My grandmother’s answer to hot summer weather was a cold supper, and it always included a potato salad. In general, I’m very much in favor of the cooking of grandmothers, but I’ve found that I prefer a lighter version. This recipe for a lemon dill potato salad is adapted from Dahlia Abraham-Klein’s book Silk Road Vegetarian, and it’s a welcome addition to my summer rotation.
I tweaked the recipe a bit, of course; this is my own version. Note that it’s important to toss the potatoes with the dressing while the potatoes are still very warm, so that they absorb the dressing and flavors.
Make sure that you leave time to let the dish stand at least an hour before serving to cool to room temperature. Conversely, if you have made this ahead of time and the salad is cold, take it out of the refrigerator at least an hour before serving. Lemon dill potato salad is best when the it is only slightly chilled.
Lemon Dill Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 3 pounds potatoes
- 5 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (scant ⅓ cup)
- 4 tbsp chopped fresh dill (¼ cup)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp Aleppo pepper (use regular pepper if you prefer)
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and chop them into cubes about 1 inch on a side. Put them in a large saucepan, and add cold water to cover by at least 1 inch. Salt the water.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer 15 minutes or so until the potatoes are tender. Drain. (While you can boil the potatoes whole with skin on, then peel and chop – I prefer to peel and chop first.)
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the lemon juice, dill, garlic, sugar, salt, and Aleppo pepper. Whisk in the olive oil, pouring it in a slow stream.
- Drizzle the dressing over the warm potatoes and toss gently to coat. Let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, so that the potatoes can absorb some dressing. Cover and refrigerate for several hours.