Perhaps it’s wishful thinking, but I’ve been extra-preoccupied with salads lately. I see friends and family across the country posting photos on Facebook of people in shorts and bathing suits, flower-bedazzled yards, open-window houses. Sure, my garden is still brown, and the only new seedlings are sitting atop my dining room table, but I know one of these days spring will FINALLY arrive. And I’ll be ready.
As written, today’s delicious potato salad is meant to be served warm, but truth be told, it’s every bit as tasty served cold too. (Between you and me, I’m sticking to the warm version till it creeps above the 50 degree mark here in Maine.) Unlike heavier mayo-based potato salads, this one shines with a light and flavorful salt-free vinaigrette. I tend to stick to just the potatoes and spinach, sometimes tossing in a handful of sunflower seeds at the end. But if you’d like to expand the salad into more of a one-dish meal, feel free to add some additional veggies, such as thinly sliced red onion, fresh green beans, even cooked barley. Any potatoes will work here, but I highly recommend using small new potatoes, fingerlings, or some combination thereof.
Adapted from Dreena Burton’s stellar cookbook, Eat Drink & Be Vegan!
Yields 8 servings
SODIUM CONTENT: 42 mg per serving
INGREDIENTS
3 lbs. new potatoes or fingerlings
4 c. fresh baby spinach
DRESSING:
5 T. red wine vinegar
5 T. olive oil
2 T. water
1 T. no-salt-added prepared mustard
1 T. agave nectar
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. no-salt-added all-purpose seasoning
1/2 t. dried dill
1/2 t. dried Italian seasoning
1/2 t. dried thyme
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
OPTIONAL:
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 – 1/2 c. unsalted chopped nuts or sunflower seeds
DIRECTIONS
Scrub potatoes and place in a pot. Add enough water to cover by several inches. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until tender, roughly 15 minutes.
Remove pot from heat and briefly run under cold water. Drain. Half, quarter, or dice the potatoes, depending upon size, to obtain large bite-size chunks. Add potatoes back into pot and add the fresh spinach. Add additional ingredients (nuts/seeds, onion, veggies, etc.) if desired.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss well to coat and combine.
Serve immediately. Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator.
