If you’re looking for something a little different for your summer cookout, try this flavorful purple potato salad. The lemon juice and non-dairy mayonnaise dressing and the fresh chopped cilantro give this salad flavor, while celery and onions add crunch.

Unlike sweet potatoes that are simply delicious on their own, purple potatoes have a  more subtle flavor, requiring more seasoning and creativity.  They are known for their earthy and nutty flavor and being the perfect base for a salad.  Like other potatoes, they easily get mushy when over cooked, so make sure you keep an eye on them when boiling.

How to make Purple Potato Salad

Ingredients

• 6 baby purple potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces (do not peel)
• 2 stalks organic celery, diced
• 1/2 organic cucumbers, diced
• 5 scallions, diced
• 1 Organic Bell Pepper (use red Bell Pepper) diced
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
• Non-dairy soy mayonnaise
• To taste sea salt and cracked black peppercorn
• 1/2 lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 2 sprigs organic parsley, finely minced

Directions

1. Put the cut-up potatoes in a medium saucepan; cover with water and add 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and continue cooking for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.
2. Drain well and transfer to a mixing bowl and cool to room temperature.
3. Stir in celery, cucumber, scallion, cilantro and roasted pepper. Fold in mayo to your taste and season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Stir in lemon juice and parsley and mix well to coat and combine ingredients.
5. Cover and chill completely to allow flavors to develop.

Tips:

• Cut the cooled potato chunks into 3/4- to 1-inch pieces.
• To save time on the day you are serving you can boil the potatoes up to two days before serving. Store in the fridge in a sealed container until you are ready to assemble the recipe.
• Chilling the finished salad for at least 2 hours brings out its flavors even more.
• Leftover potato salad can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to three days.

Image and recipe supplied by Melissas Produce. Melissa’s/World Variety Produce, Inc. has been delivering the global market since 1984 and is currently the largest distributor of specialty produce in the United States.