Light Potato Salad

This was so good you would never know it was lightened up. I used fingerling potatoes (only because they are my favorite). I just cut the larger ones so they are all similar in size. I didn't even peel them first. The cucumbers are a strange ingredient – I didn’t use them because Christian doesn’t like them.

I made two batches of this, one with chopped chicken for Christian’s lunch.



Lighter Potato Salad
Adapted from Food Network Magazine, June 2010

1 lemon
5 or 6 sprigs fresh parsley plus 2 tablespoons chopped leaves
2 or 3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 pounds small fingerling potatoes or red-skinned potatoes cut into ¼-inch thick rounds
Kosher salt
4 medium carrots, cut into ¼-inch thick rounds
¾ cup plain yogurt
¼ cup low-fat mayonaise
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon whole grain or dijon mustard
3 scallions, minced, whites and greens separated
Freshly ground pepper
2 stalks celery, cut into ¼-inch thick slices
1 small kirby cucumber, cut into ¼-inch thick rounds (optional; I didn’t use)

Peel a 2-inch long strip of zest from the lemon. Put in a saucepan with the herb sprigs, garlic, potatoes, 2 tablespoons salt and 8 cups water. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook abut 10 minutes.

Add the carrots and cook until the potatoes are tender and the carrots are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes more. Reserve ¼ cup the cooking water then drain the vegetables and discard the herb sprigs and bay leaf. Let cool.

Meanwhile, finely grate 2 teaspoons lemon zest and squeeze 3 tablespoons juice into a large bowl. Whisk in the yogurt, mayonaise, mustard, scallion whites, chopped parsley, reserved cooking water, 1 teaspoon salt and ¾ teaspoon pepper.

Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, and cucumber to the dressing and toss. Chill about 4 hours. Top with the scallion greens.