Corn Succotash with Edamame and Bacon

I’ve taken a different approach to traditional corn succotash, which normally relies on lima beans. Instead, I use edamame along with sweet corn, crispy bacon, peppers, onions, and juicy tomatoes. Everything cooks together in bacon drippings, creating a side dish with plenty of texture and enough flavor to pair well with anything coming off the grill.

When I was little, one of my favorite cartoons was Tweety Bird and Sylvester the Cat. This is almost cliché and I’m dating myself here, but if you remember, Sylvester was always running around yelling, “Sufferin’ succotash!” and I remember at some point finally asking my parents what succotash was. Honestly, I thought it meant some kind of catastrophe, not vegetables.

My mom told me it was something made with corn. Well, I loved corn. What kid doesn’t. And eventually I talked about it enough that she finally made it and that’s the day I discovered lima beans.

Let’s just say, the corn was innocent, the lima beans were not.

Until that moment I had never had lima beans, and I remember looking down at my plate wondering what those pale green and almost gray blobs were. They looked weird. They had that strange color lima beans get once they’re cooked. I remember not wanting any part of it.

But because I was consistently held to having impeccable manners, me saying that the lima beans had ruined everything was not considered an acceptable response. I sort of said it anyway, which was always to my detriment.

Needless to say, my first experience with succotash did not go well.

Somewhere between then and decades later, I started thinking about succotash again and realized my problem had never been the corn or the bacon, it was always the lima beans.

Ultimately, I kicked them out.

Instead, I use edamame, which has a firmer texture and more bite than the mushy lima beans. Plus, unlike five-year-old me, most kids today already know what edamame is. They’ve shelled it at restaurant tables, eaten it as a snack, and it’s not some sort of unfamiliar vegetable. It’s a completely normal ingredient to them. In a way, this recipe is for them, maybe especially for them.

The outcome is everything I wanted corn succotash to be when I first heard Sylvester yelling about it all those years ago. Sweet corn, crispy bacon, juicy tomatoes, and enough color that it doesn’t look like vegetable wallpaper sitting in a bowl. My recipe is where the corn gets to be the best part. And there is no mush in sight.

What Makes This Recipe Different

• The biggest difference is the edamame. Traditional succotash relies on lima beans, but I wanted something with a firmer texture and more bite. Edamame has a firmer texture, a milder flavor, and holds together alongside the corn and bacon without turning soft and mushy.
• I cooked everything in the bacon drippings, because obviously, which gives the veggies a smoky flavor before the bacon even goes back into the skillet. Between the bacon drippings and the butter, the corn and edamame pick up a lot more flavor than they would if they were simply warmed through.
• I also add the tomatoes at the very end. I want them to slightly warm and release some of their juiciness, and still look like tomatoes. If they cook too long, they start breaking down into the vegetables, and I like the contrast they bring to the skillet.
• The splash of apple cider vinegar goes in near the end for the same reason. Corn is sweet, bacon is rich and butter isn’t known for holding back. The vinegar keeps those flavors from becoming too rich and gives the skillet a little contrast.
• And while fresh summer corn is great when it’s in season, I purposefully made this with frozen corn and frozen edamame. They’re convenient, but more importantly they are available year-round. That means you can make a skillet of succotash in the middle of July or put it on the Thanksgiving table without changing a thing.

Ingredients

• Sweet Corn – The foundation of the entire dish. Sweet corn has the sweetness that balances the smoky bacon and tangy vinegar. You can use frozen or fresh.
• Edamame – Adds substance to the recipe, which sounds so dramatic, and turns it into something that feels a little more substantial than a simple vegetable side dish.
• Bacon – The giver, providing both crispy pieces throughout the finished dish and the flavorful drippings used to cook the vegetables.
• Butter – This helps coat the vegetables and brings a richness that works especially well with the corn. The butter does add a lot of flavor to this recipe, especially if you use a better tasting European butter, such as Kerrygold.
• Bell Pepper – Adds color, sweetness, and another layer of chew alongside the corn and edamame.
• Vidalia Onion – Softens into the skillet and adds sweetness that complements the corn without competing with it.
• Garlic – Adds another layer of flavor to the skillet.
• Grape Tomatoes – Adds freshness, color, and little bursts of juicy acidity throughout the dish. I add them at the end so they stay intact.
• Lawry’s Total Seasoning – I don’t use a lot of seasoning blends like this, but for whatever reason it made a difference in how this tasted. It gave the vegetables a well-seasoned flavor that I wasn’t getting with the combinations of spices I tried.
• Apple Cider Vinegar – A small splash at the end keeps the sweet corn, bacon, and butter from becoming too rich.
• Kosher Salt – Helps bring out the natural sweetness of the corn and vegetables. I recommend tasting the finished dish before adding any additional salt.
• Black Pepper – Adds a little warmth. Taste the finished dish before adding more.

How to Make Corn Succotash

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (cook the bacon)
  Add the diced bacon to a large high-sided skillet over medium-high heat and cook until it’s as crispy as you like it. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, but leave the drippings in the skillet. We’re about to put them to work.
• Step Two (cook the peppers and onions)
  Add the onion and bell pepper to the skillet and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute, just until you can smell it.
• Step Three (add the corn and edamame)
  Add the corn, edamame, butter, and Lawry’s Total Seasoning. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is hot and tender. This is where the corn starts soaking up all that bacon and butter.
• Step Four (finish the succotash)
  Stir in the apple cider vinegar and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 2 more minutes, long enough to warm them through. I like adding them at the end because I want little juicy tomatoes throughout the skillet, not tomato sauce.
• Step Five (add the bacon and serve)
  Remove the skillet from the heat and stir the bacon back in. Serve it warm or room temperature with grilled chicken, burgers, pork chops, steak, or whatever happens to be coming off the grill that night.

Recipe Tips

• Thaw the corn and edamame before cooking if you have time. You’ll get less moisture in the skillet and better flavor development on the vegetables.
• Let the bacon get crisp before removing it from the skillet. It will soften slightly once it’s stirred back into the vegetables.
• Give the peppers and onions a few minutes to soften before adding the remaining ingredients. They should be tender, not crunchy.
• Taste before serving. Bacon, seasoning blends, and even frozen vegetables can vary, so I always do one final taste for salt and pepper at the end.
• This recipe is easy to scale up for cookouts, potlucks, and backyard barbecues. Just use your biggest skillet.

Storage

• Store leftover corn succotash in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• The flavors mingle a little more overnight, making leftovers just as good the next day.
• Leftovers can be enjoyed warm, cold, or somewhere in between.
• I don’t usually freeze this one. The veggies tend to lose some of their texture once thawed.

FAQs

• Can I use fresh corn instead of frozen?
  Yes. If sweet corn is in season, cut the kernels from about 6 to 8 ears of corn and use them in place of the frozen corn.
• Can I make corn succotash ahead of time?
  Yes. You can make it a day ahead and refrigerate it until needed. Reheat gently before serving or let it come closer to room temperature.
• Can I make this vegetarian?
  You can. Skip the bacon and sauté the vegetables in butter or olive oil instead. You may want to add a little smoked paprika for some of the smoky flavor the bacon normally provides.
• Can I use a different seasoning blend?
  Yes. Lawry’s Total Seasoning is my favorite for this one, but you can substitute your favorite all-purpose seasoning blend and adjust the salt to taste.
• Can I use lima beans instead of edamame?
  Yes. Traditional succotash is often made with lima beans, so you can substitute them if you prefer. I use edamame because I like the texture better.
• What goes well with corn succotash?
  Just about anything coming off the grill. It’s especially good alongside grilled chicken, steak, pork chops, burgers, sausages, or barbecue.
• Can I serve corn succotash at room temperature?
  Yes. In fact, it’s one of the reasons I like it for barbecues and summer gatherings. Traditionally it’s served warm, but I like it at room temperature.

From My Kitchen Notes

Observations from the margins.

• What the heck does succotash even mean anyway? Don’t tell me and I refuse to look it up. I like holding on to the fact that it’s something unpleasant, like my first experience with succotash was, or corn ruined by lima beans.
• Nothing about the word succotash suggests sweet corn, bacon, juicy tomatoes, or butter. Instead, it sounds like a skin condition, betrayal, detention, or something your doctor finds during a colonoscopy.
• Five-year-old me was sitting there thinking, “Why did you wreck perfectly good corn?”
• Succotash felt like, somebody took perfectly good corn and wrecked it. Because when you’re a kid, there isn’t a nuanced evaluation of legumes happening. There’s just, this is good or this is a crime.
• My experience with lima beans has never just been “I hated lima beans.” The real story is, I hated lima beans and was not allowed to express that fact in a manner consistent with my feelings.
• I grew up in a household of, you will sit there, you will try it, you will appreciate that somebody made it, and you will not make a face. Meanwhile, I was sitting there thinking this dinner is defective.
• People who know me now might assume I’ve always been direct, but I wasn’t. I spent a lot of years filtering myself through expectations, presentation, composure, and worrying about what other people might think. I don’t do that anymore.
• Now my tendency is to make observations without looking for permission. Not rudely or recklessly. Just honestly.
• I’ve learned not to mistake different for wrong.
• Some combinations work because everything is different, not because everything matches.
• The most interesting things in the skillet are usually bringing something completely different to the table.
• Some things belong together without needing to become the same thing. The best partnerships involve contrast.
• Some things don’t become less themselves when they’re part of something bigger.
• A surprising number of good things begin as separate ingredients with no obvious plan.
• The funny thing about belonging is that it usually becomes obvious long before anybody says it out loud.
• I gave succotash another chance. The lima beans did not receive the same courtesy.
• I never decided I was wrong about lima beans. I decided to rebuild succotash from the ground up and remove the problem.
• I secretly hope somewhere a member of the Lima Bean Council just felt a disturbance in the force.
• If succotash was invented today it would probably be called Bacon Corn Skillet and somebody would charge $18 for it.

