Creamy Southwestern Potato Salad | Side Dish Recipe

An easy recipe for potato salad with a Southwestern twist, featuring creamy Yukon Gold potatoes, black beans, corn and a zesty chipotle dressing. Plus, what is potato salad exactly? Questions answered.

Turns out potato salad is good for more than just a country-side picnic and barbecue fare, and if you're looking to break out of the traditional mold, this Southwestern potato salad is a great way to do it. However, if black beans, corn and sweet red peppers don't tickle your fancy, you always have the option to take things in another direction. Actually, lots of other directions. You see, potatoes are a mildly flavored vegetable, making them super versatile in the flavor components they can take on.

First, let's talk about what potato salad is, and what it consists of: (1) boiled or roasted potatoes, (2) add-ins like vegetables or proteins and (3) a dressing.

The potato salad base usually consists of potatoes that have been cut into chunks and boiled (or roasted) until fork tender. The next element of a potato salad is what I referred to as the "add-ins," and this is where you can really get creative. Whether it be diced celery, onion and chopped hard-boiled egg for a classic potato salad; capers, dill and roasted red peppers for one with more of a Mediterranean vibe, this is truly a place for creativity. The last element of a potato salad is the dressing. Potato salad dressings are usually mayonnaise based, but can also consist of a great deal of mustard (for a more "yellow" potato salad), or even a vinaigrette, often used on warm potato salads. Yes! Potato salad can be served warm, as well as cold. And, the versatility goes on...

This recipe was specifically created to vibe well with Tex-Mex cuisine, as well as any protein with a Southwestern vibe, and grilled meats. Sure rice and beans are great, but if you want to bring something a little more exciting to the party, this is how you do it. Infiltrate potato salad with bold ingredients like sweet corn, crisp red peppers and creamy black beans, and top it off with a bright and zingy dressing infused with lime, spicy adobo sauce and chili powder.

Potato salads are also great for entertaining, as they are make-ahead and tend to get better and better as they sit overnight in the fridge. Try this recipe out at your next barbecue and enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (or Russets, if preferred), scrubbed and peeled

1 1/2 tablespoon White Wine (or Distilled) vinegar

1 1/4 cup mayonnaise

Zest of 1 lime, plus juice of 1/2 a lime

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon Kosher salt

2 teaspoon adobo sauce (from chipotles in adobo)

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon black pepper

15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 cup cooked corn

3/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper

1/3 cup finely diced red onion

1/2 cup finely diced celery

2 tablespoons minced Cilantro (optional)

Method:

Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and cut each half into thirds. Transfer potatoes to a large saucepan and cover with water by 1inch. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for about 15-20 minutes, or until fork tender. Transfer the potatoes to a colander and strain thoroughly. Place in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with vinegar and gently toss. Set aside to cool.

In the meantime, make the dressing by adding mayonnaise, lime zest and juice, cumin, salt, adobo sauce, chili powder and black pepper to a bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside until ready to use.

Scoop out about half of the cooled potatoes, transfer to a smaller mixing bowl and using the back of a wooden spoon, or a potato masher, roughly mash and return to the large bowl. Add the potatoes back to the large bowl, along with the black beans, corn, red bell pepper, onion, celery, cilantro and dressing. Fold ingredients together until properly mixed and transfer to the refrigerator to chill, about 3 hours. Once chilled, serve and enjoy.

Serves 10-12.

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