Boil

Potato Salad With Celery & Hard-Boiled Eggs

by:
October  4, 2022
5
2 Ratings
Potato Salad With Celery & Hard-Boiled Eggs
Photo by TY MECHAM. PROP STYLIST: SOPHIE STRANGIO. FOOD STYLIST: ANNA BILLINGSKOG.
  • Prep time 30 minutes
  • Cook time 20 minutes
  • Serves 6 to 8
Author Notes

For me, potato salad is a very nostalgic food, evoking summertime, picnics, reunions, and large gatherings. In my family, a mayonnaise-based sauce is a given. Which isn’t meant to disrespect German-style potato salad, with no mayo and lots of bacon—I love that version, too. But if you ask me, this is the ultimate potato salad.

So, what kind of potato works best? Our test kitchen considered Idaho potatoes, but found that their fluffy texture was less than ideal in a salad. Something waxier and firmer works better here. Think: Yukon gold potatoes or red potatoes. I prefer the latter because of their sturdy texture, mild earthy flavor, and because the red skins add some nice color.

For acidity, we added fresh lemon juice (bright but subtle) rather than vinegar (too strong). The key is to add the lemon juice to the cooked potatoes while they’re still warm, which ensures that the flavor soaks in.

In a potentially controversial move, we add raw chopped celery for its fresh crunch and grassy flavor, but raw chopped onion was excluded. We found that the flavor of raw onion was too aggressive. That said, a little onion powder goes a long way, adding a can’t-put-your-finger-on-it savoriness to the salad.

In terms of fresh herbs, you could add anything—parsley, tarragon, chives, dill, and scallions, to name a few. Each of these options is enjoyable in its own way, but in the end, we landed on just chives for their simply allium flavor, like an onion but gentler.

This potato salad is great with a multitude of foods, from sandwiches to barbecue ribs to roast chicken. Just remember to fully chill it on warm summer days before serving it outside. By refrigerating the potato salad beforehand, it can safely hang out in a shady spot for up to a couple of hours. —Josh Cohen

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 pounds red potatoes
  • 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped kosher dill pickles
  • 1/4 cup finely sliced chives
  • 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
  • 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
  1. Fill a medium pot with water and bring to a boil. Using a fine-mesh strainer, gently lower the eggs into the boiling water. Cook the eggs for exactly 10 minutes, then drain and immediately cool in an ice bath or under cold running water. Peel the eggs under water and store in the refrigerator if you aren’t using them right away.
  2. Cut the potatoes into bite-size pieces (about 1-inch cubes). Place the potatoes in a large pot. Add cold water to cover the potatoes by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and gently simmer for 6 to 10 minutes, until the potatoes are just tender—they’re done when a paring knife easily pierces the center, but the potato doesn’t fall apart. Drain the potatoes and transfer to a large bowl. Add the lemon juice and salt while the potatoes are still warm and toss to combine. Chill in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes, until cool.
  3. In another large bowl, stir the celery, mayonnaise, pickles, chives, mustard, onion powder, and pepper to combine. Chop the hard-boiled eggs into bite-size pieces. Gently fold the potatoes and eggs into the mayonnaise mixture. Taste and adjust with more salt and/or lemon juice as necessary. You can store in the refrigerator for up to a few days, or serve immediately.
Dill Pickle Potato Salad
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    AntoniaJames
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4 Reviews

AmandaO
AmandaO June 8, 2021
For me, delicious. We all grow up with slightly different potato salad, and some of us don't grow up with it or have a prepared one we are trying to hack. I don't like to chomp raw onions so the onion powder was great for me. I used sweet pickles which I prefer. Next time - heresy - I will rice the potatoes after the lemon and salt. And I think I will be very happy. The flavor was what I was looking for - and I cut the recipe in half and made a truly weeknight potato salad.
 
pjcamp
pjcamp June 6, 2020
Why on Earth would you use onion powder rather than onions? Aside from that, what you've made here is essentially Southern potato salad.
 
Josh C.
Josh C. June 6, 2020
Raw onions can have a sharp taste - some folks enjoy raw onions (and in certain contexts I LOVE raw onions), but we decided to use onion powder in this recipe because it's mild and faintly sweet. It's this is all subjective, but that's the thought process behind the decision.
 
AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames March 25, 2020
Controversial to include celery but not onion? Growing up, that's the only way my mother ever made it, and to my mind, it's the best (and therefore, my go-to). I like the idea of lemon, not vinegar, but I prefer a quick aioli over mayo, any day. My latest aioli of choice is made with the savory oil left from marinated grilled artichokes in jars (one of Trader Joe's best grocery items - also available at Sprouts and WFM, at least at the stores in Boulder County). There's a touch of acidity in that marinade as well, making the aioli even tastier. ;o)