One of my favorite summer sides is my potato salad with sweet peas and creamy horseradish dressing! This is a recipe I’ve been making for decades and it is always a hit. Perfect for your next bbq or just make a little and have as a side for a weeknight dinner.
Hello, all.
School (such as it was this year) is out and summer is here with a vengeance. Meaning we are having a heat wave! š Which is a great time to do all the inside cooking in the morning and enjoy a cold salad in the evening, maybe with something on the grill as well.
Over the years I’ve made a number of different potato salads, like my Green Bean Nicoise Salad and my Green Olive Salad, because who can resist such a classic side?
I know I can’t! And now it’s time to share with you my basic, everyday, bring to the cookout version. This recipe is a workhorse and is the best – slightly dressed up – old fashioned potato salad!
What do you need?
- Potatoes – I prefer a creamy, yellow variety here, such as Yukon Golds. Red ones with their skins on are also great!
- Creamy Horseradish Dressing – Mayonnaise, sour cream, and horseradish make for a dressing both zingy and creamy.
- Vinegar – A little white vinegar (or cider or rice wine) drizzled over the hot potatoes give them flavor all the way through.
- Sweet Peas – Add these right at the end of cooking.
- Chives – A handful finely chopped.
Note: There are many other varieties of yellow potatoes. If you find them, give them a try! I especially enjoy Butterball and Carola.
How to make this
To make creamy potato salad dice yellow potatoes and cook until tender, adding peas in the last minute. Mix together mayo, sour cream, and horseradish and then toss everything with the dressing. Top with chives.
1. Cook the Potatoes
If you are peeling, peel first then chop them into a 1 inch dice. Next they go into a pot of cold water and onto the stove. Bring to a boil, add salt, and cook until tender.
Tip: You can see in the photo I did peel them; however, the recipe is great with unpeeled or peeled potatoes, so choose whichever you wish! Unless they have turned green. Always peel green potatoes.
2. Add the Peas
In the last minute, add the peas to the hot water and then drain everything into a colander.
3. Vinegar
While the veggies are still hot, pour the vinegar over and give them a gentle toss.
4. Make the Dressing
Mix together the mayo, sour cream, and horseradish. Pour most of it over the warm potatoes (which you’ve moved them to a bowl!) and combine everything together. Now let the salad cool in the fridge.
5. Serve
When you are ready to eat, give everything another mix with the remaining dressing and then top with the chives. And then eat!
Why is my salad watery?
If you use a waxy potato or don’t let them cool enough before dressing, the salad can be watery. One solution is to undercook just a bit then let the potatoes cook off their water in the pot once you drain (in this case add the peas while you are cooking off the water). Another is to spread out the potatoes on a baking sheet to let them cool and release steam.
Keeping the salad creamy
The potatoes will absorb the dressing while they sit and cool. To counteract that, hold back some of the dressing and add it just before serving.
Make Ahead
The recipe will last, in a sealed container, for 2-3 days in the fridge. Note that you should not seal up the top until the salad cools.
Grilled Meats to Serve Along Side
Since this is a summer bbq recipe, I thought I’d include a few of my favorite grilled dinners! Each of these are juicy, simple, and delicious.
If you try my recipe for Potato Salad with Garden Peas, I would love to hear from you in the comments with your experience and rating! And Iām happy to answer any questions you might have.
You can connect with me by subscribing to my emails (see the form in the sidebar or below the recipe card), liking my FACEBOOK page, or by following me on PINTEREST.
– Stay Safe, Annemarie
Horseradish Potato Salad with Garden Peas
Ingredients
- 4 lb yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch dice
- kosher salt
- 2 cups frozen baby peas
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise
- 3-4 tbsp horseradish
- kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
Instructions
- Add the potatoes to a large pot and fill with cold water to cover by an inch or two.
- Put the pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add a couple of tablespoons of kosher salt, then lower the heat to keep at a simmer.
- Cook for 14 minutes (or until almost tender with just a tiny bit of resistance), then add the peas. Cook for one more minute.
- Drain into a colander then pour over the white vinegar. Give everything a gentle toss to distribute the vinegar. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before you add the dressing.
- Mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, and horseradish in a medium bowl.
- Move the potatoes and peas to a bowl, then pour over about a cup of the dressing. Reserve the rest for later.
- Toss to combine, taste and add salt and pepper as needed, then put the salad into the refrigerator to cool. Put the remaining dressing in the refrigerator also.
- When you are ready to serve, pour over the extra dressing and mix in. Then top with the chives.
Notes
- Potatoes: You can use red potatoes instead. Keep their jackets on if you switch.
- Vinegar: You can use cider or rice wine vinegar in place of the white.
- Cooking: Once you've reached the 12 minute mark, check the potatoes by piercing them with a skewer. Do this every minute until they are done. I know they are going to take around 14-16 minutes, but I like to doublecheck.
- Make Ahead: You will want to make the salad at least a few hours ahead of serving so it has time to cool. Once it is cold it will keep, covered, in the fridge for 2-3 days. (Don't cover if it is still warm.)
- Weeknight Side: When I'm making a small quantity, I honestly just eyeball everything, starting with 2-3 potatoes, adding 'some' peas, and using equal amounts of sour cream and mayo with a dollop of horseradish until the salad is creamy enough.
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