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This is not your typical potato salad, but if you’re here, then that’s not what you’re looking for. This is a mix of my Syrian and Mexican culture and it is delicious! This Potato Salad has an amazing labneh dressing that has a touch of spicy in the mix, making it actually pretty healthy, and it’s topped with toasted pine nuts and herbs that elevate this dish so much! If you are wondering what to serve with a Za’atar Potato Salad, check out my Perfect Pairings section.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love Potato Salad with Pine Nuts
This potato salad is really something else – It has amazing bold flavors without being heavy and it’s actually healthy! You will definitely be stepping out of the box with this one, but trust me, you’ll love it!
Prep Like a Pro
Cook your potatoes just right → Salt your water like the sea. A good rule of thumb is 1 tablespoon of salt for every 8 cups. this is where you season your potatoes from within so you don’t want to skip this step if you like that flavoring through every bite. Boil until fork tender, if you overcook the will fall apart with mixed.
Brunoise = Flavor bomb! → Take your time and finally chop your shallot and your Serrano. You want them to melt into every bit and not overpower it if you cut the pieces too big.
Don’t skip toasting your pine nuts → Toasting the pine nuts and then cooking them in the seasoning for a minute blooms their flavor and gives you an extra crunch!
Make sure you wait till the end to add those fresh herbs → Fold those fresh herbs in at the end so make sure they stay vibrant and bright. They do more than just look good – they elevate the entire dish!
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🔥Chef Nadia’s Tip🔥
Toss the potatoes in the dressing while they are still warm (not hot) so they soak up all those flavors!
Substitutions and Variations
- Substitutions
- Labneh → Greek yogurt or more sour cream is interchangeable.
- Mayo → You can add greek yogurt instead for a healthier option
- Salsa Macha → If you don’t want to make your salsa macha, the closest thing I’ve found are Chili Crisps. If you don’t want your potato salad a little spicy, you can always omit it also.
- Za’atar→ This is a very unique seasoning and I really recommend trying to get it. If you can’t find it and you’re in a pinch, you can mix dried thyme, sesame seeds and sumac (or lemon zest if you don’t have this) to try and immolate the za’atar.
- Variations
- Crispy Potato Salad → If you’re looking for crisp, pop your potatoes under the broiler to get those crispy edges.
- Make it Vegan → Use vegan mayo, swap the labneh for plant based yogurt of cashew cream and use maple syrup instead of honey. You may also want to check the label on your salsa macha to make sure and if you’re not sure you can just omit it, the potato salad won’t have the little spicy kick but it will still be delicious.
- Make this your main → Add crispy chickpeas, boiled eggs or grilled halloumi to add some protein and make this potato salad even healthier.
The Perfect Pairings
Drink: Cucumbertini 🍸 A refreshing cocktail made with vodka or gin that it is light enough that it will go great with this Potato Salad as well as everything on the menu.
Salad: Butter Lettuce Salad 🥗 I think every dinner party needs a perfectly simple green salad. The dressing is the true star here and you will be hooked.
Main: Chicken Shawarma Tacos 🍗 Wondering what to serve with potato salad – These street-style Shawarma Chicken Kabobs are so full of flavor and match perfectly. This recipe includes some of the same ingredients as the Potato Salad with Pine Nuts (like that za’atar) making it cost effective.
Dessert: Berry Panna Cotta 🍮 Panna Cotta is one of my favorite desserts! So creamy and delicious and a perfect way to end your night.
Potato Salad with Pine Nuts: Questions Answered
There is honestly so much that pairs with potato salad. You can check out my Perfect Pairings section. But it also goes with most grilled meats, burgers, seafood. For sides salads, corn on the cob, grilled veggies. Just a simple sandwich goes great. Potato Salad is hard to go wrong with.
Za’atar is both savory and slightly tangy with a delicious nutty flavor. It’s one of those seasonings that you just have to try and you’re missing out if you don’t – this za’atar potato salad will be the perfect introduction!
This Potato Salad is meant to be eaten slightly warm or at room temperature. It allows the creamy za’atar labneh dressing to coat each potato in this salad perfectly and it tastes really good this way. It is still delicious cold so if you would prefer to have a cold potato salad on a hot summer day, you are welcome to pop it in the fridge.
Sure! Just wait to add the pine nuts and herbs till right before serving. Don’t heat it up in the microwave, instead, put it in an oven safe dish covered loosely with foil and gently warm it up at 275°F till slightly warm, not hot.
Potato Salad with Pine Nuts
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Medium Skillet
- large bowl
Ingredients
- 1 lb mini gold potatoes
- 1 lb red potatoes
- ¾ cup labneh
- ¼ cup mayo
- ½ tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1½ tsp honey
- 2 tbsp za’atar
- ¼ tsp cumin
- 1 lemon, zest
- 1 shallot, brunoise
- 1 small serrano, finely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh dill, + more for topping
- ¼ cup chives, + more for topping
- ¼ cup parsley
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup pine nuts
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp salsa macha, salsa macha recipe or chili crisp
- seasoned salt, to taste
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water, salt generously and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and let them cool. Slice into quarters or halves if they are really small.
- Preheat a pan for 2 minutes on medium. Add in pine nuts and once they are golden add in your paprika and salsa macha. Cook together 1 min.
- In a bowl, mix labneh, mayo, za’atar, dijon, serrano, cumin, vinegar, shallot, lemon zest and seasoned salt. Mix in half of the olive oil, and then the dill, parsley and chives.
- Add in potatoes and rest of olive oil. Mix well.
- Right before serving, add the pine nuts and herbs.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
