You may worry about the amount of dressing in this luscious salad, but you’ll find that it is largely absorbed by the potatoes. The salad resembles a classic creamy potato salad with lots of crunchy celery, but there’s only a smidgen of mayonnaise here. The technique of softening the onions with boiling water comes from the cookbook author Deborah Madison.
1 medium red onion, diced
1/3 cup vinegar (red or white wine, sherry or apple cider)
1 to 2 garlic cloves, to taste, minced or puréed
Salt to taste
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon Hellmann’s or Best Foods Mayonnaise (optional)
Freshly ground pepper
2 pounds red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered if small, cut in large dice if large
4 stalks celery, diced or sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Optional: 2 or 3 hard-cooked eggs, diced
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, garlic, salt, mustard, olive oil, yogurt and mayonnaise (if using). Place the onion in a bowl, and pour on boiling water to cover. Drain immediately, rinse with cold water and transfer to the bowl with the dressing.
2. Steam the potatoes above one inch of boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes until tender. Remove from the heat, and toss gently with the onion. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the remaining ingredients and toss together. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.
Yield: Serves six to eight.
Advance preparation: This will keep for four to five days in the refrigerator.
Nutritional information per serving (six servings): 214 calories; 10 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 1 milligram cholesterol; 29 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 81 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during preparation); 4 grams protein
Nutritional information per serving (eight servings): 160 calories; 7 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 1 milligram cholesterol; 22 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 61 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during preparation); 3 grams protein
Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com. Her new book, “Recipes for Health” (Rodale), is published today.
