy lunch the next day.
Potatoes with a sour cream & dill dressing
Recipe from Make five by Heleen Meyer
Serves 4 – 6
Potatoes
750 g baby potatoes, in the skin
15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
Sour cream and dill dressing
30 ml (2 tbsp) lemon juice
125 ml (½ cup) sour cream
30 ml (2 tbsp) milk
60 ml (¼ cup) coarsely chopped fresh dill
salt and black pepper
extra dill for garnish
- Potatoes: Place potatoes in a saucepan with a pinch of salt and a few centimeters of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat and simmer with a lid on for 15-20 minutes or until tender (see tips).
- Drain potatoes and place in a large mixing bowl. Pour the oil over the warm potatoes and toss well until they are coated with the oil for a delicious flavour. Allow to cool and then gently crush with a fork or cut each potato in half.
- Dressing: Mix all the ingredients together and season to taste. Spoon potatoes onto a serving platter or salad bowl and pour some of the dressing over. Serve cold or at room temperature with the remaining dressing and garnish with extra dill.
Tips
- Use a skewer or sharp knife to pierce a small slit into the potatoes to test if they are cooked. A big slit or holes made with a fork will cause too much water to be absorbed by the potatoes. This may cause them to burst open. Don’t leave the cooked potatoes in the water; drain them immediately.
- Add 1 x 170 g tin tuna, drained or 100 g peppered mackerel and avocado slices to the sour cream dressing for a light meal.
Visit Heleen’s website (www.heleenmeyer.co.za) for more recipes like this.
Image by Adel Ferreira