Mexican Potato Salad

Potato salad often comes in two flavors- mayonnaise or vinegar. When tasked with using potatoes and peppers for a cooking demo, I thought, “Why not potato salad”?

This summer, I’ll be partnering with Meals on Wheels to do a series of 6 cooking demos. The catch? I’ll create recipes using the produce that the seniors receive each time. Feed a man a fish, and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he eats for a lifetime!

Potatoes often get a bad rap because of their high carbohydrate content. And while that’s true, potatoes are a complex carbohydrate that breaks down more slowly than a simple sugar (such as table sugar or honey).

Potatoes provide potassium, a powerful micronutrient needed to lower blood pressure. Along with the bell peppers, this salad is also a good source of vitamin C and antioxidants.

In addition, when potatoes are cooked and cooled, they ferment and create resistant starch- a type of prebiotic fiber that slows digestion and can help feed your gut microbiome. What’s not to love?

Speaking of your gut microbiome, this recipe uses plain, nonfat Greek yogurt in place of mayonnaise, providing probiotics, calcium, B vitamins, and protein. Using nonfat yogurt also cuts the fat from the salad.

This recipe can be adjusted to make enough for your family of 4, or expanded to feed a crowd at a church potluck. Switch up the veggies to add color, texture, or heat (like jalapeno peppers). Enjoy

Ingredients:

Salad

3 pounds (9 medium, or 12 small) red potatoes, scrubbed well

½ of a red bell pepper, diced

½ of a yellow bell pepper, diced

2 green onions, chopped

1 small cucumber, diced

Dressing:

½ cup plain, non-fat Greek yogurt

¼ cup lime juice

1 clove garlic, minced

½ tsp each: cumin, chili powder

1 tsp. salt

¼ cup finely chopped cilantro

Directions:

1.      Quarter the potatoes into 1” chunks.

2.      In a large pot, boil the potatoes for 25 minutes or until tender.

3.      Drain the potatoes and place them in the refrigerator to cool for 1 hour.

4.      While potatoes are cooling, place the peppers, cucumbers, and green onions in a medium-sized bowl.

5.      In a separate bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, lime juice, garlic, spices, and cilantro.

6.      Once the potatoes are cooled, add them to peppers, and onions.

7.      Pour the dressing over the potatoes, and toss lightly to coat.

Makes 6 servings. Nutrition facts per serving:284 calories, .75 gm fat, 10.3 gm protein, 61.5 gm carbs, 6.5 gm fiber, 1.3 mg cholesterol, 475 mg sodium.

#potatosalad #mealsonwheels #easyrecipes #eatwellbewell