More Side Dishes That Don’t Feel Like Punishment

• Crispy Smashed Potato Salad – Crispy edges and lemon dressing.
• Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta Salad – Rotisserie chicken and basil.
• Greek Mosaic Salad – Watermelon, feta, cucumber, olives.
• Avocado and Three Bean Salad – Simple ingredients, big flavor.
• Chilled Pineapple Cucumber Salad – Sweet, spicy, and refreshing.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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Corn Succotash

Corn Succotash with sweet corn, edamame, bacon, peppers, onions, and tomatoes cooked together in one skillet. This easy side dish pairs perfectly with grilled meats, cookouts, and summer dinners.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword barbecue side dish, corn succotash, corn succotash with bacon, corn succotash with edamame, skillet corn succotash, succotash recipe, summer side dish

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 to 6

Calories 280kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• large high-sided skillet Gives the vegetables enough room to cook evenly.
• Cutting board For prepping the vegetables and bacon.
• wooden spoon or spatula. For stirring the vegetables.

Ingredients

• 6 slices bacon diced
• ½ cup (75 g) Vidalia onion
• 1 red or orange bell pepper seeded and diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 (12-oz / 340 g) frozen corn thawed, or 6-8 ears of corn
• 12 oz (340 g) frozen shelled edamame beans thawed
• 3 tbsps (42 g) butter
• 2 tsps (5 g) Lawry's Total Seasoning
• 2 tbsps (30 ml) apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp (5 g) kosher salt or to taste
• 1 tsp (2 g) black pepper or to taste
• 1 pint (280 g) grape tomatoes halved

Instructions

• Add the bacon to a large high-sided skillet over medium-high heat and cook until it reaches your desired level of crispness. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the drippings in the skillet.
  6 slices bacon
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion and bell pepper to the bacon drippings. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.
  ½ cup (75 g) Vidalia onion, 1 red or orange bell pepper, 2 cloves garlic
• Add the corn, edamame, butter, and Lawry's Total Seasoning. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and heated through.
  2 (12-oz / 340 g) frozen corn, 12 oz (340 g) frozen shelled edamame beans, 3 tbsps (42 g) butter, 2 tsps (5 g) Lawry's Total Seasoning
• Stir in the apple cider vinegar and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Add the tomatoes and cook for 2 more minutes, just until warmed through and still holding their shape.
  2 tbsps (30 ml) apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp (5 g) kosher salt, 1 tsp (2 g) black pepper, 1 pint (280 g) grape tomatoes
• Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the bacon, and serve warm or room temp.
  6 slices bacon

Notes

 

• Edamame replaces the traditional lima beans found in many succotash recipes, giving the dish a firmer texture
• For the best texture, thaw the corn and edamame before cooking. Starting with frozen vegetables can add excess moisture to the skillet and increase the cooking time.
• The tomatoes are added at the end so they stay juicy and hold their shape rather than cooking down into the vegetables.
• This corn succotash pairs well with grilled chicken, pork chops, steak, burgers, barbecue, or smoked meats.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

 

 

If you’re making this Corn Succotash, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card

 

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Serving: 275g | Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 760mg | Potassium: 520mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1200IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 2mg

Have you made this Corn Succotash? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Corn Succotash appeared first on Noble Pig.

Crispy Smashed Potato Salad With Lemon Herb Dressing

Crispy smashed potato salad started because I was tired of the usual mushy cookout bowls. Something with jagged roasted edges and soft centers sounded a lot more interesting to me. That craving turned into a lemon herb dressing that gets into every crack of the potatoes instead of sitting on the outside like regular potato salad dressing usually does. It ended up part crispy sheet pan potatoes, part potato salad, and a lot more interesting than the cold mushy versions we see all summer long.

So I was making my usual salt and vinegar smashed potatoes one night and kept staring at the tray thinking, why can’t these become potato salad? I already know I like German potato salad better than cold boiled potato salad half the time anyway, mostly because it has texture, crispy add-ins, and edges that make it feel like somebody cared what happened to the potatoes before the mayonnaise showed up.

And then I started spiraling into why I was accepting the texture limitations of traditional potato salad in the first place. Smashed potatoes by default create all these jagged edges and extra surface area for dressing to grab onto. Roasted potatoes taste like something on their own instead of just being a soft delivery system for mayonnaise. And nothing against mayonnaise, but you know what I mean.

I went through several versions of this before it ended up here because at first I tried making it with more traditional potato salad dressing and it was meh, and wrong against the crispy potatoes. I wanted the roasted edges to taste more distinct, so eventually I ended up with this lemony herb dressing with Dijon, dill, parsley, black pepper, and enough acidity to keep the potatoes from fading into the background.

This is now the potato salad I make when I want texture (which is always) instead of a cold bowl of mayonnaise tied to some vague social obligation. The roasted edges stay crisp, the lemon and herbs keep everything tasting fresh, and I like it best slightly warm right after the dressing gets into all the smashed potato crevices. Also be prepared to lose at least a quarter of the tray to people stealing crispy potatoes straight off the sheet pan before dinner even starts because nobody knows how to act around roasted potatoes.

What Makes This Crispy Potato Salad Different

• Traditional potato salad keeps the potatoes soft the entire time, which is exactly the problem. Or maybe it’s not, if that’s what you want. The crispy potatoes ARE what make this different. Boiling them first gives you soft centers, then the oven handles all the roasting. Starting from raw potatoes skips the whole fluffy-center part.
• Once the potatoes flatten and crack a little, all the rough edges start roasting instead of staying smooth like regular potato salad chunks. The dressing gets into all the crevices instead of just coating the outside of giant potato cubes.
• I also like this best slightly warm or at room temperature because the crispy edges still have texture. Refrigerator-cold potato salad has a time and place in life, but this one is just so much better.
• I went through a few versions before I realized traditional potato salad dressing was completely wrong for crispy potatoes. Crispy roasted potatoes need acid, herbs, lemon, Dijon, black pepper. Without it the crispy potatoes lost the contrast that made this whole concept work.

Ingredients

• Baby potatoes – The skins stay tender after roasting and the smaller size makes smashing easy without the whole tray becoming accidental mashed potatoes. Once smashed, all those rough edges roast instead of staying smooth.
• Olive oil – Enough for the smashed edges to roast golden instead of drying out and disappointing everyone.
• Garlic powder – Fresh garlic burns too easily in the oven. Garlic powder coats the potatoes more evenly without burned garlic bits turning bitter in the oven.
• Paprika – Mostly here for color and roasted warmth.
• Mayonnaise – Enough to coat everything without burying the crispy texture underneath a mayonnaise avalanche.
• Dijon mustard – Keeps the dressing from fading once everything gets tossed together.
• Fresh lemon juice – Crispy potatoes plus lemon is one of the better decisions available to humanity. Don’t leave it out.
• Fresh dill – Dill changes the direction in a good way. Without it, it tastes traditional. Dill keeps everything tasting fresher instead of like it came in a plastic grocery store tub.
• Fresh parsley – Parsley keeps the dressing from tasting overly rich.

How To Make Crispy Smashed Potato Salad

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (boil the potatoes)
  Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil and cook the baby potatoes until fork-tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Drain well, then let them sit for a few minutes so the steam can escape because wet potatoes are not becoming crispy potatoes anytime soon.
• Step Two (smash them)
  Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Smash each potato with the bottom of a glass or fork until flattened but still mostly intact. Those rough smashed edges are what get crispy later.
• Step Three (roast until crispy)
  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes until golden with crispy edges and soft centers. Pale potatoes are rarely the answer.
• Step Four (make the dressing)
  While the potatoes roast, whisk together the mayonnaise, Dijon, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Stir in the dill and parsley, then season with salt and pepper to taste. The potatoes absorb a lot of flavor, so the dressing should taste brighter before everything gets mixed together.
• Step Five (assemble the salad)
  Let the potatoes cool for about 10 minutes before tossing so the dressing doesn’t immediately wipe out all the crispy texture. Toss gently.

Recipe Tips

• Let the potatoes steam dry for a few minutes after draining because steam is the enemy of crispy edges.
• Don’t smash them perfectly. The messy cracked edges are what turn crispy in the oven.
• A thin metal spatula works best for getting the potatoes off the parchment without tearing off all the crispy bottoms.
• Don’t overcrowd the pan or the potatoes steam each other instead of roasting.
• Toss gently once the dressing goes in because the crispy edges are fragile.
• Saving a few extra crispy potatoes for the top is never a bad decision.

