Dilled Potato and Pickled Cucumber Salad
Hellooo! I’m back! I hope that y’all (I spent a portion of my summer with two wonderful Southerners) had a great summer. Mine was perfect–filled with incredible views, new experiences, good music, even better food, and most of all, extended family. I try not to whine but with a family as connected as mine, it’s not always easy being the sole member living on the East Coast. There are lots of traditions that I’m not a part of and I can’t just pick up and pop in. So when we all come together under my parents’ roof, it’s a beautiful thing.
Speaking of my parents’ roof, there were lots of meals that we cobbled together over the three weeks that I was in residence. My mom bravely took the lead on most, primarily because I cannot think about what to serve for dinner at 8am, but she had plenty of sous chefs, line cooks and dish washers. We went through the basics and cooked a lot from our shared arsenal. One afternoon while in the grocery store, I mentioned to my mother a potato salad recipe that had recently caught my eye. I couldn’t remember where I saw it but she quickly chimed, “Smitten Kitchen! I wanted to make that, too!” And so we did.
Turns out that this Dilled Potato and Pickled Cucumber Salad is a keeper. It is spiked with lots of dill (I might even add more the next time), punched up by the pickled cucumbers, and has a little crunch thanks to some sliced radish. I did not cook my potatoes or marinate the cucumbers the day before but I will say that the salad was even better the next day. Just ask my sister who nibbled on some for breakfast and brought a container to eat for lunch on the day’s hike.
But don’t let that prevent you from making this potato salad today for the last hurrah of summer’s barbecues. It will be gobbled up all the same. Happy Labor Day!
Dilled Potato and Pickled Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 6 Tbls distilled white vinegar
- 4 tsp kosher salt
- 2 1-lb English cucumbers very thinly sliced
- a few branches of fresh dill plus 3 Tbls chopped (or more to taste)
- 3 1/4 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes (I used small ones) unpeeled
- 1 c very thinly sliced white onion
- 8 radishes trimmed, thinly sliced
- 3/4 c mayonaise
Instructions
The Day Before (if possible)
- Make pickles: Pour vinegar and 4 teaspoon salt into gallon-size resealable plastic bag and swish around to combine. Add cucumbers and dill branches; turn several times to coat with mixture. Refrigerate overnight. Turn the bag occasionally, to keep things well mixed.
- Cook your potatoes: If you boil the potatoes the day before, they are easier to slice, but no worries if you cook the same day and just allow to cool before slicing. Either way, boil them in a large pot salted water until tender, about 30 minutes (but depends on the size of the potatoes you use, so just check at abut 20 minutes). Drain, then cool completely in the fridge.
The Next Day
- Drain cucumber mixture in a colander. Discard brine and dill.
- Assemble your salad: Cut potatoes crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place potatoes in large bowl; sprinkle generously with coarse salt and pepper. Add drained cucumbers, onion, sliced radishes, and remaining 3 tablespoons dill; toss to blend.
- Stir mayonnaise into salad to taste. Season with additional salt and pepper. Serve cold or at room temperature, ideally about an hour or two after preparing.