If you have ever tried a German potato salad, then you know that distinctive flavor – caraway – which is often accompanied by other flavors like bacon fat, sauerkraut and hard-cooked eggs. I often associate traditional German potato salad with the holiday season, and wanted to create a lighter and more fresh version that uses the unique spice. This Potato, Caraway and Parsley Salad is delicious served warm or chilled, and if you bring anything to the summer barbecue this year, let it be this delicious and unique salad.
Caraway Seed
Caraway seeds have a distinct and aromatic flavor profile that is often described as warm, earthy, and slightly sweet with hints of citrus and anise. You most likely have encountered caraway seeds in rye bread, which give the bread its distinctive taste.
Their taste is often compared to fennel seeds and anise seeds, although with a slightly stronger and more pungent character. Caraway seeds are commonly used in various cuisines, particularly in European and Middle Eastern dishes, where they add depth and a distinctly warming flavor.
What To Serve With This Potato Salad
This potato caraway and parsley salad makes for a great side dish when served with pork or beef, and is also a refreshing change from traditional mayonnaise based potato salad.
Its light body and herbaceous flavor make it ideal for heftier cuts of meat like brisket, steak and ribs.
Tips For Making A Great Potato Caraway Salad
These tips will help guarantee a perfectly cooked and assembled salad!
Tip 1: Aim for equal sized potato chunks. We want to potato chunks to be roughly the same size to ensure even cooking time. If you have a mix of large and small size of potatoes, you can quarter the large ones and halve the small ones.
Tip 2: “Bloom” the caraway seed. This is done by tossing the seeds with the still warm potatoes and the olive oil. The heat from the potatoes will help to open up the caraway seeds and impart more flavor.
Tip 3: Use a less starchy potato. Red potatoes and new potatoes are ideal, but Yukon gold and fingerling potatoes also work. This helps to keep the potato piece intact which is more for visual appeal, but also to help keep the potato salad from turning into a mealy mess.
Substituting Ingredients in Potato Salad
- Fennel seed or celery seed: to substitute caraway seed
- Red onion: To add to the salad
- Fresh herbs like chives, tarragon, fennel fronds: To add or substitute the parsley.
Potato, Caraway and Parsley Salad
INGREDIENTS
- 6-7 Red potatoes
- ½ cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
- 2 tsp caraway seeds
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ tsp sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Scrub and rinse the potatoes to remove any dirt. Cut the potatoes into quarters.
- Soak the potatoes in cold salted water for 10 minutes to prevent browning and remove excess starch.
- Add potatoes to a large pot and cover potatoes with cold water. Add a handful of salt and bring to a boil. Boil for 15-20 minutes until tender when pierced with a fork.
- Drain the potatoes and cool until no longer steaming but still warm.
- Peel and halve the garlic clove. Rub the cut side of the garlic along the sides of a large bowl. Discard garlic.
- Add in the cooled cooked potatoes, parsley, caraway seeds, olive oil and salt. Toss gently to coat and serve immediately.
- To serve chilled, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 2 -3 hours before serving.
Potato, Caraway and Parsley Salad
Ingredients
- 6-7 Red potatoes
- ½ cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
- 2 tsp caraway seeds
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Scrub and rinse the potatoes to remove any dirt. Cut the potatoes into quarters.
- Soak the potatoes in cold salted water for 10 minutes to prevent browning and remove excess starch.
- Add potatoes to a large pot and cover potatoes with cold water. Add a handful of salt and bring to a boil. Boil for 15-20 minutes until tender when pierced with a fork.
- Drain the potatoes and cool until no longer steaming but still warm.
- Peel and halve the garlic clove. Rub the cut side of the garlic along the sides of a large bowl. Discard garlic.
- Add in the cooled cooked potatoes, parsley, caraway seeds, olive oil and salt. Toss gently to coat and serve immediately.
- To serve chilled, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 2 -3 hours before serving.