Anyone can make potato salad, but few can master the recipe like Dorothy Hartwell did in her Homemade Potato Salad! Bursting with fresh, vibrant ingredients, this recipe combines the humble potato with the crispy cucumbers, peppery radishes, subtle green onions, and rich hard-boiled eggs. But what truly sets this salad apart is the secret sauce, calling for tangy yellow mustard. With each mouthwatering bite, you’ll experience a wonderful combination of flavors and textures, where tangy meets eggy and crunchy embraces creamy.
Table of Contents
Why You Will Love Potato Salad with Radishes
Here’s what sets Dorothy’s version of potato salad apart from other recipes:
- Well-balanced flavors. Dorothy Hartwell’s Homemade Potato Salad strikes the perfect balance between tangy, eggy, and creamy flavors, with no single ingredient dominating the dish.
- Fresh ingredients adding a variety of textures. Fresh cucumbers, radishes, and green onions add layers of crunchy texture and tastes, elevating the overall dish.
- Layering in flavors. Tossing the cooked potatoes with an oil and vinegar mixture and letting them sit at least 4 hours (or overnight) adds depth to the potato flavor. And, adding tangy yellow mustard to the mayo sauce infuses a subtle tangy bite to the salad’s overall taste.
- Versatility. This Homemade Potato Salad is incredibly flexible and can be modified to your tastes.
- Tried and true. This recipe has been made by numerous people for over 30 years – and is always a crowd pleaser!
This Homemade Potato Salad Recipe with Egg is Near and Dear to my Heart!
This potato salad recipe comes from Dorothy Hartwell, my childhood best friend Katey’s mother. Growing up, one of my favorite treats at the Hartwell house was Mrs. Hartwell’s Potato Salad. Over the years, she grew famous for it, and an annual summer dinner featuring her potato salad quickly became a tradition.
Mrs. Hartwell (I never called her Dorothy, even after becoming an adult) was a lovely woman who will always have a very special place in my heart. Unfortunately she passed away in 2013 and the next summer when Katey came to visit, it was on me to make the potato salad. Katey had loaned me her mom’s recipe books so I have the original recipe in Mrs. Hartwell’s handwriting. I made a copy for myself and will cherish it always.
Like many of my own mom’s recipes, Mrs. Hartwell didn’t include the proportions or the directions (except to let the cooked potatoes sit overnight); these are my additions to the recipe, along with a bit of oil and vinegar.
Mustard Potato Salad Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this delectable salad (details including quantities are in the recipe card below):
- Large eggs (optional)
- Idaho (russet) potatoes
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- Olive oil
- White wine vinegar
- Green onions
- Cucumber
- Radishes
- Mayonnaise
- Yellow mustard
And, the good news is that all of these ingredients are available at local grocery stores.
Best potatoes for potato salad
Overall, most chefs recommend using waxy potatoes like Yukon Golds for potato salad, as they are more likely to hold their shape. However, Dorothy always used russets for this recipe. In fact, as long as you cook them whole with the peel on and don’t overcook them, they should hold their shape. (They always have for me!)
How to Make Potato Salad with Egg
- Hard boil eggs, cool, chop.
In a large saucepan, cover eggs with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 6 to 8 minutes (cook for 8 minutes if at higher altitude). Remove from heat and leave eggs in hot water for another 3 to 5 minutes. Alternatively, pressure cook eggs in an Instant Pot for 5 to 8 minutes (lower time if eggs are at room temperature, longer time if cold). Drain and place in ice water until cooled. Peel and chop eggs; place in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. - Cook potatoes, cool, peel, chop.
In a large saucepan, cover potatoes with water. Bring to a boil, add salt and cook until just fork-tender (do not overcook or your salad will be mushy!). Drain the water from the pan and return pan to the heat. Shake the potatoes constantly over medium heat about 1 minute or until dry. Let cool enough to handle then peel and cut into bite-size chunks. Transfer to a large bowl. - Season potatoes; refrigerate.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and vinegar. Season potatoes with salt and pepper; add oil-vinegar mixture and toss carefully, making sure not to mash potatoes. Place in the refrigerator, uncovered, for at least 4 hours up to overnight. - Add remaining ingredients, toss, refrigerate.
Take potatoes out of the refrigerator and add the reserved chopped eggs, cucumbers, radishes and green onion; toss gently. Add enough mayonnaise to moisten the salad and toss well. Add the mustard to taste; toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve, for at least 1 hour if possible to allow the flavors to blend. Adjust seasonings before serving, if necessary, and give it a give it a gentle toss to evenly distribute the dressing.
How long to boil potatoes for Potato Salad
For this recipe you are boiling whole russet potatoes, which will take anywhere from 25 to 35 minutes, depending on the size of your potatoes and your altitude.
How to Serve Homemade Potato Salad
I like to line a large serving bowl with lettuce leaves and fill with the salad. It’s the perfect accompaniment to many main dishes; here are a few ideas:
Tips for Making Perfect Potato Salad
Here are some essential tips for making perfect potato salad:
- Avoid overcooking potatoes. Overcooked potatoes can become mushy and affect the texture of the salad. Cook them until they are just fork-tender to maintain a slightly firm yet creamy texture.
