For those of us in Canada, it seems like a pipe dream but summer is almost here and that means outdoor grilling and picnic foods like potato salad. I’ve always thought that potato salad was a staple for all backyard barbecues but I’ve noticed  along the way that it’s rarely on the table. When it is there, it’s usually not that great and it occurred to me that maybe people need a better recipe.

In my professional experience as a Corporate Chef, it was my job to create recipes that were “foolproof” and required no culinary background of any kind; I try my best to do this with all the recipes on my site and I always try to give as much description as I can because good food that’s restaurant quality is not really that hard. Shh, don’t tell…

This potato salad is loaded with flavor, it’s fresh and light but still bold with lots of texture. I also like to incorporate a lot of color with the veggies which can be changed up depending on what you have on hand.

A little known secret in the restaurant business is that all ingredients have to have multiple uses to maximize efficiencies. There’s usually very little space on line and you can’t have an ingredient taking up precious real estate if it’s not worth the space. I use this principle to make my own kitchen very efficient and decrease food waste to very little. In this case I am making use of some left over Spicy Avocado Sandwich Spread which I used in my Spicy Chicken & Bacon Wraps (yum!), this will be the base for the potato salad dressing.

Incredible Potato Salad

1590g Red Potatoes*, cut in half or quarters if large (skin on)

175g Spicy Avocado Sandwich Spread

210g Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt

30g Green Onion, chopped

12g Fresh Cilantro, chopped

12g Italian Parsley, chopped

100g Celery, small dice

75g Bell Pepper, any colour

150g Purple Cabbage, diced

3 Tsp. Kosher or Sea salt

2 Tsp Ground Pepper, fresh

*I like to use red potatoes as opposed to russet potatoes because they hold up better after being boiled and have a less grainy texture. Yukon golds or small new potatoes can also be used.

Bring a large pot of water to boil add 2 tbsp kosher or sea salt to the water. Cut the potatoes in half or quarters so all pieces are relatively the same size. Add the potatoes to the boiling /salted water and boil for 15-20 minutes until a knife inserted comes out without resistance but the potato is not falling apart. Drain and allw to cool to room temperature, do not rinse.

Combine all other ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine. Once the potatoes have cooled, cut them neatly into bite sized pieces. Some of the skins will naturally come off and some will stay, this will add color and interest so don’t worry if that happens, discard any skins that come off.

Stir to coat the potatoes with the dressing, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed. Keep the salad out of very hot temperatures or direct sunlight but in the shade is fine. Enjoy!