Storage

• The potatoes lose some crispness in the refrigerator, which is unavoidable, but the flavor gets better after the dressing, lemon, and herbs sit together for a while.
• I like leftovers best after sitting out at room temperature for 10 or 15 minutes because the dressing softens again and the potatoes stop tasting refrigerator stunned.

FAQs

• Is this potato salad served warm or cold?
  I like it best slightly warm or at room temperature because cold potatoes mute a lot of the texture.
• Why boil potatoes before roasting?
  Because boiling gives you soft fluffy centers first, then roasting gives you crispy edges later. Starting from raw potatoes doesn’t create the same contrast.
• Why aren’t my potatoes getting crispy?
  Usually because the potatoes were still too wet before roasting or the pan was overcrowded. The potatoes need room to roast.
• Can I make this ahead of time?
  Yes, although the potatoes are crispiest the first day. The leftovers are still great, especially once they warm up a little out of the refrigerator.
• What potatoes work best for smashed potato salad?
  Baby potatoes work best because they hold together better after smashing and the skins stay tender after roasting.

From My Kitchen Notes

A few observations from my kitchen.

• Some potatoes only become interesting once a little heat and pressure hit them. Same for some people.
• Crispy potatoes rarely survive long enough to become leftovers. Draw your own conclusions.
• I have a soft spot for people who feel comfortable enough to grab a few potatoes off the sheet pan instead of waiting for an invitation.
• Texture changes everything. Food. Conversation. Attraction. Timing.
• There are people who soften immediately the second anything emotional touches them. Crispy potatoes resist a little longer.
• The potatoes that get stolen first are always the ones with the most surface area.
• People reveal themselves very quickly around food that was clearly made with effort.
• It takes surprisingly little encouragement for people to abandon their dignity around roasted potatoes. Especially me.
• I no longer seek out potato salad that doesn’t offer at least one textural experience. This applies to people too.
• It’s fascinating how some people stay close to the kitchen without technically entering it.
• Some things are dramatically better warm.

More Side Dishes With Crispy Edges

• Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus – savory roasted asparagus wrapped in crispy bacon.
• Marry Me Melting Cabbage – creamy Tuscan-inspired cabbage with roasted edges.
• Blistered Shishito Peppers – blistered peppers with garlic chive aioli.
• Tater Tot Poutine – crispy tater tots, cheese curds, and homemade gravy.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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Crispy Smashed Potato Salad with Lemon Herb Dressing

Crispy Smashed Potato Salad subs traditional soft potato chunks for roasted smashed potatoes with golden crispy edges and fluffy centers. Tossed with a creamy lemon herb dressing made with fresh dill, parsley, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice, this warm potato salad ends up somewhere between crispy sheet pan potatoes and classic cookout potato salad.

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword crispy potato salad, crispy smashed potato salad, lemon herb potato salad, roasted potato salad, smashed potato salad

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Cooling: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 6

Calories 255kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• large pot For boiling the potatoes before roasting.
• baking sheet (large) Gives the potatoes room to crisp instead of steam.
• parchment paper Prevents sticking and makes cleanup easier.
• mixing bowls (large). For tossing the potatoes with the dressing.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs (907 g) baby potatoes
• 2 tbsps (30 ml) olive oil
• salt and pepper
• ½ tsp (2 g) garlic powder
• ½ tsp (2 g) paprika
• ½ cup (120 g) mayonnaise
• 1½ tbsps (23 g) Dijon mustard
• 1 to 2 tbsps (15-30 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsps (2 g) chopped fresh dill
• 1-2 tbsps (2 g) chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the baby potatoes and cook until fork-tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Drain well and let the potatoes sit for a few minutes so excess moisture can evaporate, which helps the potatoes crisp more effectively in the oven.
  2 lbs (907 g) baby potatoes
• Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Transfer the potatoes to the prepared baking sheet. Using the bottom of a glass or a fork, gently smash each potato until flattened but still mostly intact. Drizzle with olive oil, then season evenly with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
  2 tbsps (30 ml) olive oil, salt and pepper, ½ tsp (2 g) garlic powder, ½ tsp (2 g) paprika
• Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the potatoes are deeply golden with crisp edges and soft centers. Allow the potatoes to cool for about 10 minutes before tossing with the dressing so they keep more of their texture.
• While the potatoes roast, whisk together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and fresh lemon juice in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in the fresh dill and parsley, then season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
  ½ cup (120 g) mayonnaise, 1½ tbsps (23 g) Dijon mustard, 1 to 2 tbsps (15-30 ml) fresh lemon juice, 2 tbsps (2 g) chopped fresh dill, 1-2 tbsps (2 g) chopped fresh parsley
• Add the roasted smashed potatoes to the bowl and toss gently to coat. Reserve a few extra crispy potatoes for the top if desired. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature for the best texture.

Notes

• Let the potatoes dry slightly after boiling so the oven can crisp the edges instead of steaming them.
• Smashing creates rough surfaces that catch more dressing and develop more crispy texture while roasting.
• Baby potatoes work best because the skins stay tender and the centers stay creamy after roasting.
• This potato salad is best served slightly warm or at room temperature when the crispy edges still have texture.
• Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The potatoes soften over time, but the flavor stays excellent. Let the salad sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before serving leftovers.

 

 

If you’re making this Crispy Smashed Potato Salad, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Serving: 220g | Calories: 255kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 310mg | Potassium: 620mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 220IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 2mg

Have you made this Crispy Smashed Potato Salad? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Crispy Smashed Potato Salad appeared first on Noble Pig.

Dense Bean Salad with Lemon Dijon Dressing That Still Tastes Fresh on Day Three

I know a lot of dense bean salads start out with big promises, then they spend the night in the refrigerator absorbing all the dressing until everything tastes dull and oddly wet at the same time. I wanted mine to stay fresh longer, so I drained the beans really well, kept all the veggies chopped small, and made a lemon-Dijon vinaigrette that coats everything and doesn’t pool at the bottom of the bowl. By the second day, it tastes even better because the beans pick up the dressing while the cucumbers, peppers, herbs, and feta keep everything from turning into refrigerator mush.

I just got home from a trip that as usual, the eating was deliciously excessive. It starts with the ordering of many, many desserts, because RESEARCH. Cocktails before and after dinner, more desserts, then discussions of getting additional desserts get thrown around. I still didn’t get the Japanese cheesecake I wanted to try or the best ice cream there, which supposedly comes from a dry cleaning establishment. Next time.

And honestly, somewhere around the airport ride home, all I could think about was this bean salad. Because after excess, something filling, that doesn’t involve brown butter or a cream sauce, sounded good.

I often throw this together after traveling because it feels good to eat without feeling like I’m auditioning to become a wellness influencer. Because never.

I like keeping a bowl of it in the refrigerator and scooping it next to something simple like pork tenderloin, grilled chicken, or whatever protein I happen to have around. I know lots of people eat dense bean salad as their entire meal, which honestly, I respect, but I prefer it as part of dinner. It satisfies me enough that I don’t miss the vacation food and doesn’t feel like a “getting back on track” meal.

It’s the kind of salad that gets better every time you open the refrigerator. Because everything is chopped small, every portion gets a little of everything instead of random bites of beans followed by random cucumber chunks. It’s enough for lunch without feeling like you immediately need something else an hour later.

It’s refrigerator food for those of us who care intensely about texture.

What Makes This Different

• I use three different beans instead of making the entire salad around chickpeas alone. The black beans make it feel heartier, the cannellini beans soften the texture so it doesn’t turn into a bowl of identical bites, and the chickpeas are the heart of it. The trio keeps the salad from tasting repetitive.
• I also like to chop everything small. I want every scoop to have cucumber, tomato, feta, herbs, beans, and dressing all together instead of one bite that’s all cucumber followed by another that’s just beans.
• Draining the beans really well makes a difference. If the beans are still sitting in extra water, the lemon Dijon dressing gets diluted almost immediately once everything chills. Letting them drain while you prep the vegetables keeps everything tasting the way it’s supposed to after chilling.
• And the lemon-Dijon dressing tastes fresher than a lot of bottled dressings poured over bean salads. The lemon juice, Dijon, garlic, and vinegar coat everything without making the salad feel weighed down.
• I put the feta in near the end. If you stir it in at the beginning, it disappears into the dressing instead of staying throughout the salad in salty, creamy bites, which is part of the payoff.
• This salad is great for cold leftovers. By the second day, the beans absorb the dressing while the vegetables still have some crunch left.

Ingredients

• Chickpeas – They hold together after chilling and absorb the lemon-Dijon dressing without turning mushy by the second day.
• Black beans – Make the salad feel more satisfying than dense bean salads made entirely around chickpeas.
• Cannellini beans – Softer and creamier than the other beans.
• Cucumber – Keeps the salad crisp after chilling.
• Cherry tomatoes – Break up all the beans with some acidity and juiciness throughout the salad.
• Shredded carrots – Keep the salad from becoming entirely bean-on-bean texture.
• Red onion – Finely chopping it helps the flavor spread evenly instead of randomly punching you in the face halfway through lunch.
• Red bell pepper – Survives refrigeration better than a lot of softer vegetables do.
• Fresh parsley – Bean salads can start tasting dull without fresh herbs mixed in.
• Feta cheese – Salty, creamy little bites throughout the salad that balance all the lemon and vinegar.
• Olive oil – Helps the dressing coat the beans.
• Fresh lemon juice – One of the reasons this salad still tastes good after a few days in the refrigerator.
• Red wine vinegar – Helps the dressing still taste good after a few days in the refrigerator.
• Dijon mustard – Helps emulsify the dressing so it clings to the beans and chopped vegetables instead of separating in the refrigerator.
• Honey – Enough to soften the edges of the lemon juice, vinegar, and Dijon without making the dressing taste sweet.
• Garlic – Keeps the dressing from tasting too lemony.
• Dried oregano – Helps everything taste like it belongs in the same bowl.
• Salt and black pepper – You need it.
• Red pepper flakes – Optional, but good if you want some heat.

