Potato salad is one of the quintessential summer sides . If you go to a cookout or backyard barbecue , nine times out of ten you're going to find some version of the carby classic. And one of the best things about potato salad is that there are as many variations as there are cooks.
Some folks prefer a mayo-heavy dressing, while others go in a German-style direction by using a vinegar-based dressing. Some people add hard-boiled eggs, others stir in some bacon and then there's a lot of discussion of what vegetables (other than potatoes) belong in a potato salad.
As the summer winds down, we probably only have a few more potato salad moments left for the year, which makes us a little sad, but it also makes us want to close out potato salad season on a high note. To do just that, we suggest making Carolina Gelen’s recipe, which can be found in her new cookbook, Pass the Plate . Simply put it's the end-of-summer potato salad of our dreams. Here's what you need to know.
Related: How to Make the Best-Ever Potato Salad, According to Chef Jacques Pépin
How to Upgrade Your Potato Salad Like Carolina Gelen
To promote her new cookbook, Gelen took to TikTok and Instagram to share her creative take on potato salad. At first, the process seems fairly standard: she boils whole small potatoes in salted water and uses mayonnaise, garlic and onions to create the base of the creamy dressing.
But then things get interesting. She also adds crumbled cooked bacon, capers, miso paste and rice vinegar to the dressing and then smashes a handful of what appear to be Castelvetrano olives. When the potatoes are cooked, she peels them and leaves them whole, then mixes them with the dressing and the olives.
But it's what she does next that truly takes this recipe over the top. She garnishes the potato salad with finely chopped chives—and crushed potato chips! It's a simple addition that makes potato salad 10 times more fun and 10 times more delicious. The chips add flavor and texture and a little something to talk about at your next cookout.
The commenters were just as excited about this recipe as we were. "Geeeeenius. Potato on potato," said one person. "Obsessed with this," added food writer and editor Khushbu Shah. "Not a want but an absolute need," said fellow food creator @justinesnacks. If you ask us, they're all correct!
To get the full recipe, pre-order Gelen's book now. It drops on September 24, so you don't have too long to wait. And if you simply must make potato salad now , we suggest using your favorite recipe and adding a Gelen-style potato chip garnish while you wait for her book to arrive.
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