creamy caesar potato salad

Also known as: NOT YO MAMA’S POTATO SALAD.

Though, I must say, my mom’s potato salad is pretty dope. She makes it pretty traditionally, excepting her tendency to marinade the hot potatoes in Italian dressing before tossing in the mayonnaise and whatever else she chose to add. That method drove me to eat the potatoes warm, without the creamy addition – I didn’t even want to wait for her to completely finish the dish. Impatience ran thick in me even as a child.

Nowadays, though, heavy, mayonnaise-based potato salads aren’t my schtick. I use vegan mayo a lot in my recipes but usually it’s not the main event. J typically despises mayo, unless it doesn’t taste like mayo – which is where the dressing in this here salad comes in.

If you’re new here, I call myself the Caesar Ho, because I love Caesar dressing something fierce. I tell this story in pretty much every Caesar-themed post I make, but when I was a kid my rite of passage into a respectable age was getting my very own Caesar salad at Red Lobster rather than sharing it with one of my parents. I never thought about the ingredients in traditional Caesar dressing (apparently raw egg is usually involved, blargh) until I morphed them into my own version later.

This Creamy Caesar Potato Salad is very easy, but quite different from the typical formula you see in southern-style renditions across the Interwebs. The dressing is thick and dreamy, but the parmesan and garlic flavors hide that typical mayonnaise-y essence and instead bring forth a roasty, slightly sweet profile to the potatoes. Serve this warm, at room temperature, or cold – it’s highly diverse and suitable to make ahead of time if you plan to scoop it out for the Fourth.

I’ll probably be enjoying a serving for lunches the rest of the week, but I’m not mad about it. Caesar Ho never says Caesar no to a Caesar show.

BOIL ‘EM, STEAM ‘EM, TOSS ‘EM IN A SAUCE

Yeah, that’s basically a layman’s breakdown of how to make this potato salad.

Although this recipe doesn’t include the beloved marinade like my mom does, the post-boil steaming is still in play. This softens the potatoes even more without further blanching the skin or over-mushing the spuds, while keeping them moist and ready to absorb the dressing.

I used baby gold potatoes, halved, for my salad. Russets would be fine, too, but you’ll need to cut them down into smaller slabs, probably quarters or even eighths depending on how gargantuan your tubers are.

Throw the potatoes in a big ole pot and cover with cold water. Salt the water, then bring to a boil. I then lower the boil to bit less aggressive of a rumble and cook the potatoes, uncovered, for about 12 minutes. 10-15 is a good guideline: longer if you want them softer, shorter if you like a slightly firmer texture.

When the softness is to your liking, drain the potatoes in a collander, then throw them back into the hot pot. Cover and let sit about 10 minutes in their sauce pot sauna.

Caes-a To Please Ya

You can really make the Caesar dressing at whichever step you feel like – before, during boiling, or while the potatoes steam. It takes only a couple minutes and isn’t really a disruptive process.

I often blitz my Caesar dressing in the food processor since I don’t like it quite as chunky – the parmesan contributes to that – but if you don’t mind or if you already grate your cheese pretty finely, stirring in a bowl is just dandy. My Caesar uses no raw eggs: instead, the creaminess comes from a mix of vegan mayo, Greek yogurt, and a touch of dijon mustard. Of course, you can use regular mayo if it doesn’t offend you.

Chuck in some garlic, anchovy paste, and lemon juice to further flavor the dressing, as well as salt and pepper. Taste the result and add more s&p if you need.

When the potatoes have properly steamed, throw in most of the Caesar dressing and gently toss to coat the taters. I use about 2/3 of the dressing and leave the rest for serving (or saving for later salads).

Transfer the salad into a bowl, crack lots of pepper overtop, and finish with a hit of basil. Sometimes I’ll use parsley, too, or dill, depending on what I have around.

This is bomb cold and I love adding some atop a Greek salad or just on the side of some roasted salmon. It belongs on your July 4th spread, believe me. Any self-proclaimed Caesar lover will go back for seconds, and thirds. Maybe even fourths. Because, you know, 4th of July and independence and all that shit.

Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!

Fourth of Ju-sides:

Whipped Honey Ricotta Caprese Toasts

Tomato Basil Orzo Pasta with Burrata

Lemon Chickpea, Tomato, and Avocado Pasta Salad

“Bacon” Ranch and Avocado Pasta Salad

Charred Corn Salad with Tomatoes and Chickpeas