Whether you’re making a pitcher of iced tea or a delicious sauce for roasted lamb, mint is a versatile herb that can brighten up nearly any dish, from sauces and salads to cocktails and desserts. Potato salad is another dish you may not have considered adding mint to.
If you want to upgrade your basic potato salad recipe, adding mint will give it a green, herbal note and just-picked-from-the-garden freshness. Chef and cookbook author Michael Symon is a fan. Food Republic spoke to Symon at the Nassau Paradise Island Wine & Food Fest, who shared, “I’m Greek. I put mint in everything.”
While Symon enjoys zingy, vinegar-based potato salads, “Mayonnaise-based potato salads are delicious too,” he says. If you’re planning to go the creamy potato salad route, Symon suggests investing in a good mayonnaise — he recommends Kewpie or Duke’s — that provides “a good base” to build upon.
Other herbs to upgrade your potato salad
In addition to adding a fresh twist, mint tastes fantastic when paired with lemon — another ingredient that creates delicious potato salad. However, mint isn’t the only option. Other fresh herbs can make your homemade potato salad taste like it came from the deli — or better yet, a gourmet restaurant. “Dill is great. Tarragon is great,” says Symon. He also recommends adding fresh flat-leaf parsley, celery seed, or leaves. These herbs add brightness, deepen the flavor, and, in the case of celery seeds, they add an earthy umami taste to potato salad.
You can also add basil, cilantro, chives, or chervil to add more complexity to the dish. Basil and cilantro give the potato salad a vibrant, herbal note while chives and chervil add to the umami taste. Lastly, if, like Symon, you prefer your potato salad on the tangier side, consider adding capers. While not exactly an herb, this secret potato salad hack adds an irresistibly briny note that will keep guests returning for seconds.