How to Make Dense Bean Salad with Lemon Dijon Dressing

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (drain the beans and chop everything small)
  Drain and rinse all three beans really well, then let them sit in a colander while you prep everything else because extra bean water is how good dressing gets diluted once everything chills. Dice the cucumber, tomatoes, bell pepper, and red onion fairly small instead of leaving everything in giant chunky pieces. Every scoop should have beans, vegetables, herbs, feta, and dressing instead of somebody getting half a cucumber in one bite.
• Step Two (make the lemon Dijon dressing)
  Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes until the dressing looks creamy and fully combined. This dressing should taste a little punchier than you think it needs to because after a night in the refrigerator colds bean salads can fall into bland territory.
• Step Three (toss everything together)
  Add the beans, chopped vegetables, shredded carrots, and parsley to a large bowl. Pour the dressing over everything and toss really well so the beans can start soaking up all the lemony dressing while the vegetables still have some crunch left. Add the feta near the end and toss gently because stirring feta into a bean salad is how it vanishes into the dressing five minutes later.
• Step Four (chill before serving)
  Refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes before serving, although I honestly think it tastes better after a few hours once the beans absorb more of the dressing. Before serving, toss everything again and taste for salt or another squeeze of lemon juice because salads like this always mellow slightly overnight and sometimes need a little wake-up call before lunch.

Recipe Tips

• Let the beans drain longer than you think they need to. A few extra minutes in the colander while you chop everything else makes a noticeable difference once the salad chills overnight.
• Try to keep the vegetables roughly the same size when chopping. Dense bean salads are better when every scoop gets a little of everything instead of giant tomato chunks and tiny onion bits.
• Taste the dressing before it goes into the salad. Beans absorb seasoning as they sit, so the dressing should taste more lemony and salty than you think it needs to at first.
• If the salad tastes dull after refrigeration, another squeeze of lemon juice usually fixes it immediately. Cold temperatures tend to mute acidity.
• Add the feta near the end and fold it in gently. Otherwise it starts crumbling into the dressing and you lose the salty, creamy bites throughout the salad.
• This gets better after a few hours in the refrigerator once the beans absorb some of the dressing, but the vegetables still have some crunch left.
• If you want something more substantial for dinner, this is really good beside grilled chicken, salmon, pork tenderloin, or even tucked into a wrap with extra feta.
• Dense bean salad should look dressed, not soupy. If the bottom of the bowl starts looking soupy, the beans probably needed more draining time.
• A big bowl works better than trying to toss this in something too small. Bean salads need room or the entire toss becomes unnecessarily stressful.

Storage and Make-Ahead

• This is exactly the kind of salad that earns permanent refrigerator status for a few days. The beans absorb more of the lemon-Dijon dressing as it chills, so the flavor improves overnight.
• Store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. By day two, everything tastes more blended together while the cucumbers, peppers, herbs, and feta still keep some texture in the salad.
• Give the salad another toss before serving since the beans absorb part of the dressing while the rest collects toward the bottom. I also usually taste for lemon juice or salt again after refrigeration.
• If you’re making it especially far ahead, you can wait to add the feta until closer to serving so it stays in bigger pieces throughout the salad.
• We’re not freezing this.

FAQs

• Can I make dense bean salad ahead of time?
  Yes, and it tastes better after a few hours in the refrigerator.
• Why does bean salad sometimes get watery in the fridge?
  Usually the beans were still holding extra water when the salad got tossed together. Letting them drain and even going as far as blotting them with a paper towel before adding the dressing helps keep the vinaigrette from thinning out overnight.
• Is dense bean salad served cold?
  Yes. This is definitely a refrigerator salad. I like it best cold straight from the fridge once the dressing has had time to mingle with the beans.
• Can I use different beans?
  Yes. Kidney beans, great northern beans, or even lentils are good too. I prefer the combination of chickpeas, black beans, and cannellini beans because the different textures keep the salad from feeling like the same bite over and over.
• How long does dense bean salad last in the refrigerator?
  About 4 days is usually the sweet spot. The flavor improves after the first day, but the vegetables still taste good during that window.
• Can I use homemade beans instead of canned?
  Yes. Just make sure they’re fully cooled and drained well before adding them to the salad so the dressing still tastes the way it’s supposed to.
• Why does the salad need more lemon or salt after chilling?
  Cold temperatures dull flavor slightly, especially acidity. A quick squeeze of lemon juice or another pinch of salt helps avoid that before serving.
• Is this enough for lunch on its own?
  For most people, yes. Between the three kinds of beans, vegetables, feta, and dressing, it’s one of those lunches that sticks with you for a while. Personally I like to have it alongside another protein.
• Can I add extra vegetables?
  Definitely. Chopped celery, green onions, roasted corn, or even chopped pepperoncini all go really well here as long as everything stays fairly small and scoopable.
• What makes this different from regular bean salad?
  The smaller chopped texture, lemon-Dijon dressing, and three-bean combination make it taste better after a few days in the refrigerator instead of turning into one of those overly marinated bean salads that gets dull in the refrigerator.

From My Kitchen Notes

Observations.

• There’s a point after vacation where your body stops wanting restaurant butter and asks to see a bean again. I’m there.
• Even I think dense bean salad sounds like something a nutrition podcast host would meal prep in twelve matching containers, but this one does taste good.
• Some foods are exciting for one night. Other foods earn permanent refrigerator residency.
• I like meals that still taste like someone wanted to eat them.
• The best refrigerator lunches are the ones you keep “taking another scoop” of while standing there with the door open.
• Certain people permanently alter your relationship with restaurants, cocktails, lighting, butter sauces, and cities you can no longer experience normally.
• I feel like every adult develops one hyper-specific refrigerator food they become attached to for reasons that are difficult to explain publicly.
• Some forms of stability look like having lunch figured out for the next three days.
• Bean salads improve overnight the same way some thoughts do. They make sense once they’ve had a little time alone.
• Tiny chopped vegetables make me feel strangely organized.
• I think a lot of adulthood is just rotating between vacation meals and salad-based recovery systems.
• Some cravings are about hunger. Others are about wanting your life to feel manageable again.
• There’s something psychologically reassuring about opening the refrigerator and finding a bowl of something already made.
• Every good bean salad needs enough acidity to survive refrigeration without giving up.
• Some people bring home souvenirs from trips. I come home wanting lemon juice and legumes.
• The older I get, the more I respect foods that improve in the refrigerator without needing anything else from me.
• There are two kinds of people in this world: people who lightly dress bean salad and people who understand the importance of proper coating distribution.
• Some attachments become part of your internal geography whether you intended that or not.
• A lot of complicated people are weirdly fixated on texture.
• Certain cities follow you home through cravings.
• Some things get better after sitting overnight. Others become clear in your head.
• There’s a difference between being full and feeling satisfied. Bean salads know this.
• Every woman reaches a point where she realizes a good refrigerator lunch improves her quality of life disproportionately.
• Some people disappear into the background after enough time passes. Others flavor your thoughts for years like Dijon mustard.

More Refrigerator-Friendly Lunches

• Avocado and Three Bean Salad – creamy avocado with tangy bean salad flavors.
• Creamy Cauliflower Salad – cold, creamy, crunchy, and refrigerator friendly.
• Avocado Kale Salad with “Cheesy” Flavor – hearty kale salad with savory flavor.
• Chilled Pineapple Cucumber Salad – cold, juicy, sweet, and cucumber crisp.
• Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta Salad – creamy, savory, and straight-from-the-fridge good.

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Dense Bean Salad with Lemon with Lemon Dijon Dressing

Dense bean salad with lemon Dijon dressing is packed with three kinds of beans, chopped vegetables, feta, and a lemony vinaigrette that coats everything without turning watery in the fridge. This is the kind of lunch you scoop straight from the container for the next few days and never get tired of eating.

Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword chopped bean salad, dense bean salad, dense bean salad recipe, high protein dense bean salad, high protein salad, lemon Dijon bean salad, make ahead salad, meal prep bean salad, Mediterranean bean salad

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Chilling 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 310kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• mixing bowls (large). Enough room to toss everything evenly.
• Colander Helps the beans drain well so the dressing stays flavorful.
• whisk For emulsifying dressing.

