This is a family favorite recipe and hands-down, the best southern potato salad around! A special added ingredient gives it so much flavor!
My mother-in-law makes the BEST southern potato salad. Seriously. I've tried a LOT of potato salad recipes over the years. The special ingredient that she adds to make it "sing" is green olives. It's the perfect twist on traditional potato salad made with pickle relish.
My mother-in-law aka "MIL" is an amazing cook. I'm so grateful that she has shared many great recipes with me over the years. She turned me on to Cook's Illustrated magazine years ago, where I've gotten so many great cooking tips from reading their instructional guides. Her signature southern potato salad is the star of our Easter meal and always a huge hit at summer parties and potlucks.
This potato salad is delicious and absolutely worth the splurge. Go for Hellman's Real Mayonnaise or Duke's mayonnaise (Duke's is a southern thing...trust me...it's SO good) or an olive oil blend mayonnaise in this recipe. This potato salad will feed a large crowd, so feel free to half this recipe for a smaller group of people. It's ALWAYS better the second day, so make this a day ahead of serving.
Try this Roasted Fingerling, Green Bean & Feta Salad for another delicious twist on a picnic classic!
The Best Southern Potato Salad
16 side-dish servings
Ingredients:
12 medium red skin potatoes
1 tablespoon salt
8 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
3 large stalks celery, diced
1 large green pepper, diced
⅓ large sweet onion, chopped fine
1 (5.75 oz) jar pimento-stuffed olives, drained and chopped
Dressing:
2 cups real mayonnaise
2 tablespoon French's yellow mustard
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Garnish:
2 sprigs of fresh dill weed
Directions:
In a large stockpot, add whole potatoes with 1 tablespoon salt and enough water to cover.
Boiling your potatoes whole prevents them from absorbing too much water, ensuring a firm potato for salads. Bring to a full boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, drain again and set potatoes aside to cool.
Cube potatoes and peel (if preferred, I don't) and place them into a large bowl.
Drain olives, so the dish won't be too salty. Chop vegetables and place into a large bowl. Slice olives and add to vegetables.
Dice hard-cooked eggs and add to the vegetable mix.
Add potatoes and stir. Whisk mayonnaise and mustard together with 1 teaspoon salt and fresh ground pepper.
Add dressing to potato salad and stir well. Sprinkle with paprika, garnish with fresh dill (if desired), cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve the next day.
The Best Southern Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 12 medium red skin potatoes
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 8 hard-cooked eggs chopped
- 3 large stalks celery diced
- 1 large green pepper diced
- ⅓ large sweet onion chopped fine
- 1 5.75 oz jar pimento stuffed olives, drained and chopped
- Dressing:
- 2 cups mayo
- 2 tablespoon French's yellow mustard
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Garnish:
- 2 sprigs Fresh dill for garnish
- ½ teaspoon Paprika for garnish
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, add whole potatoes with 1 tablespoon salt and enough water to cover.
- Boiling your potatoes whole prevents them from absorbing too much water, ensuring a firm potato for salads.
- Bring to a full boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Drain, rinse with cold water, drain well and set aside to cool.
- Cube potatoes and peel (if preferred, I don't) and place into a large bowl.
- Drain olives.
- Chop vegetables and place into a large bowl.
- Chop olives and add to vegetables.
- Dice hard-cooked eggs and add to the vegetable mix.
- Add potatoes and stir.
- Whisk mayonnaise and mustard together with 1 teaspoon salt and fresh ground pepper.
- Add dressing to potato salad and stir well.
- Sprinkle with paprika, garnish with dill, cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Serve the next day.
Nutrition
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BRIGITT
OMG, that looks good!
Kai Cross
So I know that this post is 9 years old but I just had to share that my grandmother made her potato salad this way but in addition to the green olives she would also add a huge spoonful of pickle relish. It was delicious!
Amee Livingston
I’m going to have to add pickle relish to mine next time! Sounds delicious Kai!!