Filling And Refreshing BLT Potato Salad Recipe

Although leafy greens may first come to mind when you think of the ultimate salad, we think that potato salad deserves the crown when it comes to barbecue and picnic season, and every person will have their own version of this deliciously creamy and carby dish. This humble salad is a likely attendee to most backyard gatherings, but just because this is a simple, staple dish, that doesn't mean that it should be overlooked.

With this filling and refreshing BLT potato salad recipe, the cold potato dish we all know and love is elevated to a side that is worthy of rubbing shoulders with the most well bedecked BBQ spreads. Created by Tasting Table recipe developer Jennine Rye, boiled potatoes are paired with fried pancetta, fresh cherry tomatoes, and crisp gem lettuce, before being tossed in a delightfully rich and creamy dressing, to make the best potato salad and BLT crossover you'll taste. Ideal for any picnic, barbecue, or pot luck dinner, this simple and straightforward recipe will transform the way you approach potato salads.

To begin this filling and refreshing BLT potato salad recipe, first you will need to gather the ingredients. You will want Yukon gold potatoes, pancetta, olive oil, mayonnaise, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, little gem lettuce, cherry tomatoes, chives, and salt and pepper, for seasoning.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil.

Add the potatoes and boil for 15 minutes until soft.

Drain the potatoes and set aside.

Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat.

Add the diced pancetta and fry for 6 to 8 minutes until golden.

Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the olive oil, mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of cold water to a jar with a lid.

Seal the lid on the jar and shake to combine the dressing ingredients until creamy and emulsified.

Chop the lettuce into chunks.

To assemble the salad, add the lettuce and tomatoes to a bowl, followed by the cooled potatoes and pancetta.

Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.

Garnish the salad with fresh chives and serve.

Pancetta is one of the key ingredients in this BLT potato salad recipe, helping to give the dish loads of delicious flavor as well as texture, but that doesn't mean that you need to ditch the entire recipe if you can't get your hands on this specific Italian bacon. The main difference between pancetta and bacon lies in the curing process, which results in a difference of flavor. It is perfectly possible to substitute bacon lardons, or sliced streaky bacon, or classic bacon strips in this recipe. This will simply result in a slightly smokier flavor which is typical of bacon, and may well be a little lighter on your wallet too.

Similarly, if you have a different type of lettuce in the fridge already, such as iceberg lettuce, it will work just as well to create this refreshing salad. The key is to make sure you are using a crisp lettuce to add a good crunchy texture to the dish. If a softer lettuce leaf is used alongside the boiled potatoes, the dish will lack texture and be less enjoyable on the whole. Likewise with cherry tomatoes; these can be substituted for another tomato variety, just make sure they are firm and flavorful to really add to the salad.

When it comes to making a potato salad, you may well believe that any old potato will work. However, this simply isn't the case, and the wrong choice of potato could well result in a potato mush instead of a deliciously textured salad. With the sheer variety of potatoes available on the supermarket shelves, you'd be forgiven for finding it a tad confusing choosing the best potatoes for potato salad. 

The key thing to remember is that some potatoes are more waxy, and some are starchy. For potato salad you will want to stick with the waxy potatoes, such as new potatoes, fingerlings, or red potatoes. Alternatively, you can reach for the general all-rounders, like Yukon golds, which are used in this recipe. These varieties will hold their form well throughout the preparation process, and won't disintegrate when mixed with the salad dressing. If you start to veer toward the floury and starchy potato territory, such as russets or king Edward potatoes, that's where you'll get into trouble. These potatoes are ideal for things like mashed potatoes, but won't hold together well when boiled and then tossed with other ingredients.