Ingredients

Salad:

• 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) chickpeas drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15 oz / 435 g) black beans drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) cannellini beans drained and rinsed
• 1 cup (~150 g) diced cucumber
• 1 cup (~180 g) quartered cherry tomatoes
• ½ cup (~75 g) finely chopped red onion
• 1 (~150 g) red bell pepper diced
• 1 cup (~110 g) shredded carrots
• ½ cup (~15 g) chopped fresh parsley
• ¼ cup (40 g) crumbled feta cheese

Lemon Dijon Dressing:

• ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
• 3 tbsps (45 mL0 fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp (5 ml) Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp (5 ml) honey
• 1 clove garlic finely grated
• ½ tsp (2 g) dried oregano leaves
• salt and pepper to taste
• pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

• Drain and rinse the chickpeas, black beans, and cannellini beans very well. Let them sit in a colander while you prepare the rest of the salad ingredients so excess water drains off and the dressing does not get watered down later.
  1 can (15 oz / 425 g) chickpeas, 1 can (15 oz / 435 g) black beans, 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) cannellini beans
• Dice the cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and red bell pepper into small, even pieces. Add them to a large mixing bowl along with the shredded carrots, chopped parsley, and drained beans.
  1 cup (~150 g) diced cucumber, 1 cup (~180 g) quartered cherry tomatoes, ½ cup (~75 g) finely chopped red onion, 1 (~150 g) red bell pepper, 1 cup (~110 g) shredded carrots, ½ cup (~15 g) chopped fresh parsley
• Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, grated garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes until the dressing looks creamy and combined.
  ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil, 3 tbsps (45 mL0 fresh lemon juice, 1 tbsp (15 ml) red wine vinegar, 1 tsp (5 ml) Dijon mustard, 1 tsp (5 ml) honey, 1 clove garlic, ½ tsp (2 g) dried oregano leaves, salt and pepper, pinch red pepper flakes
• Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well so everything gets evenly coated.
• Add the feta cheese and toss gently so it stays throughout the salad instead of disappearing into the dressing.
  ¼ cup (40 g) crumbled feta cheese
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. The flavor gets better as it chills and gives the beans time to absorb the dressing.
• Taste again before serving and add another squeeze of lemon juice or pinch of salt if needed after refrigeration.

Notes

• Letting the beans drain while prepping the vegetables helps keep the vinaigrette from thinning out later.
• Chopping the vegetables into small pieces gives the salad a more balanced texture and helps every scoop get a little of everything.
• The salad tastes even better after a few hours in the refrigerator.
• If making ahead for several days, fresh parsley can be stirred in again before serving for a fresher finish.
• Feel free to serve this over a bed of mixed greens if you like.

If you’re making this Dense Bean Salad, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card.

 

 

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Serving: 240g | Calories: 310kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 470mg | Potassium: 620mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 4100IU | Vitamin C: 42mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 3mg

Have you made this Dense Bean Salad? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

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The post Dense Bean Salad with Lemon Dijon Dressing appeared first on Noble Pig.

This Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta Salad Feels Very 1992

Sun-dried tomato chicken pasta salad usually goes one of two ways. Either it gets buried under a thick mayo dressing, or the sun-dried tomatoes feel tossed in at the last minute. I’ve always kept the dressing lighter and used the oil from the tomato jar itself along with Parmesan, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, basil, and rotisserie chicken so the sun-dried tomato flavor ends up throughout the whole salad instead of only in the tomatoes.

I’m sitting in my apartment, rocking back on two legs in a chair with a jar of oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes and a fork, completely fangirling over the intense tomato flavor like I was experiencing some kind of taste revelation. The second these jars started showing up in grocery stores in the late 80s and early 90s, the entire country collectively fell in love with this tomato + oil + garlic combination in a sort of Italian-adjacent fantasy and instantly lost perspective. Including me.

And honestly, it made no sense.

It’s not like sun-dried tomatoes were some shocking new discovery to me. I’d already seen tomatoes drying outside in Southern Italy years before, laid out in the hot summer sun so people would have them all winter long. The giant gardens taking over backyards everywhere you looked with tomatoes completely running their lives. None of this should have felt groundbreaking to me and yet somehow, I jumped on the bandwagon and became fully unreasonable anyway.

I started putting them into eggs, pasta, salads, sandwiches, and probably a few things that really had no business involving tomatoes at all. I’m drizzling the oil onto toast, into dressings, over leftovers, anything nearby. I was acting like tomatoes had just been invented, along with everyone else. Honestly, the obsession eventually turned into things like my sun-dried tomato pesto pasta too.

And somewhere in the middle of my sun-dried tomato obsession, I started making a version of this pasta salad and bringing it to work for lunch. This became a thing because somebody kept stealing it out of the office refrigerator. Every time I brought it, gone. Then one morning I made the same pasta salad except I’d run out of sun-dried tomatoes, so I left them out. The container disappeared from the refrigerator like usual, except later that afternoon it mysteriously reappeared untouched, which still makes me laugh because apparently the office lunch thief also had standards. And even though I can’t prove it, I hink it’s because the sun-dried tomatoes were not there. I still think of this person as my first accidental recipe tester.

So, this pasta salad has technically been causing incidents since the early 90s.

Over the years, I’ve spent a ridiculous amount of time correcting every annoying thing that usually ruins this category of food, because somewhere along the line this category of pasta salad started turning into these overloaded bowls with chewy tomatoes, thick dressing, and too many ingredients trying to get attention at the same time. I’ve made sure this one keeps the concentrated tomato flavor that made us all obsessed in the first place, while spreading it through the dressing using the oil from the jar so the salad tastes bright and fresh straight out of the fridge instead of like a dusty deli-counter regret from the 90s.

What Makes This Different

• Most sun-dried tomato pasta salads eventually fall into one of two categories: either they’re drowning in thick dressing and distractions, or they taste like somebody emptied an entire jar of tomatoes into cold pasta and hoped for the best. I have avoided both.
• The biggest difference is that the dressing uses some of the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar itself because that’s where most of the flavor is sitting anyway. A lot of recipes will stop at chopping up the tomatoes and tossing them in, but using the oil blends the concentrated tomato flavor through the entire salad instead of trapping it inside chewy tomato bites.
• I wanted the dressing lighter than a typical deli-counter pasta salad that can turn dense and dull the second it hits the refrigerator. The lemon juice and red wine vinegar keep everything lively while the Parmesan gives it enough richness. The whole thing is still thriving the next day instead of tasting like it gave up overnight under plastic wrap.
• There’s enough happening to make every bite interesting, but not so much that it turns into an antipasto salad. The rotisserie chicken, basil, roasted red peppers, red onion, and Parmesan all serve a purpose instead of competing with each other.

Ingredients

• Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes – You want the kind packed in oil, not the dry chewy ones in a bag. The oil becomes part of the dressing, which is a big part of why this pasta salad tastes the way it does.
• Rotini pasta – All those little spirals grab onto the dressing instead of letting it slide to the bottom of the bowl.
• Rotisserie chicken – This keeps it firmly in easy lunch territory without requiring you to roast chicken just to make pasta salad.
• Roasted red peppers – They soften the intensity of the sun-dried tomatoes so it doesn’t taste like somebody yelling “TUSCAN” directly into your face.
• Red onion – Thin slices only. Big chunks of raw onion in cold pasta salad take over and then that’s all anybody remembers.
• Fresh basil – This is what keeps it from tasting like it came from a refrigerated deli tub beside the macaroni salad.
• Mayonnaise – Enough to hold everything together without turning the dressing thick and gloppy.
• Parmesan cheese – Gives the dressing some depth and saltiness.
• Oil from the tomato jar – Don’t skip this part. It’s the moment. The tomatoes themselves are not doing it all.
• Lemon juice – Cold pasta needs acid or it starts tasting dull straight out of the refrigerator.
• Red wine vinegar – Balances the concentrated tomato flavor.
• Dijon mustard – Adds another layer of flavor.
• Garlic – One clove is enough.
• Italian seasoning – Adds background flavor without turning it into something that tastes like faux trattoria wallpaper.
• Black pepper – Adds some edge so it doesn’t head into creamy picnic salad territory.

How to Make Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta Salad

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (cook the pasta and let it cool)
  Boil the rotini in heavily salted water until just al dente. You still want a little bite left in the pasta because cold pasta firms up more once it goes into the refrigerator. Drain it, rinse under cold water, then let it hang out in the colander for a few minutes so the extra water drains off well because watery pasta will wreck your dressing later.
• Step Two (prep everything else)
  Chop the rotisserie chicken into bite-sized pieces, then chop the sun-dried tomatoes and roasted red peppers. Slice the red onion thin and roughly chop the basil. I like keeping everything fairly even-sized so you get a little bit of everything in each scoop instead of one giant onion chunk taking over the whole scoop.
• Step Three (make the dressing)
  Whisk together the mayo, Parmesan, oil from the sun-dried tomato jar, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, Dijon, garlic, salt, Italian seasoning, and black pepper until smooth. The oil from the tomato jar is doing a lot flavor-wise, so don’t skip it unless you enjoy a bland pasta salad.
• Step Four (mix it together)
  Add the cooled pasta, chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, red onion, and basil to a large bowl. Pour the dressing over everything and fold it together until evenly coated. You want the pasta to look dressed.
• Step Five (chill before serving)
  Cover the bowl and refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 30 minutes before serving. Cold pasta absorbs dressing as it sits, which is why pasta salad usually tastes better after some time in the refrigerator.
• Step Six (give it one last toss)
  Right before serving, stir it again. If the pasta absorbed too much dressing while chilling, add a squeeze of lemon juice or a small spoonful of sun-dried tomato oil to loosen everything back up. Cold pasta salads almost always need a little revival before they hit the table, and ignoring that is how you end up with dry pasta salad at a baby shower.

