Got another no mayo recipe for you with this really gorgeous little potato salad with olives, capers & asparagus. It's savory, tangy and delish! Tender little yellows tossed in a fabulous champagne vinaigrette. Perfect for your next summer bbq. Let's get to it.
It's summer salad time, game on!
I know, I know, there are a million salad recipes out there. But come summer, especially when the heat starts cranking, we humans tend to eat a lot of salad. All kinds of salad. There are so many spins on salad and the combinations feel endless.
When I think of salad, I tend to think first of greens. Romaine, arugula (my favorite), butter lettuce, microgreens, mesclun greens - love 'em all! And salads have incredible range. You can do a light and breezy salad like my butter bean salad w/asparagus & pickled red onions, or a heartier meal like a steak salad with bleu cheese. And if you want a light side dish to bring to your next bbq, you've gotta try this fresh and crispy summer slaw which also has no mayo!
a non-traditional potato salad
When it comes to potato salad, most recipes contain mayonnaise. This is the traditional way, right? Mayo. A lot of people think that potatoes and mayonnaise are a match made in culinary heaven. But I am utterly grossed out by mayonnaise for some reason. I know there are others out there so this is for you (all four of you!). Instead of mayo, we're going to make an awesome champagne vinaigrette to toss the whole salad in. I love making vinaigrette's almost as much as I love eating potatoes.
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Speaking of potatoes, hahaha. If you're a regular reader of my site, you know my favorite food in the world is potatoes. I will always find a way to mention my love (obsession) of potatoes when I have a potato recipe. Potatoes are perfection. They are versatile, mostly healthy, tender, plentiful and cheap.
So here we are with this warm, little potato salad with champagne vinaigrette and I am loving every minute of it. If you're also obsessed with potatoes, you might consider these:
- Cheesy Tomato Potatoes
- The Best Potato & leek Casserole
- Red Bliss Potatoes w/Ginger, Garlic & Parsley
- Baked Skillet Potatoes w/Chorizo
From healthy to indulgent:make the choice to cook at home
Look, I get that our lives are really busy, but are you really sooooo busy that you don't have time to cook for yourself? It can feel overwhelming and I get that. If you haven't had the time to learn how to cook it can seem downright impossible. But if you think of a few simple meals to make for the week. Take a moment to plan your budget. Make your list. Do the shop. Once you get into the rhythm of cooking, it will all become second nature to you.
Forget about restaurants and fast food for a while. The prices are outrageous for what you're actually getting. Take-out for lunch every day?! That's the cost of a car payment by the end of the month. Spend smarter and prepare homemade food for yourself and your loved ones. There's never been a better time to learn how to cook. I have hundreds of recipes on my website and instructional videos with all of them. I'll be with you every step of the way. And you can always leave a question or comment below. I'm happy to assist in any way I can. 🙂
easy steps for making little potato salad
Little Potato Salad with Olives, Capers and Asparagus (No Mayo!)
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 portions 1x
Description
This little potato salad with olives, capers and asparagus is tossed in a delicious vinaigrette. No mayo in this recipe! Tender potatoes and tangy dressing - so yum!
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb bag of little yellow potatoes
- ½ bunch of asparagus (green beans work too)
- 1 cup chopped pitted green olives (I used pitted castelvetrano olives)
- 2 teaspoons capers
- 1 hard-boiled egg
- 2-3 large scallions, chopped
- 1 tablespoon red onion slivers, optional
- Chopped parsley or dill, optional
- Salt and pepper
For the champagne vinaigrette:
- ¼ teaspoon minced garlic (about ½ a small clove)
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup champagne vinegar (or white wine or plain white)
- ¼ teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely diced (can use dried here too)
- â…› teaspoon salt
- â…› teaspoon pepper
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Instructions
- You will need one hard-boiled egg for this recipe so plan your time and cook that off to the side while you’re doing your prep. The recipe can hold two eggs so if you want it a little more eggy – go for it. See notes section for how I boiled an egg.
- Start by making the vinaigrette: put all ingredients in a mason jar or any small glass jar you have around. If you don’t have a jar, put ingredients in a bowl and whisk. Mince the garlic, chop fresh rosemary, add mustard to jar, extra virgin olive oil, champagne vinegar, salt, pepper. Shake the jar to until the dressing is well combined. Taste it here and adjust seasoning accordingly.
- Cut your bag of little potatoes in half and put in a large pot of water. Boiling these on medium-to-high heat will take about 20-25 minutes to cook. Test with a fork at 20 minutes. Be careful not to overcook these because they will turn to mush when you mix with other ingredients. ALSO: Once they are done and you strain through a colander, run cold water over the potatoes to cool them down a bit. They should be slightly warm when you assemble the salad.
- Cut the light ends from your half-a-bunch of asparagus, then dice the asparagus into small (bite-sized) pieces. Put in a pan with a splash of olive oil and a pinch of salt and set aside for now.
- Measure out 1 cup of olives (more if you want) and spread them on your cutting board. Give these a rough chop, then set aside. I smashed them a little with side of my knife too. I used pitted green castelvetrano, but pitted Kalamata would work too.
- Chop the scallions and set aside.
- If you want to add a little bit of very thinly sliced red onion you can slice that now. It’s optional. It does make a nice garnish for the top of the salad too.
- You can also add chopped parsley to the salad if you want – also optional – if your using it you should chop that now. If you have fresh dill on hand that would work too.
- Turn your heat on medium-to-high and start cooking the asparagus. Your potatoes should be almost to a boil by the time you cook the asparagus. I like a little char on my asparagus and I like it al dente. For al dente it needs about 5-8 minutes of cooking and stirring. If you want it a little more tender – cook it longer.
- Peel the shell from your hard-boiled egg and chop it into small pieces.
- Once your potatoes have been drained and cooled a bit, add 1 to 1 ½ cups of potato to the bottom of a large mixing bowl and mash them a little with a fork or potato masher. This is optional.
- Then add the remaining potatoes to the bowl. Add the asparagus, olives, scallions, chopped egg, capers, thin slice red onion (if using), parsley or dill (if using) and ¼ cup of the champagne vinaigrette. You’ll have extra which you can serve on the side. Toss everything together and taste. I added a little salt and pepper at this point and tossed again. Add more salt and pepper to your preference.
- This is best served warm after just making it, or at room temperature.
Equipment
Bobby at Home: Fearless Flavors from My Kitchen
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Calphalon Saute Pan with Lid (5QT)
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Case of 12 wide mouth pint mason jars
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Cook with Me: 150 Recipes for the Home Cook
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Measuring Spoons, Stainless Steel
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Pyrex Glass Measuring Cup (2 Cup)
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- There are a lot of opinions on how to boil an egg believe it or not. I put mine in a pot of water on high heat and brought it to a rolling boil. Turn the heat off, put the lid on and move to a back burner for 9-10 minutes. Remove egg and put in a bowl with a little water and ice (an “ice bath”) for a few minutes, then remove.
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