This Warm Basil Pesto Potato Salad is the perfect side dish to bring to events and share with family and friends. The basil pesto brings a depth of flavor and the texture of the tomatoes and the potatoes give the dish a balanced texture.
When you think of a Summer afternoon BBQ or picnic, what is one of the first dishes that you think of? For me, that is potato salad. Potato salad is a class BBQ side dish and an iconic Summer staple. While I love traditional potato salad, I also just love to change it up some. I love to try new things and experiment with new recipes, I mean, hello! That is why this blog is here! We all know of my undying love of pesto, that is not new, however, what I am sharing with you today might be my greatest pesto recipe yet. This Warm Basil Pesto Potato Salad is the stuff of literal dreams. It is so good, your mouth is watering just looking at the picture isn't it. Well, I won't bother you any longer, let's get into the details.
What is Potato Salad?
When Americans think about potato salad, we can't imagine a time without it, right? It is an iconic American food! Potato Salad was first introduced to Europeans from the New World by Spanish explorers in the 1500s. These early potato salads were made by boiling potatoes in wine or a mixture of vinegar and spices. However, when we think of modern potato salad, you know, the creamy yellow stuff, it was brought here by German immigrants who came to settle in America.
We can trace the earliest written recipes for the American potato salad to the mid 19th century. In these recipes, cooked potatoes were often dressed with a mixture of oil, vinegar, and herbs. These potato salads were so closely tied to German Immigrants that the dish became known as German Potato Salad. The pesto potato salad that I am sharing with you today would be considered a play-off of the German Potato Salad dish that was popular before adding mayo became a thing. This warm potato salad is so delicious and has amazing textures and flavor, you won't even notice the mayo missing.
How to make this Basil Pesto Potato Salad
This Warm Basil Pesto Potato Salad is so easy to make it should be considered a crime. There are only six ingredients and you can make this potato salad from start to finish in about 40 minutes. It is the perfect side dish to bring to a BBQ or even to just enjoy at home as part of a larger meal. This potato salad also makes great leftovers, just reheat the salad in the microwave and you have leftovers for the week.
The ingredients in this pesto potato salad are:
- Mini Red potatoes
- Red Bell Pepper
- Mini Heirloom tomatoes
- Radishes
- Capers
- Vegan Walnut Pesto
How to Prepare the Potato Salad
To prepare the potato salad, you are going to start by roasting your potatoes in the oven. I prefer the crunchy bite that the potatoes take when roasted as opposed to boiling. Preheat your oven to 425 and chop your potatoes into bite-sized chunks. Toss the potatoes with a little olive oil and roast in the oven for 30 minutes. While your potatoes are in the oven, chop your vegetables.You are going to want to chop your red bell pepper, radishes, and tomatoes into bite-sized bits. I like to do medium dice on them.
Add your vegetables into a bowl and drain and add the capers. After you are finished dicing your vegetables, you will want to make your pesto. I used my Vegan Almond Spinach Pesto in this recipe because I love the fresh flavor of it, however, feel free to use store-bought pesto if you prefer. Once the potatoes are out of the oven, add them to the bowl with the vegetables and add your pesto and stir everything up to combine. Season with salt and pepper for flavor and you are good to go! This recipe stays good in the fridge for up to five days, however, it is best eaten immediately, which to be honest, shouldn't be hard to do.
WARM BASIL PESTO POTATO SALAD
Ingredients
- 1 lb baby red potatoes
- 1 red bell pepper
- ½ cup mini heirloom tomatoes
- 3 radishes
- ½ of a jar of capers
- 1 ½ cups pesto
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and chop your potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Toss with a little bit of olive oil and roast for 30 minutes.
- While the potatoes are roasting, chop your tomatoes, bell pepper, and radishes. Chop into a medium dice, you still want to have texture there and not chop too fine. Add your vegetables to a bowl after you finish chopping.
- Once you are finished chopping your vegetables, make your pesto. Combine all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. If using store-bought pesto, skip this step.
- Once your potatoes are done in the oven, add them to the bowl with your vegetables, add the capers and the pesto and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Notes
- This recipe is gluten free and vegan
- The leftovers last in the fridge for up to five days
- If using store bought pesto, make sure to check the ingredients to be sure it is vegan.
Jeannie says
I think I know what my next salad meal will be 🙂 Thanks for this, love all the colors of this salad.
kaydimaggio says
It is delicious! I hope you enjoy!
Courtney says
This looks amazing! Thanks for sharing
kaydimaggio says
Hope you enjoy 🙂
Aditi Jain says
I love potato salad. Thanks for sharing this!
kaydimaggio says
You're welcome! I hope you enjoy!
Claire Rubin says
I'm pregnant and all I want is potato salad! Thanks for sharing!
kaydimaggio says
Of course! You will have to let me know how you like it 🙂
Headphonesthoughts says
Potato salad is one of my favorite meals. I love it. I would totally love to try out this recipe.
kaydimaggio says
You won't regret it! I hope you enjoy!
LaRena Fry says
Way to think outside of the box. Sounds so yummy
kaydimaggio says
Thank you! It is seriously delicious!
Kimberlie says
Now that I've seen your recipe, it makes perfect sense, but I would have never thought to combine these favorites. Thank you for sharing the idea and recipe.
kaydimaggio says
So yummy! I hope you enjoy!
Erika R says
This looks so delicious and I can’t wait to try it! Thanks for sharing!
kaydimaggio says
You're welcome! I hope you enjoy!
Enricoh Alfonzo says
aaaaaahhhhh omg this looks so dastardly delectable yum.
kaydimaggio says
Haha I hope you enjoy!
Sandra says
This looks absolutely delicious! I'm going to make this! Thank you for sharing!
kaydimaggio says
I hope you enjoy!
rachel says
Yum! I hate mayo but never thought of using pesto in potato salad instead -- great idea.
kaydimaggio says
Yes! It works so well as a replacement for mayo!
kaydimaggio says
It works great!
Gloria says
This looks amazing! How does it work as a cold potato salad?
kaydimaggio says
Honestly, it is much better warm. When it is cold, the flavors don't come through as much. Still good for sure, but it is at it's best when it is warm or reheated.
Addie says
Such a great summer salad! Love these bold fresh flavors!
kaydimaggio says
Glad you liked it!