How to Make Piccata Potato Salad
Step 1: Cook the Potatoes and Green Beans
Add the potatoes to a large pot and cover them with cold water by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil, season generously with salt, and cook until the potatoes are almost tender, about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on their size.
During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the green beans.
Drain everything well and let cool for about 10 minutes. Peel the potatoes if you like, then cut them into bite-size pieces.
Step 2: Make the Piccata Dressing
While the vegetables cool, make the dressing.
In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, chopped capers, salt, and black pepper until combined.
The dressing should taste bright, lemony, and slightly salty. The potatoes will mellow the flavors once everything is mixed together.
Step 3: Toss Everything Together
Add the warm potatoes and green beans to the bowl with the dressing.
Toss gently until the vegetables are evenly coated. Then add the red onion, whole capers, and parsley and toss again.
This is where the salad starts to come together. The warm potatoes absorb some of the dressing, giving this warm potato salad its bold lemon-caper flavor.
Step 4: Finish and Serve
Transfer the salad to a serving bowl or platter.
Scatter the toasted almonds on top, then finish with a little extra lemon zest and a few extra capers if you like.
Serve warm or at room temperature. This fresh potato and green bean salad is especially good alongside grilled vegetables, fish, chicken, or as part of a summer spread.
Tips
- Salt the cooking water generously: This is the most important step. Potatoes absorb seasoning while they cook, so well-salted water flavors them from the inside out.
- Start the potatoes in cold water: This helps them cook evenly all the way through. Dropping potatoes into boiling water can leave the outside overcooked before the center is tender.
- Don’t overcook the potatoes: They should be tender enough for a fork to slide in easily but still hold their shape. Overcooked potatoes can turn mushy when tossed with the dressing.
- Dress the potatoes while they’re still warm: Warm potatoes absorb the lemon-caper dressing much better than cold potatoes, giving you more flavor in every bite.
- Let the potatoes cool slightly before tossing: If they are piping hot, they can break apart and make the salad too creamy. Warm, not steaming, is the sweet spot.
- Toast the almonds: A few minutes in a dry skillet brings out their nutty flavor and adds a welcome crunch.
- Use fresh lemon juice: Since the dressing is built around lemon, fresh juice makes a noticeable difference in flavor.
- Taste before serving: Potatoes absorb seasoning as they sit. A final squeeze of lemon juice or pinch of salt right before serving can bring the whole salad back to life.
- Add arugula if serving as a light meal: A few handfuls stirred in just before serving turn this from a side dish into a satisfying lunch.
- Make it ahead, but add the almonds last: The salad keeps well, but the almonds stay crunchiest when added just before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make piccata potato salad ahead of time?
Yes. You can make the salad up to 1 day in advance and store it in the refrigerator. For the best texture, add the toasted almonds just before serving so they stay crunchy.
Should I peel the potatoes?
Can I serve it cold?
What can I use instead of capers?
Can I add more protein?
Why are my potatoes falling apart?
What should I serve with this salad?
How to store this piccata potato salad?
More Summer Salad Recipes
- Healthy apple coleslaw
- Mexican bean salad bowl
- Asian cabbage salad with peanut dressing
- Kidney bean salad
- Lemon pasta salad with marinated feta
- Greek bean salad with lemon marinated beans
- Mediterranean chopped lentil salad
- Healthy cranberry broccoli salad
If you try this piccata potato salad recipe, please leave a star rating and let us know how it turned out in the comments.
See more on the next page
