Hey there, food lovers! It’s been a while since I’ve shared a blog post, but I couldn’t resist sharing my new favorite summer dish with you all – my Pesto Potato Salad.
As someone who isn’t a big meat eater, I could care less about what’s between the buns when the table is loaded with vibrant and fresh sides like today’s Pesto Potato Salad.
I know I might lose some of you here with what might seem like a high summer false advertisement, but I feel it must be expressed: let’s skip the grill at our next barbecue.
Before you get all wigged out and unfollow or deny me access to all summer cookouts, please keep reading….
Yes, most everyone enjoys a good burger (except me 😜), and maybe a hotdog is a necessity? But doesn’t everyone need a good potato salad for BBQ season?
This Pesto Potato Salad is mayo-free and uses a lemony basil pesto. The pesto includes plenty of garden-fresh basil, parmesan cheese, fresh lemon, a little garlic, and lots of flaky sea salt. If you want, you can even toss in some hard-boiled eggs for a bit of extra protein. I did not, but I think it would be yummy.
Because there’s no mayo, this is a much lighter potato salad. It’s vibrant, fresh, and all-around delicious!
Personally, I am not a traditional potato salad fan and avoided it at all costs when growing up and dare I say…I still do. The creamy, cold potatoes just never appealed to me.
You could say I am a bit of a potato snob since I started enjoying this veggie-loaded one. When made properly, potato salad can be incredibly delicious.
I am LOVING everything about this pesto-tossed potato salad. It’s herby, cheesy, and so simple to make. Say goodbye to goopy mayo-based potato salad and say hello to this bright, light, and zippy summer potato salad made with homemade pesto.
Why You’ll Love This Pesto Potato Salad:
1. Potatoes: For this easy pesto potato salad, I like to use baby or new potatoes. They have softer, thinner skins and lower starch content than mature potatoes. This winning combination makes them buttery and tender when cooked but also helps them hold their shape—meaning they’re the best potato for potato salads!
2. Pesto: For the pesto, I added some fresh spring lemon but kept the recipe super simple. Lots of fresh basil, good Parmesan cheese, almonds but you can use any combination of nuts and seeds, and olive oil. Feel free to cool the potatoes or toss warm potatoes with the pesto. Once the pesto hits the still warm potatoes, you’ll immediately begin to smell the basil. OMG yum.
3. Seasonal Veggies: Any seasonal veggies you like, such as asparagus, green beans, and peas, will work great.
Boil the potatoes until tender, remove them from the water, and set them aside. Return the water to the stove and blanch the asparagus, green beans until crisp-tender. Drain, then quickly rinse with cold water.
4. Simple Preparation: Combine the pesto ingredients in a food processor and pulse together until smooth. Pour the pesto over the potatoes and gently toss to coat. Add the green beans, peas, and salt, then stir to combine. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and chopped toasted almonds. ENJOY!
Even if you don’t love potato salad, give this one a try. It’s not like traditional potato salad. It’s really more like pesto tossed with potatoes. And let’s be real, there’s really nothing not to love about that!
You can even make this ahead of time, making it great for entertaining and perfect for July 4th weekend!
Happy cooking, and I hope you enjoy this fresh and delicious twist on potato salad as much as I do!
Don’t forget to tell me in the comments how much you love this pesto potato salad!
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