When I first started pressure cooking I kept trying to make this potato salad but the potatoes kept falling apart into a mash. I finally figured out that by reversing the process – slicing the potatoes before instead of after cooking – the result would make a perfect potato salad. Just toss the sliced raw potatoes in the pressure cooker using a steamer basket and the potatoes will keep their shape after cooking to make a salad.
This Italian potato salad (Insalata di Patate) and slight variations of the same in France (Salade de Pommes de Terre), Germany and Austria (Kartoffelsalat), is a popular summer dish in Europe. Unlike the American version, which is laden with mayonnaise, this salad is only dressed in oil and vinegar – with little surprises of macerated onion- and lots of parsley. Don’t forget to only add the parsley after the potatoes have cooled a bit to keep it from turning black.
I make this recipe quite often so I’d like to share a few additional refinements that bring this basic potato salad from good to… fantastic! I macerate the onion in the vinegar while the potatoes are pressure cooking – this tones down the onions and flavors the vinegar. I use both the parsley stems and leaves for dressing since they add a nice celery-like crunch without any extra effort.
I remember going out to lunch at a “diner” type place with my family, while I lived in the U.S, and I innocently asked the waitress if the had a potato salad without mayonnaise.
“If it ain’t got no mayo, it ain’t no ‘tater salad, Honey!” She had such a good belly rubbing laugh teaching me the finer points of diner cuisine that she had to push up her glasses and wipe her eyes with a handkerchief smartly tucked in bra strap before taking our order.
You may not find this potato salad in a diner but now you can make it yourself… Honey!
| Pressure Cooker | Accessories | Pr. Cook Time | Pr. Level | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 L or larger | steamer basket | 5 min. | High (2) | Normal |
(per serving)
- Serves: 6-8
- Serving size: ⅛th
- Calories: 237.6
- TOTAL Fat: 7.3g
- TOTAL Carbs: 40.4g
- Sugar Carbs: 2.2g
- Sodium: 310.7mg
- Fiber Carbs: 4.3g
- Protein: 4.8g
- Cholesterol: 0.0mg
- 3 pounds (1.5k) red or new Potatoes, large dice
- 1 bunch parsley, finely chopped (stems and leaves)
- ¼ medium white or ½ medium red onion, finely chopped (about ⅓ of a cup)
- 3-4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 4-5 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon salt - or to taste
- a dash of freshly ground pepper
- Prepare the pressure cooker with 1½ cups (375ml) of water, and trivet.
- Scrub and wash the potatoes well and cut into about 1" (2.5cm) cubes. Place them in the steamer basket.
- Close and lock the lid of the pressure cooker.
- Electric pressure cookers: Cook for 5 minutes at high pressure.
Stovetop pressure cookers: Turn the heat up to high and when the cooker indicates it has reached high pressure, lower to the heat to maintain it and begin counting 5 minutes pressure cooking time. - Meanwhile, chop the onion finely and set in a small bowl with the vinegar salt and pepper to macerate. Finely chop the parsley stems and leaves.
- When time is up, open the pressure cooker with the Normal release - release pressure through the valve.
- When cooking is finished, transfer potatoes into the bowl with the onions and pour-on the olive oil and mix with the vinegar and onion.
- When the potatoes have cooled to room temperature (about 10 minutes) parsley.
- Serve immediately or chill overnight in the refrigerator.
OK, I made this for the third time, and it was perfect. I finally was able to find white wine vinegar and that made all the difference. The red wine vinegar was too strong and the white wine vinegar was very smooth tasting. Also, I used a regular yellow onion that was quite mild and tasty. So, the third time was the charm. We love this, especially since I can make it in the morning for supper that night.
No mayo potato salad for the win!
Macerating the onion is easy and has a big impact.
Delicious. Thank you for developing and sharing this recipe. I look forward to making it again with fresh parsley. All I had was dried and that’s just sad.
I only had 2 potatoes so I had to adjust a bit. I had one carrot that I diced and threw in the pot. I was pretty hungry so I added half a bag of frozen peas. To make up for the sad parsley I added paprika.
Beautiful and very tasty. Next time I will follow use fresh parsley.