Herbed Jalapeño Potato Salad

A bright, creamy dressing made with fresh herbs and jalapeño livens up potato salad and gives it freshness.  The mild chile pepper lends crisp flavor more than heat, so it brightens meals with grilled meats and pairs equally well with seafood. Since summer meals at my home often include both, I love sides such as this that work whether you opt for slices of steak, a crab cake, or both.

For this creamy potato salad, I start with the smallest baby potatoes I can find, then halve them after cooking for the perfect bite size pieces. A mix of gold, red, and blue potatoes lends beautiful color, which makes it all the more inviting.  Garnish with very thinly sliced jalapeño and even more fresh herbs to announce the vibrant flavors in the bowl.

Ingredients

¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 jalapeño, seeded and coarsely chopped
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves (if substituting, only use soft herbs)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 clove garlic
Salt to taste
1 pound baby potatoes
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions
Thinly sliced jalapeño and additional chopped fresh herbs for topping

The herbed jalapeño dressing for this potato salad includes cilantro, which has a citrusy, parsley flavor to many. If you don’t enjoy cilantro, parsley is a good substitute.  Omit the additional tablespoon of fresh parsley in the recipe.

Begin by making the potato salad dressing.  Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, chopped jalapeño, herb leaves, lime juice, and garlic in a small blender or food processor.  Process until the mixture is mostly smooth and the jalapeño pieces are well-blended.  Tiny flecks of the pepper and herbs will remain.  Season to taste with salt, then refrigerate while you prepare the potatoes.

Put cleaned potatoes in a large pot and fill with cold water so that they are covered by about an inch.  Add a bit of salt and bring to a boil.  Once the water is boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are just tender when poked with a knife.  For small potatoes, this happens in a short amount of time so don’t let them go very long before testing.

Drain the potatoes.  When they are just cool enough to handle, halve them.  Larger potatoes may need to be cut into more pieces.

Spread the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with the white wine vinegar.  Allow to cool completely.

Toss cooled potatoes with the dressing and scallions.  Top with additional fresh herbs and thinly sliced jalapeño rounds if desired.