Southern-Style Potato Salad

When I was a young kid, I loved being my mother’s helper in the kitchen, especially when she made her famous potato salad. I always beat my siblings to the front of the taste tester line on southern-style potato salad days because it was my absolute favorite!

To this day, I love it just as much and bring it to all of our family cookouts, reunions, and gatherings.

This recipe has been passed around through my family for years and years. It started with my great-grandmother and made its way down through the generations.

My mom taught my siblings and me, and I will someday teach my own children this delicious recipe!

Components of southern style potato salad

There aren’t many ingredients for this potato salad, and that is what makes it so great!

Potatoes- my go-to potato for this potato salad is russet potatoes. They aren’t nearly as starchy as some other types of potatoes, which helps with the texture of the salad. They are buttery smooth, extra fluffy, and soft, all perfect elements of a delicious potato salad.

Hard-boiled egg- This potato salad highlights both potatoes and eggs, so I like to make the ratio of potatoes and eggs equal.

Celery- Celery adds a nice crunch to this otherwise smooth and creamy potato salad. If you aren’t a celery fan, it is easy to omit!

Onion– My onion of choice is a Vidalia onion- they are just the right amount of sweet!

Sweet pickle- I like to add sweet pickles instead of relish to my southern style potato salad to add a nice touch of crunch, but not too much sweetness.

Mayonnaise– Mayonnaise is one of the main elements of this potato salad. Choose your brand of choice; any will do!

Mustard- I prefer to use Grey Poupon Dijon mustard for this salad than the traditional yellow mustard. I think the flavor is much complementary to the other elements of the dish and less harsh overall. If you do not have Dijon in your house, yellow mustard will do!

Can I make this in advance?

Yes, you can make this in advance! I actually recommend making it up to one day in advance, so the ingredients have longer to harmonize and add flavor to the potatoes!

You can keep the potato salad covered in the refrigerator for up to one week. When you are ready to refresh it, give it a good stir and add in a touch of salt and pepper if needed!

Tips for making southern style potato salad

• While I prefer to use russet potatoes, I have also made it with golden or red potatoes. The only thing to note is that golden or red potatoes take less time to cook, so adjust accordingly.
• Do not overcook the potatoes! If you do, they will become mushy. Make sure to keep an eye on the pot and watch the time so you can avoid a mushy salad.
• Be sure to fully drain all of the water from the potatoes. It also helps to let them sit in the colander for a few minutes while you get the other ingredients ready.
• If you like more eggs, feel free to add an additional egg or two!
• You can serve this potato salad either warm, chilled or at room temperature.

What Ingredients do you need for Southern-style potato salad

3 pounds of russet potatoes

1 cup of mayo (adjust if you want more or less)

¼ Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 tsp of sugar

½ cup sweet pickles

1 stalk of chopped celery

1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped

4 large, hard-boiled eggs, cut into pieces

How to make Southern-style potato salad

First Step:

Fill a large pot with water and add potatoes.

a)

b)

Bring the pot to a boil and cook potatoes until tender enough for a knife to go through easily.

Once fully cooked, add the potatoes to an ice bath to shock and cool.

Once the potatoes are fully cooled, peel off the skin and cut them into large chunks

In a separate bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, and sugar.

a)

b)

c)

Mix well.

Pour mixture over potatoes and add in sweet pickles, celery, Vidalia onion, and the hard-boiled eggs.

a)

b)

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Mix well and enjoy!