By Nicki Sizemore

INTENTION: I will honor my roots.

We all come from somewhere.

Whether your past was wonderful or full of struggle, it led you to this moment.

When we honor our roots, we begin to see how life is like a puzzle, all the stages, even the hardest ones, have been important jigsaw pieces in creating the mosaic of who we are today.

For this potato salad recipe, honor the road that got you here, no matter how beautiful or bumpy it might have been.

You’ve arrived here, and that’s something to be celebrated.

SERVES: 6
PREP TIME: 20 minutes, plus 1 hour to chill
COOKING TIME: 15 minutes
DIET: DFO, GF, VG

Potato Salad Ingredients

Potato Salad Base:

1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold or red potatoes (You can go for large potatoes or baby potatoes)
Salt
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, sherry vinegar, or white wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper

Herby Version:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, sherry vinegar, or white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 small celery stalks, finely diced
1/4 cup sliced scallions
1/4 cup finely chopped mixed fresh herbs, such as dill, parsley, and tarragon
2 tablespoons drained capers (optional)

Creamy Version:

1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 small celery stalks, finely diced
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives, dill, and/or scallions

Potato Salad Instructions

To Make the Potato Salad Base:

1. Cut large potatoes into 1-inch dice and baby potatoes into halves or quarters, depending on their size.

2. Transfer the potatoes to a pot, cover them with cold water, and add a good amount of salt.

3. Bring the water to a gentle boil, then cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a sharp knife, 6–8 minutes.

To Make the Vinegar Mixture:

1. While the potatoes cook, combine the shallot and vinegar in a large bowl.

Toss the Potatoes with the Vinegar:

1. Drain the potatoes well and then immediately transfer them to the bowl with the vinegar mixture; this is going to season them to their core, creating a more flavorful salad.

2. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.

3. Let them cool.

Choose Your Version and Assemble the Salad:

Herby: Whisk together the oil, vinegar, and Dijon mustard until emulsified and smooth. Pour the vinaigrette over the potatoes and fold in the celery, scallions, herbs, and capers, if using. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.

Creamy: Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, grainy mustard, sugar, celery, and herbs to the bowl with the cooled potatoes. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.

Refrigerate and Serve: The salad will look quite wet at this point (for both versions), but the potatoes will absorb the dressing as everything chills. Cover the potato salad and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour before serving. It will taste even better after several hours.

Make Ahead: The potato salad can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Notes:

• It will seem like a lot of dressing at first, but the potatoes will soak it up as the salad chills.
• This is the perfect make-ahead side dish for anything off the grill.
• For a vegan creamy potato salad, omit the sour cream and use 2/3 cup vegan mayonnaise.

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Well Being Journal adapted the above excerpt from Mind, Body, Spirit, Food by Nicki Sizemore. Copyright © 2026 by Nicki Sizemore. Printed with permission from Storey Publishing, an imprint of Workman Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc. Recipe photography by Ricki Snyder.