Potato Salad is one of those dishes that varies culture-to-culture, house-to-house, and grandma-to-grandma. It’s a personal dish and some people (I know a few) won’t even have potato salad if it’s not made by their favorite person. I mean, let’s be honest, Potato Salad is a quintessential comfort food and we’ve ALL had bad Potato Salad. The kind that makes srunch up your face, set your plate aside and have you wondering how this person was raised.
I’ll admit, I’m a Potato Salad snob but that’s only because I grew up eating Dominican Potato Salad, which is a VERY different kind of Potato Salad. To start, Dominican Potato Salad is very acidic and it’s characterized by the vinegary yet creamy taste that you get from the mayonnaise, onions, and you guessed it– vinegar. Unlike traditional American Potato Salad, Dominican Potato Salad doesn’t have relish or mustard which also gives regular Potato Salad an acidic undertone.
Even in the world of Dominican Potato Salad, the recipes varies from house-to-house. For instance, traditional Dominican Potato Salad calls for peas and carrots, which I omit because this isn’t my grandmother’s recipe. She stopped adding it to the salad because my uncle didn’t like it. (Thanks, Tio!). Now I love peas & carrots, but traditional can’t bring me to add these ingredients to my Potato Salad. Nonetheless, I encourage you to do so. I’ve had it and it’s delicious.
Dominican Potato Salad also comes in different colors. There’s the iconic pink potato salad which is called Ensalada Russa. All you do is add beets and viola– the salad turns pink. Now this is a different recipe that I’ll be sharing at a later date. In the meantime, hang tight and enjoy this family favorite.
For a step-by-step tutorial on How to Make Dominican Potato Salad visit my YouTube Channel: Made To Order
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Idaho Potatoes
- 1 Red Onion Minced
- 5 Hard Boiled Eggs
- 1 cup White Vinegar
- 1 ½ cups Mayonnaise
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- Olive Oil
- Water
- Beets *Optional
- Olives *Optional
- Peas & Carrots *Optional
Instructions
- Mince red onions
- Add white vinegar to onions & set aside. Be sure to add enough vinegar to cover onions completely
- Boil potatoes whole until tender. You don’t want the potatoes to be too soft
- In the same pot or separate pot, boil eggs until hard boiled
- Once the potatoes are done, drain & carefully peel potatoes
- Add peeled potatoes into large mixing bowl
- Peel hard boiled eggs
- Dice eggs to small pieces
- Add eggs to potatoes
- Add onions to potatoes leaving behind most of the vinegar. Do not throw out just yet
- Gently mix potatoes, eggs, and onions
- Add mayonnaise little by little until you reach desired creaminess
- Taste test
- Add salt, pepper, and onion vinegar to taste
- Drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil
- Garnish with olives and peppers if you like
- Place in the refrigerator and serve chilled
Notes
Dominican Potato Salad is known for its acidic flavors and you can add carrots and peas if you like. Chill before serving. This is a great dish to make a day or two in advance. Will last 4-5 days in the fridge