- Cook eggs with care. When boiling eggs, avoid overcooking them to prevent a dry and rubbery texture. Follow proper boiling times and plunge the eggs into ice water to stop the cooking process and achieve perfectly cooked, tender eggs.
- Don’t skip the marinating step. After cooking the potatoes, allow them to marinade for at least 4 hours in the oil and vinegar mixture. This step adds depth of flavor and enhances the overall taste of the salad.
- Seed cucumbers to prevent sogginess. Remove cucumbers’ seeds before adding to the salad, preventing excess moisture and ensuring the salad doesn’t become watery.
- Chill salad to let flavors blend. After preparing, refrigerate the potato salad for at least 1 hour before serving. Chilling allows the flavors to meld, resulting in a more cohesive and delicious salad. Before serving, give it a gentle toss to evenly distribute the dressing.
Mustard Potato Salad Recipe Storage
If making ahead, or you have leftovers, place salad in a bowl, cover and store in the refrigerator.
How long does potato salad last?
Covered and refrigerated, potato salad will last up to 4 days, but I think it tastes best within 3 days of preparation.
Can you freeze potato salad?
I don’t recommend freezing this potato salad because it contains mayonnaise, which will separate and alter the texture. And, the potatoes can become soggy.
Homemade Potato Salad with Egg
A long time family favorite, this Potato Salad is tangy, eggy and crunchy while a bit creamy. Anyone can make potato salad, but few can master the recipe like Dorothy Hartwell did in this Homemade Potato Salad. Bursting with fresh, vibrant ingredients, this recipe combines the humble potato with the crispy cucumbers, peppery radishes, subtle green onions, and rich hard-boiled eggs. But what truly sets this salad apart is the secret sauce, calling for tangy yellow mustard. Whether you’re planning a summer barbecue, a family gathering, or simply craving a delicious side dish, this Homemade Potato Salad is the ultimate culinary delight.
Prep Time: 15 mins
Marinating and Chilling Time: 300 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins
Total Time: 5 hours 55 minutes
Yield: 7 to 8 servings 1x
Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 to 2 large eggs
- 3 medium (4 to 5″ long, 8 to 9 ounces each) Idaho (russet) potatoes
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 3 to 4 green onions, chopped (white, light green and some dark green part)
- 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 6 medium to large radishes, trimmed, thinly sliced and cut in half if large
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, or more to taste
- 1 to 2 teaspoons yellow mustard (French’s works well) – see Note
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, cover eggs with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 6 to 8 minutes (cook for 8 minutes if at higher altitude). Remove from heat and leave eggs in hot water for another 3 to 5 minutes. Alternatively, pressure cook eggs in an Instant Pot for 5 to 8 minutes (lower time if eggs are at room temperature, longer time if cold). Drain and place in ice water until cooled. Peel and chop eggs; place in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
- In a large saucepan, cover potatoes with water. Bring to a boil, add salt and cook until just fork-tender (do not overcook or your salad will be mushy!). Drain the water from the pan and return pan to the heat. Shake the potatoes constantly over medium heat for about 1 minute or until dry. Let cool enough to handle then peel and cut into bite-size chunks. Transfer to a large bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and vinegar. Pour over potatoes and toss carefully, making sure not to mash them. Place potatoes in the refrigerator, uncovered, overnight (see Note below).
- Take the potatoes out of the refrigerator and add the reserved chopped eggs, cucumbers, radishes and green onion; toss gently. Add enough mayonnaise to moisten the salad and toss well. Add the mustard to taste; toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve, for at least 1 hour if possible to allow the flavors to blend. Adjust seasonings before serving, if necessary, and give it a give it a gentle toss to evenly distribute the dressing.
Notes
Gluten free: use gluten free mayonnaise and mustard.
Note on mustard: Mrs Hartwell never used Dijon mustard in this salad, only French’s yellow mustard.
Faster variation: If you are pressed for time, you can refrigerate the potatoes for about 4 hours – but it tastes best if you let the flavors combine overnight.
- Category: side dishes, make ahead, easy entertaining
- Method: No bake
- Cuisine: American
Make Ahead Potato Salad FAQs
Yes you can, and in fact it’s preferable – and called for in this recipe. Tossing them with an oil and vinegar mixture will add depth of flavor and the vinegar keeps the potatoes from turning brown.
Yes, after boiling the potatoes should be cool enough to handle in order to safely peel and chop them. And, because this salad’s sauce contains mayonnaise, you want to cool the potatoes so they don’t heat up the mayo and make it runny or oily.
An acidic ingredient, like vinegar, will keep cooked potatoes from turning brown or gray. In this recipe, tossing the chopped cooked potatoes with oil and vinegar keeps them from discoloring.
If you make your mayonnaise from scratch, it’s likely to be the first ingredient to turn bad. If you use purchased mayo, then it could actually be the combination of the mayo and potatoes – a high acidic ingredient mixed with a low acidic ingredient, which allows bacteria to grow in temperatures above 40 degrees F (see Summer Food Safety Myths article from NC State University).