Recipe Tips

• Let the pasta drain longer than you think it needs to after rinsing. Water hiding inside the rotini will thin the dressing and end up tasting watery fast.
• Slice the red onion thin. Cold pasta salads give raw onion a lot of time to make a presence. Thick chunks get much stronger overnight.
• If you’re making this ahead, hold back a small spoonful of dressing until right before serving to freshen the texture before serving.
• Don’t overdo the sun-dried tomatoes just because you’re attached to them.
• The basil is more important than it seems. The fresh flavor is everything.
• Rotisserie chicken is what makes this easy and it’s already seasoned so it doesn’t disappear beside the concentrated tomato flavor.
• If the pasta salad tastes dull after chilling, it usually doesn’t need more salt. It needs acid. A squeeze of lemon will do it.
• Keep the dressing lighter than you think you should at first. Cold pasta thickens everything once refrigerated, and what looks slightly loose at room temperature usually thickens up once chilled.

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

• This pasta salad keeps well in the refrigerator for about 2 to 3 days, although it’s at its best during the first couple of days while the basil still tastes fresh and the dressing still feels fresh on the pasta. After sitting overnight, the rotini absorbs some of the dressing, which is normal, so don’t be surprised when it looks different straight from the fridge.
• If you’re making this ahead for a party or cookout, you can also hold back a small amount of dressing and stir it in right before serving. That keeps the pasta salad from turning dry and refrigerator-weary by the time people get to it.
• We’re not freezing this. We’re not freezing mayonnaise, basil, and cold pasta and then acting like anybody involved is going to enjoy the outcome later. Some things in life are meant to be made fresh and eaten cold straight from the refrigerator.

FAQs

• Can I make sun-dried tomato chicken pasta salad ahead of time?
  Yes, and it’s better after it sits for a little while because the dressing has time to absorb into the pasta. If you’re making it a full day ahead, hold back a small spoonful of dressing to stir in before serving so the pasta salad doesn’t feel dry by serving time.
• Do I have to rinse the pasta?
  For hot pasta dishes, usually no. For cold pasta salad, yes. Rinsing stops the cooking so the pasta doesn’t turn soft later, and it cools everything down so the dressing stays balanced instead of sliding off the hot pasta.
• Can I use another pasta shape?
  Yes, but stick with shapes that grab onto dressing well. Rotini catches the dressing and tiny bits of tomato, Parmesan, and basil instead of letting everything slide around separately at the bottom of the bowl.
• Can I use grilled chicken instead of rotisserie chicken?
  Definitely. Rotisserie chicken just keeps the whole thing easy and gives you a little extra seasoning and richness without additional work. Grilled chicken works too if you already have some leftover, but make sure it’s seasoned properly.
• Can I make this without mayonnaise?
  You can, but it changes the pasta salad quite a bit. The mayo gives the dressing enough creaminess to carry the sun-dried tomato flavor without making it oily.
• Can I add more ingredients to this?
  You can, but this is one of those recipes where holding back helps. Too many add-ins and suddenly everything starts competing with each other. If I wanted to add anything it would be canned artichoke hearts that were packed in oil.

From My Kitchen Notes

Notes from somewhere between memory and dinner.

• There’s a point where obsession stops being about the ingredient itself and starts becoming about the version of yourself that existed while you were eating it.
• I think we all underestimate how much food becomes attached to entire periods of life without realizing it at the time. One bite and I’m suddenly back in an apartment with bad blinds, a secondhand chair, and three dollars worth of confidence.
• There’s something strangely intimate about eating the same thing over and over when nobody else is around to witness it.
• I don’t think the 90s were better. I think we were all less reachable.
• I feel like the foods we become irrationally attached to are usually the ones we ate while trying to build a life.
• Sun-dried tomatoes still taste like independence to me. Tiny apartment, with the city outside the window, while trying to become a person.
• There’s a point in adulthood where you think once your life finally comes together, you’ll stop eating things straight out of jars in your kitchen. That has not been my experience.
• Memory is interesting. It preserves emotional texture better than facts. I couldn’t tell you what chair I was sitting in, but I can still feel the oil on my fingers.
• I don’t think people miss old food trends as much as they miss who they were while those foods were happening.
• I wasn’t in my house elegantly sampling imported Mediterranean ingredients. I was sitting in my apartment spiraling over sun-dried tomatoes like the rest of America. It was a specific human obsession.
• I think a lot of adulthood is realizing nobody was ever coming to stop you from living however you wanted, including badly.
• Nineties sun-dried tomato obsession made us all feel like we had just got off a plane from Tuscany and that makes me laugh now.
• I used to think becoming an adult meant eventually feeling certain. Now I think it mostly means becoming familiar with uncertainty.
• The 90s weren’t perfect but there was less comparison, surveillance, optimization, constant exposure to other people’s success and awareness of what everyone else was doing every second. You could become obsessed with sun-dried tomatoes, decorate your apartment badly, date the wrong person, wander around bookstores, disappear for a weekend, have weird little phases. All existing inside your life instead of inside a giant public mirror.
• Now we are all constantly absorbing luxury lifestyles, beauty standards, success, productivity culture, relationship content, self-improvement language, wealth signaling, exotic travel, bodies, houses all day long. And it’s a lot. And we don’t know how to stop.
• In the 90s (70s and 80s too) we had more tolerance for boredom, uncertainty, gradualness and not knowing what was next. Now everything feels accelerated, measured, compared, monetized and visible in a way that makes everyone else’s life feel like it’s moving faster than yours. Even when that’s not true.
• Sometimes I think memory feels so emotionally alive to me because there used to be more psychological privacy. I don’t think people realize how much of their personality is accumulated atmosphere.
• Some people become part of your life the same way certain ingredients become part of a recipe. At some point you stop noticing when they got there because now the whole thing tastes wrong without them.
• Some things don’t disappear during silence. They steep.

More Pasta Salads, Less Potluck Panic

• Italian Pasta Salad – pesto, prosciutto, mozzarella, arugula.
• Antipasto Pasta Salad – deli board energy.
• Chicken Ranch Pasta Salad – creamy, cold, picnic-style.
• Caprese Pasta Salad – basil, mozzarella, fresh tomatoes.

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Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta Salad

This Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta Salad combines rotini, rotisserie chicken, basil, Parmesan, roasted red peppers, and red onion in a lighter pasta salad dressing with lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes. It’s an easy make-ahead pasta salad for lunches, potlucks, cookouts, and warm-weather dinners.

Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken pasta salad, cold chicken pasta salad, pasta salad with chicken, summer pasta salad, sun-dried tomato chicken pasta salad

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Chilling 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 6

Calories 520kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• large pot For boiling the pasta.
• Colander Helps drain and cool the pasta completely.
• mixing bowls (large and medium). Tossing the pasta salas and whisking the dressing.
• Chef's knife For chopping the chicken and vegetables.
• whisk Helps fully combine the dressing ingredients.

Ingredients

Pasta Salad:

• 1 lb (454 g) rotini pasta
• 2 cups (280 g) chopped rotisserie chicken
• ½ cup (85 g) drained and chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil ½
• ¼ cup (40 g) drained and chopped roasted red peppers
• ½ cup (80 g) thinly sliced red onion
• ½ cup (12 g) chopped fresh basil

Dressing:

• ¾ cup (168 g) mayonnaise
• ¼ cup (22 g) grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 tbsps (45 ml / 40 g) oil from the sun-dried tomato jar
• 2 tbsps (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp (5 g) Dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic grated
• ½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt
• 1 tsp (1 g) Italian seasoning
• ¼ tsp (0.5 g) finely ground black pepper

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the rotini and cook until just al dente according to the package directions. Drain well, then rinse under cold water to stop the cooking and cool the pasta completely. Let the pasta sit in the colander for several minutes so excess water can drain off before mixing the salad. Excess moisture will thin the dressing.
  1 lb (454 g) rotini pasta
• While the pasta cools, chop the rotisserie chicken into bite-sized pieces. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes and roasted red peppers, thinly slice the red onion, and roughly chop the basil.
  2 cups (280 g) chopped rotisserie chicken, ½ cup (85 g) drained and chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil, ¼ cup (40 g) drained and chopped roasted red peppers, ½ cup (80 g) thinly sliced red onion, ½ cup (12 g) chopped fresh basil
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, grated Parmesan, oil from the sun-dried tomato jar, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, grated garlic, kosher salt, Italian seasoning, and black pepper until smooth and fully combined. Using the oil from the jar gives the dressing a more concentrated tomato flavor throughout the salad instead of only in the tomato pieces themselves.
  ¾ cup (168 g) mayonnaise, ¼ cup (22 g) grated Parmesan cheese, 3 tbsps (45 ml / 40 g) oil from the sun-dried tomato jar, 2 tbsps (30 ml) fresh lemon juice, 1 tbsp (15 ml) red wine vinegar, 1 tsp (5 g) Dijon mustard, 1 clove garlic, ½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt, 1 tsp (1 g) Italian seasoning, ¼ tsp (0.5 g) finely ground black pepper
• Add the cooled pasta, chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, red onion, and basil to a large mixing bowl. Pour the dressing over the top and fold everything together until the pasta is evenly coated and the ingredients are well distributed.
• Cover and refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 30 minutes before serving. Chilling gives the pasta time to absorb some of the dressing and helps the flavors come together.
• Stir the pasta salad again before serving. If the pasta has absorbed too much dressing after chilling, add a small spoonful of water or a squeeze of lemon juice to loosen the texture and refresh the dressing.

