This potato salad recipe is a staple at my child’s summer sports pot-luck dinners. It’s easy to make ahead of time, and it keeps well in the fridge for a day or two until it’s needed. Yellow potatoes hold their shape and don’t absorb the vinaigrette when refrigerated, so this potato salad doesn’t get mushy in the fridge. Sprinkle it with fresh thyme leaves, and no one will know you made the potato salad the day before yesterday!
The strong flavor of fresh thyme pairs well with salty bacon in the vinaigrette. I keep a pot of thyme growing on my front porch, so I step outside and snip off a few leaves when I need them. Dried thyme will work also in this recipe, but fresh thyme has a muted flavor that won’t overwhelm the dish.
Yellow Potato Salad with Bacon Thyme Vinaigrette
Yellow potatoes hold their own against the strong flavors of thyme and bacon in this cool summer salad.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds yellow potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/8 inch slices
- Salted water for boiling or steaming the potatoes
- 2 tablespoons mustard
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black or white pepper
- 1 pound bacon
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried thyme)
Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and stir in 2 teaspoons of salt.
Drop the sliced potatoes into the water and return the pot to a boil.
Turn down the heat, and simmer for 5-8 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
Remove the potatoes from the heat, drain them in a colander, and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
While the potatoes are cooking, sauté the bacon in a large skillet until it's brown and crisp.
Drain the fat (save it for another use if you'd like) and set the bacon aside.
When the bacon is cool, crumble it into smaller pieces.
In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, garlic, salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
Slowly whisk in the olive oil to create an emulsion.
Stir in the crumbled bacon.
Put the potatoes in a large bowl and toss with the rice vinegar and fresh thyme.
Slowly stir in just enough vinaigrette to coat the potatoes completely.
Cover and store the salad in the fridge for two hours to allow the flavors to blend.
This salad will keep in the fridge for up to three days in a sealed container.
The waxy texture of cooked yellow potatoes won’t absorb the bacon thyme vinaigrette, so this potato salad won’t become soft or mushy if you make it ahead of time. It keeps well in a sealed container in the fridge for up to three days.
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