Martha Stewart’s Tasty Spin on Potato Salad Will Become Your Favorite Way to Make It

There are few side dishes more closely associated with summer grilling than potato salad. Rich and satisfying, the go-to dish is also very versatile. Don’t believe me? Think about the many ways to add a personal touch to potato salad — from switching out white potatoes for sweet potatoes to trying a mayo-free dressing — and then tell me I’m wrong.

If you’re still feeling on the fence about my versatility claim, Martha Stewart’s Potato Salad recipe may seal the deal because she has a few tweaks that make all the difference. For one, the entertainment guru uses red potatoes, which she finds to be “sweet and creamy.”  She steams this flavorful potato rather than boils, and avoids the dressing being too heavy and creamy by using buttermilk to thin the mayo. It’s garnished with parsley and sliced hard-boiled eggs, which leads to a photo-friendly finish. But, of course, what else would you expect from Martha Stewart?!

Martha starts by bringing water to a boil and adding her red-skinned potatoes to a steamer basket. You’ll know the potatoes are done steaming when they are knife-tender. At that point, remove the potatoes and let them cool a bit. This makes it easier to peel and slice, but, according to Martha, it’s also important for a mayo-based dressing as you don’t want the potatoes to heat your mayo too much and turn it into oil.

The cooled and peeled potatoes are then added to  a large mixing bowl that includes onion, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper and everything is combined. Let stand for about 10 minutes and then add your dressing: a mix of mayo, buttermilk, and cornichons. Martha mixes well, transfers to another bowl, and then back to the starting bowl. This is just to get everything well-blended. 

Finally, add to the refrigerator and let chill until you are ready to enjoy. You can garnish with sliced hard-boiled eggs and parsley before serving, but that’s totally up to your taste buds. Other fresh herbs — or even more cornichons — could also be a really fun and attractive garnish. But no matter your choice, you’ll want to be like Martha, and make this creamy and colorful dish your own invention.

You the full recipe for Martha’s potato salad here and check out the step-by-step video below.