Fresh Basil makes a fantastic potato salad
It’s potato salad season, in all its glory. Tender young, locally grown potatoes are at my Farmer’s Market, along with a bounty of fresh, seasonal veggies that can make a potato salad a little more exciting than the standard one. Take my Potato and Green Bean Salad with Fresh Basil. It’s so poppingly fresh that you will want to eat it as a stand alone meal.
I was lucky, I found beautiful, just harvested small Yukon Gold potatoes at the market. I love whole grains, but sometimes I like to mix it up and have some really good potatoes. (You can try a New Potato Bowl with Edamame and Creamy Avocado Sauce recipe here.) Potatoes get a bad rap from carb-avoiders, but they are really a healthful, high-fiber, Vtamin-C rich food. Leave the tender skins on your new potatoes, and you’ll get all the vitamins and minerals.
But the big score was the Haricots Verts. Not that many farmers grow the slender, crisp French green beans, so when I see them, I buy them. If you can’t get Haricots Verts, use the freshest green beans you can find.
Serve this at your next party
I have a few bushes of sweet basil in my back garden, as well as a prolific (aggressive?) garlic chive plant. My grape tomatoes are just starting to ripen, so a few of those precious gems went in, too.
Potato and Green Bean Salad with Basil
Capers and a few slivers of purple cabbage added some bursts of texture and color. I love the salty pop of a caper in my mouth, and they give everything a Mediterranean vibe.
For the dressing, I wanted to try out the Fabanaise mayo I picked up at the Coop. It’s made with aquafaba, and it’s quite tasty. I like to add a little good extra virgin olive oil to purchased mayos for flavor, so I stirred some in.
That was all I needed. Simple, fast, easy and delicious. That seems to be the ideal for Summer cooking!
Potato, Green Bean and Basil Salad
- 1 pound new potatoes
- 4 cups haricots verts or green beans (6 ounces)
- 1 cup grape tomatoes (halved)
- 1/4 cup slivered red cabbage
- 1/2 cup chopped garlic chives
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves (chopped)
- 2 tablespoons capers (drained)
Dressing
- 1/4 cup Vegan mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
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In a large pot, place the potatoes and water to cover, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a paring knife. Drain and let cool.
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Trim and steam the beans until crisp tender.
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Halve the cooled potatoes and place in a large bowl. Add the beans, tomatoes, cabbage, chives, basil and capers.
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In a cup, stir the mayo and olive oil and pour it over the potatoes. Toss to coat and serve within a couple of days.
