Ensalada de Papa (Puerto Rican Potato Salad)
Whether it’s a family dinner or a party buffet, you’ll find that Ensalada de Papa is the most loved side dish on the Puerto Rican Christmas table.
Hearty and smooth thanks to the combination of soft potatoes and mayonnaise, it also delivers a surprising sweet crunch from a surprising ingredient – apples!
Try it out yourself using the instructions below and see for yourself – this potato salad goes with everything!
Puerto Rican Potato Salad/Ensalada de Papas
Potato salad is a classic Puerto Rican Christmas side dish. It’s creamy, loaded with herbs and spices, while apple chunks and red peppers add a sweet dimension. This dish is so popular that it has crossed the sea to the mainland, for good reason.
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 2 pounds peeled potatoes chopped into 2 cm ( about 1 inch) chunks
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 6 hard boiled eggs chopped
- 3 small apples peeled cored and chopped into ½-inch (1 cm) chunks
- 2 tablespoons red onions finely chopped
- ½ green bell pepper chopped
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard or yellow mustard
- 3/4 teaspoons oregano dried
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
To garnish (optional):
- paprika
- cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Place the cubed potatoes and the eggs in a large stockpot and cover well with salted water. Set the heat to high until the water starts to boil then reduce to medium-low and simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Once the potatoes have cooked (you should meet just a slight resistance when you insert a knife in the potato piece), take the eggs out with a slotted spoon and drain the potatoes in a colander, leaving them to cool down.
- While the potatoes are cooling, you can proceed with making the salad dressing.
For the salad dressing:
- In a small bowl place the chopped apple pieces and add the apple cider vinegar to the bowl. Toss the apple chunks in the liquid and let them sit for around 5 minutes. This will keep the apple from changing color (oxidizing).
- Place the mustard, roasted red pepper, cilantro, red onion, and olives in a large bowl and stir together.
- Next, incorporate 1/2 cup of mayonnaise with the oregano and black pepper, mixing everything with a spoon or rubber spatula until well-combined.
- Once the hard-boiled eggs have cooled enough to handle, peel them, chop them and toss into the bowl with the vegetable dressing.
- Add in the warm potatoes in as well and mix into the dressing making sure everything is evenly coated with the dressing. You can adjust the consistency by adding more mayo i necessary and adjust the seasoning.
- Cover the bowl with cling film and place in the fridge to chill for about 8 hours (or overnight).
- To serve, stir through the salad to check the consistency. If the potatoes have absorbed too much of the mayo and have become too dry, feel free to add more mayonnaise and taste to see if it needs more adobo or pepper.
- Arrange in a serving bowl and garnish with a sprinkle of paprika, cilantro and, optionally, other vegetables as well.
- Serve well chilled and enjoy!
Notes
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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