Notes

• Drain the roasted red peppers very well before chopping so excess moisture does not water down the dressing.
• The oil from the sun-dried tomato jar adds more flavor than plain olive oil and ties the dressing to the rest of the salad.
• Rotisserie chicken keeps the recipe quick while adding savory flavor without extra cooking.
• Short pasta shapes with ridges like rotini, fusilli, or penne hold the dressing especially well.
• This pasta salad tastes best within the first 2 days while the basil and dressing are at their freshest.

 

 

If you’re making this Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta Salad, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card.

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Serving: 290g | Calories: 520kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 640mg | Potassium: 420mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 620IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 2mg

Have you made this Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta Salad? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta Salad appeared first on Noble Pig.

Warm German Potato Salad with Bacon and Mustard Dressing

German potato salad with bacon and a mustard dressing is the one I enjoy making now. I like that it’s warm, has a vinegar base, with bacon worked through it, and uses both whole grain and Dijon so the dressing has more to it than the really thin ones.

When I was a kid, I didn’t like potato salad at home, the cold, American version. It was the hard-boiled eggs and celery that turned me off. I thought it was the eggs that ruined it. I hated biting into something that wasn’t a potato. I felt the same way about a Jell-O salad where someone would put mayo or sour cream over the top. But you thought it was whipped cream until you bit into it. Yuck. Same crime, different dish.

During a summer trip, I remember being in Austria with a plate of Wiener schnitzel served with potato salad that didn’t look anything like the American version. I remember pushing my fork around in it and asking, “Where are the eggs?”

My dad looked back at me. “What eggs?”

“The eggs. In the potato salad.”

“There aren’t any.”

So, I tried it, and it was warm, a little tangy, no eggs, no celery, and I ate it and liked it.

On that same trip, we ended up in Germany, and out came bratwurst with potato salad that looked completely different on the side. I took a bite and that one was warm, had lots of bacon in it and more flavor, and I thought, this is the best potato salad I’ve ever had. The. Best.

That’s when I said it.

“You’re making potato salad wrong.”

My mom looked at me. “Excuse me?”

“It’s not supposed to have eggs or celery. It’s supposed to be like this. Better.”

That did not go well at all, especially because I didn’t back off. Good manners were everything in that world then and clearly, I was being rude. Yes, I was a kid, said something completely out of line, but I still stand by it because the potato salad was better.

So, over the years I’ve fiddled with it and this is how I make German potato salad now, with bacon, onions, and a mustard dressing made with both whole grain and Dijon so it coats the potatoes and has more to it than just vinegar and bacon sitting on the surface.

What Makes This Different

• Most German potato salads keep the dressing minimal, usually vinegar, bacon, and sometimes a little mustard. I took mine a little further because I wanted the bacon and mustard to drive.
• I use both whole grain and Dijon, and they’re not doing the same thing. The whole grain adds texture throughout, and the Dijon smooths it out so it doesn’t feel like straight vinegar and bacon on the potatoes.
• The bacon and onions are cooked together first, then added while everything is still warm so they blend into the salad instead of feeling separate.
• I add the dressing while the potatoes are still warm, which makes a difference. They take it in without getting saturated.
• It still tastes like a German style potato salad, but the dressing has more going on than what you usually get.

Ingredients

• Red potatoes – Stay together after boiling and continue to stay intact when everything gets tossed together.
• Bacon – Adds salt and richness, and you’re using the fat from it, so it finds its way through the entire dish.
• Bacon grease – Used to cook the onions and take that flavor into the dressing.
• Yellow onion – Cooked in the bacon fat until softened so it blends in instead of standing out raw.
• Apple cider vinegar – The main acid in the dressing, not as harsh as white vinegar.
• Granulated sugar – Balances the vinegar without making it sweet.
• Whole grain mustard – Adds texture throughout the dressing.
• Dijon mustard – Smooths the dressing out so it holds the dressing together.
• Kosher salt + coarse black pepper – Season both the potatoes and the dressing.
• Parsley – Added at the end to cut through the richness.
• Chives (optional) – Adds a little extra onion flavor at the finish.

How to Make German Potato Salad with Bacon and Two Mustards

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (cook the potatoes)
  Start with your potatoes. Add them to a big pot, cover with cold water by an inch or two, and salt it well. Like, don’t be shy with the salt. Bring it up to a boil and let it go for about 9 to 12 minutes. You want them tender, but still holding together. Drain them, get them into a bowl, and let them sit for a bit. You don’t want them cold, but not steaming either. That’s when they take the dressing the best.
• Step Two (cook the bacon and onions)
  While that’s going, cook your bacon until it’s crisp. Set it aside, and leave a couple tablespoons of bacon grease in the pan. Add your minced onion and cook it for a few minutes until it softens. You don’t need to brown it, just take that raw edge off so it blends in.
• Step Three (make the dressing)
  In a small bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, granulated sugar, both mustards, salt, and pepper. The two mustards do different things. The whole grain gives you texture, and the Dijon smooths everything out so it feels like one dressing instead of separate parts.
• Step Four (bring it together)
  Add the bacon, onions, and parsley to the warm potatoes. Pour the dressing over and toss it gently. Enough to coat everything without breaking the potatoes apart.
• Step Five (serve it your way)
  You can serve it warm right here, or cover it and chill it for a few hours if you want it cold.

Recipe Tips

• Make sure not to overcook the potatoes. If they start falling apart in the water, they’ll fall apart in the bowl.
• Salt the water really well. It’s the only time you season the potatoes from the inside, not just on the outside.
• Let them sit briefly after draining. If they’re too hot, they’ll break when you toss them. If they’re too cold, the dressing won’t do much.
• Cook the onions in the bacon grease until they’re soft. That’s all you’re after. You don’t need color, just get rid of that raw edge.
• Toss everything gently once the dressing goes in. You want coated potatoes, not mashed potatoes.

Storage

• Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• You can have it cold straight from the fridge, or let it sit out for a bit to take the chill off. If you want it warm again, heat it gently so the potatoes don’t break apart. If I had to choose, I’d eat this warm.
• This isn’t something I freeze. Ever.

FAQs

• Can I make this ahead of time?
  Even though I do prefer it warm, you can make it ahead of time. It comes down to preference, and you won’t know how you like it until you try it warm, room temp, and cold. It’s different for everyone.
• Do I have to use both mustards?
  You don’t have to, but I’ve found that’s the key difference in my recipe. They do different things, and using both gives a better result than picking one.
• Can I use a different type of potato?
  You can, but stick with something waxy like Yukon Gold. They’ll hold together better than russets.
• Why add the dressing while the potatoes are still warm?
  They take it in better that way. If they’re cold, it sits on the outside and doesn’t do much.
• Can I reduce the sugar?
  Yes. It’s there to balance the vinegar, not make it sweet, so adjust it to your taste.

From My Kitchen Notes

A few observations.

• In case you’re wondering, I like the American version of potato salad now, and I especially love hard-boiled eggs and have no problem with celery. But the sour cream and mayo thing on top of Jell-O is still absolute jail time.
• I don’t need every variety of something to do the same job.
• There’s a difference between something being good and something belonging here.
• Warm potato salad doesn’t need to be rescued.
• Two mustards aren’t extra. Not everything that looks like more is unnecessary.
• I knew what I liked early. My delivery improved. My opinion didn’t.
• Some things absorb what you give them. Others sit there no matter what you do.
• There’s always that first bite where you know if you’re going to stay with it or not.
• Texture changes everything whether people notice it or not.
• Some things don’t need to be explained. You know it before you can explain it.
• I can tell what’s staying together and what’s not.
• There’s a moment where you realize you’re not going to adjust your taste to make something easier for everyone else, and it doesn’t come with a speech.
• I don’t confuse liking something with choosing it.
• I’ve watched myself keep the same preference while everything around it changed, which is a strange kind of consistency.
• Some decisions don’t look like decisions from the outside. They just repeat.
• I don’t soften a strong preference to make it more acceptable. I find a better use for it.

More Cookout Sides

• Tennessee-Style Mustard Coleslaw – classic slaw with mustard kick.
• Old-Fashioned Cauliflower Salad – simple with a different dressing.
• Bacon Broccoli Salad – crunchy, creamy, with bacon.
• Deviled Egg Pasta Salad – creamy, tangy, filling side.
• Spicy Horseradish Macaroni Salad – horseradish, herbs, pickled vegetables.

