The Swap You Need For An Earthy Twist On Potato Salad

Potato salad can be a controversial topic at family reunions or potlucks, as people swear by their grandmother's or great-aunt's or long-lost next-door neighbor's recipe. Wise families often designate who's going to make it ahead of time, such is the enduring significance of potato salad. Though variations are found in many countries, the typical American version contains boiled potatoes (natch) mixed with mayonnaise, herbs, and raw vegetables. It's usually served cold, or at room temperature.

With so many basic ingredients, it's easy to play around with your potato dish. Most die-hards will argue that waxy varieties like fingerlings or Yukon Gold hold up best in a mountain of mayo — just be sure to boil potatoes for the right amount of time to keep them al dente. But it's well worth considering an alternative: the sweet potato. 

While it might sound an unusual swap, sweet potatoes are certainly a crowd-pleaser when it comes to nutritional benefits, and they also add an earthy, sweet flavor to the salad. This goes especially well with the tart mayonnaise and raw onion. Some recipes explicitly call for the white-fleshed sweet potato over the orange because of its subtler taste, though you can use either. If you're worried about the overall sweetness, ingredients such as white vinegar, turmeric, red onions, or Dijon mustard can offset any cloying flavors.

Sweet potatoes can be prepared the same as their russet cousins: peeled, diced, and boiled in salted water for 20 minutes or until they're fork-tender. Alternatively, you can peel and cube the sweet potatoes, toss them in oil and seasoning, and roast them first. Just let them cool a little before assembling your salad.

Most recipes include mayonnaise as the base, but if that isn't your thing, try a variation such as German-style potato salad. It's served warm with a mayo-free, vinegar-based dressing enriched with hot bacon drippings, and the tangy taste works beautifully with sweet potatoes. The addition of mayonnaise, incidentally, is a distinctly American tradition, which didn't really kick off until the 1920s, when the mass production and commercialization of mayo began. But whatever style of dressing you choose, just make sure to combine it very gently with the delicate sweet potatoes so they don't crumble — you may wish to use your hands.

There are also countless regional varieties of potato salad if you want to keep experimenting. Midwesterners tend to lean toward Miracle Whip, while Duke's mayonnaise has a cult following in the South thanks to its high yolk-to-oil ratio, and lack of added sugar. As for mustard, a bright-yellow potato salad with pickle relish is often referred to as "Texas style," because its acidity pairs well with the state's famous barbecue dishes. Other creative recipes feature ingredients such as curry, Greek yogurt, pesto, olives, and even raisins.