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A few days ago I posted a baby potato salad with avocado dressing and frankly I can’t get enough of those baby potatoes. So here’s another version and be prepared. This is an adaptation of my father’s favourite potato salad. It is healthy, light and makes the perfect side dish or a delicious meal on it’s own during hot summer days.
Not that there was anything wrong with his version, anyone who followed my blog for a little while can tell I adore my dad’s cooking. It is very simple, down to earth and uses only the freshest and most seasonal ingredients. In the spirit of this I used baby pearl potatoes that just started appearing in the stores again. You can just as well use regular potatoes but there is a unique sweetness in baby pearl potatoes that is hard to replicate.
What makes this salad really stand out for me are the quickly pickled onions. They are thrown together in a few seconds and only need about 20 minutes to develop their flavours. If you start with them you have no downtime as they marinate while the potatoes are boiling which is very convenient.
While this is in fact a very simple potato salad it is a great last minute dish that you can bring with you to barbeques or parties. If you can get your hands on some chive flowers to sprinkle over it will complete the look since they pair nicely with the red onions and the pale potatoes. For those who can’t get chive flowers, try getting some purple violas. They are edible and a very common flower just make sure they are not treated with pesticides when you buy or pick them.
Light Baby Potato Salad with Pickled Onions
Ingredients
- 450 g potatoes preferably baby pearl potatoes
- 1 small red onion very thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp chopped chives
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper ground
- 1 tbsp parsley chopped
- chive flowers as a garnish, if you have or any other edible flowers
Instructions
- Peel and slice the onion very thinly. If you are confident in your knife skills you can cut them with a knife if not then use a mandolin for this, they need to be paper thin. Chop the chives and place them with the onions in a small bowl, add the vinegar, salt and pepper and mix well. Press them down with a spoon and leave them on the countertop. At best place a heavy glass directly on top of the onion mix to speed up the pickling but it will work well without the glass.
- Boil the potatoes until done. An easy way to check this is by poking them with a fork or skewer. If they are soft all the way through they are done. Baby pearl potatoes need about 20 minutes. Drain the hot water and rinse them with cold water. By doing this it will be a lot easier to peel them. Peel them while they are still warm and set aside. You can either leave them whole or cut them in half. If you use large potatoes cut them into cubes.
- Add the onions, parsley and chives with the pickling liquid straight to the warm potatoes and mix them in carefully. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper if needed. Arrange the chive flowers on top. Alternatively, you can rip a couple of them apart and mix them into the salad. It will add a nice touch of colour.
Really love the colours!