Potato Salad, Tzatziki-Style

My husband loves ‘American’ potato salad, but a lot of mayonnaise is needed to make a good potato salad really creamy. I adapted this recipe from The New York Times to make a healthier, deliciously creamy potato salad that is loaded with vegetables. Greek yogurt (even full-fat) has a lot less calories and fat and more protein than mayonnaise does so this variation on a potato salad is a little more heart-healthy. My husband (and I) enjoyed this version almost as much as a ‘traditional’ potato salad.

I recommend eating the salad the day you make it. You can make it a few hours ahead, but not much longer. I had leftovers the next day and while it was still very tasty, the dressing wasn’t as creamy because the cucumbers had let off moisture as time went by.

Potato Salad, Tzatziki-Style

Servings: 4-6

Active time: 35 minutes

Cooking time: 12-15 minutes

Tzatziki Dressing:

2 Persian or mini cucumbers or 1 medium-sized cucumber (285 g/10 ounces)

1 cup (255 g) full-fat Greek yogurt (low-fat will get watery)

1 garlic clove, minced with a garlic press or grated

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon salt

Dash of ground black pepper

Salad:

2 ½ pounds (1.1 kilos) small fingerling potatoes

2 Persian or mini cucumbers or 1 medium-sized cucumber (285 g/10 ounces)

3 medium celery stalks

1 small yellow pepper

1 shallot, minced

¼ cup chopped dill

¼ cup snipped chives

Make the tzatziki dressing. Wash and dry the cucumbers (do not peel). Grate the cucumber

into a colander over the sink. Press down on the grated cucumber to squeeze out excess moisture.

In a large bowl, place the grated cucumber, cup of Greek yogurt, minced garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Gently stir together until combined. Taste for seasoning and add a little more salt or lemon juice if needed. Cover and place in the refrigerator.

Prepare the salad. Wash the potatoes (do not peel) and cut in half or into 1-inch, bite-sized pieces. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook for about 12-15 minutes or until they are just tender. You should be able to pierce them with a fork without them falling apart. Drain and run cold water over the potatoes. Let cool for about 10 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooling, prepare the other vegetables. Slice the cucumbers into 1/4 -inch thick rounds, then cut the rounds in half. Cut the celery into small dices. Remove the seeds from the pepper and cut into small dices. Mince the shallots and chop the herbs.

Once the potatoes have cooled, add the potatoes, vegetables and herbs to the tzatziki dressing in the large bowl. Gently stir together until the potatoes and vegetables are evenly coated with the dressing. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed.

Serve chilled or at room temperature. You can make the potato salad a few hours before serving, but I recommend eating it the day you make it because the cucumbers will let off moisture as it sits and the dressing is less creamy the next day.

And bon appétit!