Creamy Pesto Potato Salad
With a fun twist on the classic potato salad, this pesto potato salad is sure to liven up your next BBQ. A combination of homemade pesto, perfectly cooked potatoes, and a deliciously creamy (but not gluggy) dressing made with a mixture of mayo and heavy cream. Can be made ahead of time, so perfect for potlucks, picnics, and other gatherings where you are told to bring a salad.
Servings: 8 serves
Calories: 307kcal
Ingredients
- 2 lb (1kg) potatoes
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup walnuts
- ⅓ cup fresh basil leaves torn from the stem
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
Cooking Potatoes
- Peel the potatoes (or leave the skin on if preferred) and cut into even-sized chunks. See the photo in the post for reference, but do not cut them too small or they will become mushy and fall apart when cooked.2 lb (1kg) potatoes
- Fill a large pot with cold water and a sprinkle of salt. Add the chopped potatoes and bring the whole thing to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and allow to simmer for about 10-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are just fork tender.
- Remove the cooked potatoes from the heat, drain, and set aside to cool completely.
Pesto Salad Dressing
- Meanwhile, make the dressing. Using a hand mixer or a food processor, add the fresh basil leaves, walnuts, cream, mayonnaise, parmesan, olive oil, garlic clove, salt, and ground pepper to the bowl and blitz until everything is combined and the dressing is creamy.⅓ cup fresh basil leaves, ¼ cup heavy cream, ½ cup mayonnaise, 1 garlic cloves, ¼ cup finely grated parmesan cheese, ½ cup walnuts, ½ teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoons olive oil, ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- You may need to use a silicone spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl before continuing if it stops processing.
Assembling the Salad
- Once the potatoes are cooled, combine them with the creamy pesto and stir well to ensure the potatoes are evenly covered.
- Optional: add some roughly chopped fresh basil and walnuts for extra flavor and texture when serving.
Notes
Storing Leftovers
Keep leftovers in the fridge, covered, for up to three days.
Substitutions
If you feel the dressing is too thick, add olive oil or mayonnaise.
To make this recipe vegan-friendly, replace parmesan cheese with nutritional yeast and heavy cream and mayonnaise with vegan mayo.
Nutrition
Calories: 307kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 307mg | Potassium: 566mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 205IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 1mg