Potato and Green Bean Salad

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 15 mins

Total: 30 mins

Servings: 8 servings

If you're looking for something a little different in a potato salad, this potato and green bean combo is an excellent choice. The green beans and red-skinned potatoes add bright color and fresh flavor. A dressing of mayonnaise, sour cream, dill, and lemon brings all of the ingredients together in the most delicious way. For best flavor, make the salad a few hours in advance; cover the bowl and chill the salad until serving time.

If there are ingredients in the recipe that your family isn’t fond of, feel free to substitute or add other vegetables. Omit the onions, if you like, or replace them with some diced seeded cucumbers or radish. If you have fresh chives, chop them and add them to the salad or use them as a garnish. If you like eggs in your potato salad, add some chopped hard-boiled eggs. 

The salad is especially good with new potatoes—red or white—and garden-fresh green beans, but feel free to use another kind of low to moderate starch potato and frozen steamed green beans. 

Ingredients

• 2 pounds red-skinned potatoes, or new potatoes

• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

• 10 ounces fresh green beans, about 2 cups cut into 1-inch pieces

• 1/2 cup chopped onion, sweet onion or red onion

• 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise, more to taste

• 2 tablespoons dill relish, or to taste

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons sour cream

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

1. Scrub the potatoes and cut them into 1-inch pieces. Put the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Add 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender. Drain and let cool completely.

2. Rinse the green beans; cut off and discard the stem ends. Put washed and trimmed green beans in a steaming basket. Put the basket in a pan with about 1 to 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, cover, and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until they are tender-crisp as desired. If you're using frozen green beans, follow the package directions to steam or microwave.

3. Transfer the cooled potatoes to a large bowl along with the cooled steamed green beans, chopped onion, and sliced celery. Toss lightly to blend. 

4. In another bowl, combine the 3/4 cup of mayonnaise, relish, lemon juice, the sour cream, and fresh dill. Add salt and pepper, as needed to taste.

5. Gently combine the potato mixture with the dressing. If necessary, add a little more mayonnaise. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Tips

• Red-skinned potatoes add color when left unpeeled, but go ahead and peel them if that’s your preference. Some other low to moderate starch potatoes: new potatoes, round white, Kennebec, and Yukon Gold.
• The Instant Pot is a great choice for cooking the potatoes, especially if you’re trying to keep the kitchen cool. Plus, there’s less mess with no boil-over. Place the trivet in the Instant Pot, add the cut-up potatoes, and set it for 3 minutes at high pressure. Release the steam immediately. Drain the potatoes and let them cool.