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Print

German Potato Salad with Bacon and Two Mustards

German potato salad made with crispy bacon, tender red potatoes, and a vinegar-based dressing built with both whole grain and Dijon mustard for added texture and a smoother base.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine German

Keyword bacon potato salad, German potato salad, mustard potato salad, no mayo potato salad, vinegar potato salad, warm potato salad

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 6 8

Calories 320kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• large pot For boiling the potatoes.
• skillet To cook bacon and soften onions in the rendered fat.
• mixing bowls (large and small). For tossing and the dressing.
• whisk To fully combine the dressing.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs (900 g) red potatoes cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
• cold water enough to cover potatoes by 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm)
• 1½ tbsps kosher salt (for boiling water)
• ½ lb (225 g) bacon cooked and crumbled
• 2 tbsps (30 ml) bacon grease
• 1 cup (150 g) yellow onion minced
• ⅓ cup (80 ml) apple cider vinegar
• 3 tbsps (38 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp (15 g) whole grain mustard
• 1 tbsp (15 g) Dijon mustard
• 2 tsps (6 g) kosher salt
• ¾ tsp (2 g) coarse ground black pepper
• ½ tbsp (2 g) finely chopped fresh parsley
• fresh chives optional for garnish

Instructions

• Add the cubed red potatoes to a large pot and cover with cold water by 1–2 inches (2.5-5 cm). Season the water generously with kosher salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce slightly to maintain a even boil. Cook for 9–12 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced but still hold together. Drain well and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Let the potatoes cool for about 15–20 minutes so they are no longer steaming hot but still warm enough to take on the dressing.
  2 lbs (900 g) red potatoes, cold water, 1½ tbsps kosher salt
• While the potatoes cook and cool, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve about 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the bacon grease in the pan. Add the minced yellow onion to the warm bacon grease and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Remove from heat.
  ½ lb (225 g) bacon, 2 tbsps (30 ml) bacon grease, 1 cup (150 g) yellow onion
• In a small bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, sugar, whole grain mustard, Dijon mustard, kosher salt, and coarse black pepper until smooth and fully combined. Using both mustards provides texture from the whole grain and a smoother base from the Dijon, allowing the dressing to come together more completely than a vinegar-only mixture.
  ⅓ cup (80 ml) apple cider vinegar, 3 tbsps (38 g) granulated sugar, 1 tbsp (15 g) whole grain mustard, 1 tbsp (15 g) Dijon mustard, 2 tsps (6 g) kosher salt, ¾ tsp (2 g) coarse ground black pepper
• Add the cooked bacon, softened onions, and chopped parsley to the bowl of warm potatoes. Pour the dressing over the top and gently toss until the potatoes are evenly coated, taking care not to break them apart. Top with fresh chives if you like.
  ½ tbsp (2 g) finely chopped fresh parsley, fresh chives
• Serve warm, or cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving cold.

Notes

• Potatoes should be tender but still intact before tossing. Overcooking will cause them to break apart.
• Dressing the potatoes while still warm helps them absorb the flavor more evenly.
• Whole grain and Dijon mustard serve different roles in the dressing and are recommended together for best results.
• Adjust sugar slightly to taste if you prefer a more or less balanced vinegar profile.
• If using table salt instead of kosher salt, reduce the amount by half.

 

 

If you’re making this German Potato Salad, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card.

 

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Serving: 250g | Calories: 320kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 780mg | Potassium: 720mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 120IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 2mg

Have you made this German Potato Salad? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post German Potato Salad with Bacon and Two Mustards appeared first on Noble Pig.

Greek mosaic salad with watermelon, feta, cucumber, and olives arranged piece by piece. A light champagne vinaigrette keeps it fresh without turning it watery.

This Greek Salad Gets Placed, Not Tossed

Pregnancy cravings are one of those things you don’t really believe are that specific until you’ve lived through it. I used to think it was something people exaggerated or something I’d see on TV and laugh at, until I was standing in my own life thinking, no, I have to have this exactly this way or I’m not going to be okay. This Greek mosaic salad sits in the same part of my brain as those cravings, just years later, and for the same reasons.

With my second pregnancy, it was easy. I craved only sweet or sour and it wasn’t specific to any type of food. But the first time? Sheesh. It was a completely different story. Often, it wasn’t even about the food as much as it was how it looked. I needed things a certain way. In a lot of cases, the shape was so important to me and I still can’t explain why. Somehow, surging hormones lit up this need for everything to be exact.

I remember one day out of nowhere deciding I had to have those baby corn things you see on salad bars. They taste like absolutely nothing, but I needed them, and I didn’t want the ones from grocery store. I went to one of those salad bar restaurants and filled up a to-go container like a maniac and paid for them by the pound because that was the only way it felt right. I ate them in the car with a plastic fork. It was the pattern on them, the shape, the way they looked. I had never cared about baby corn in my life before that.

Then there was New Year’s Eve, Y2K, everything closing early, people acting like the world was ending, and I’m very pregnant, driving around trying to find rainbow sprinkles. And not the round nonpareil ones, the waxy jimmies. The worst ones. I didn’t even want them on anything, I wanted to eat them out of the jar, poured into a bowl with a spoon. I finally found them right before everything shut down or I probably would’ve lost my mind. You have no idea how much I wanted these that night.

Balboa Bars were another one of my very fierce cravings. Getting onto Balboa Island in Newport Beach is already a nightmare on a normal day, and I did not care that I had to sit in ridiculous traffic on PCH and then get on a ferry to do it. I won’t even get into the parking situation once you get there. I needed those freshly chocolate-dipped ice cream bars covered in sprinkles from that exact place, nothing from the store would do. They have their own taste. I went over there more times than I’d like to admit because they had to be that specific.

And then it got worse.

Pancakes have always been a thing for me, but during my first pregnancy, it got weird. I wanted a stack of three pancakes. Picture them filling the bottom of a salad plate. And to satisfy this craving, I needed to cut them into perfect little squares, like a grid. I didn’t want them hacked up, or messy. I wanted perfect cuts all the way across so the syrup could run through every line. Then I’d fry up a grocery store ham steak, cut it into the same exact squares, mix it with mayo, American cheese, also cut into perfect stackable squares, and frozen peas mixed in like it was some kind of deranged ham salad. I’d scoop it up with an ice cream scoop so it was perfectly round, and drop it right on top of the pancakes like it was a perfectly shaped dollop of whipped cream. And then I’d eat it like that. I’m not even going to defend it. Actually that’s not true, I was very proud of it. I’d sit down at the table like I had put together something that made no sense, and I didn’t care. I needed it to exist that way. The flavor was less important than the shape with this one.

I hadn’t thought about any of that in years, until I started cutting up watermelon, feta and cucumber for this salad and realized I was doing the exact same pattern thing. Everything had to be the same size and I couldn’t really stop once I started.

This Greek mosaic salad isn’t something you toss together in a bowl. You want to place it piece by piece so it stays uniform and doesn’t turn watery on you halfway through. You want the sweet melon, cucumber, tomato, and feta, all cut close to the same size so you get a little bit of everything every time without it turning into a pile.

I did deviate from a strict checkerboard look by placing the olives in between the fruit and cheese, instead of forcing them into a pattern. They break things up enough so it doesn’t look too contrived. Progress!

Keeping It Separate Instead of Mixed

• Look, this isn’t a salad you throw in a bowl. The second you do that, it turns into a different recipe. It starts releasing liquid, everything gets really soft, and you lose the contrast you set up.
• I cut everything close to the same size on purpose. Not because it has to be perfect, but because I notice when it’s not. If one piece is bigger or smaller than everything else, it pulls your eye and it changes how it looks. When it’s all in the same range, you get a little bit of everything in every bite.
• Before I put anything on the platter, I pat it dry. That includes the watermelon, cucumber, tomato, even the feta. If you skip that, you’re going to focus on it. The plate starts to get watery, and the dressing thins out from the fruit. Everything ends up blending together in a way you didn’t mean for it to.
• I start with the bigger pieces and then fill in around them. It keeps me from forcing things into place at the end. And I leave a little space between everything. Once the dressing is poured on, things change slightly. This keeps it from crowding together.
• The olives don’t need to match anything. I place them in where they fit. They keep it from looking too even.
• Same with the fresh mint and basil. I don’t place them one by one. I tear them, scatter them, and leave it alone. If you try to control that part, it starts to feel like too much.
• The dressing goes on right before serving. Start with a small amount so everything catches a little, then decide if it needs more.

Ingredients

• Extra virgin olive oil – This is the base of the dressing, so use one that tastes good. You’ll notice it.
• Champagne vinegar – This is lighter and softer than other vinegars.
• Dijon mustard – Helps emulsify the dressing so it stays smooth instead of separating.
• Kosher salt – Don’t skip it.
• Black pepper – Freshly ground. It makes a difference.
• Watermelon – Sweet, juicy, and the main reason you have to deal with excess moisture. Pat it dry or the plate will get watery fast.
• Cantaloupe – Slightly softer and a little deeper in flavor than the watermelon. It goes well with the salty feta.
• English cucumber – Crisp, seedless, and easier to cut into even pieces than regular cucumbers.
• Heirloom tomato – Juicier than regular tomatoes, which is great for flavor, but again, dry it off before it touches the platter or it will start releasing liquid right away.
• Feta cheese (block) – Salty and creamy.
• Castelvetrano olives – Mild, buttery, and not too briny. They’re here to break things up, not take over.
• Mint leaves – Fresh and cooling against the fruit and feta.
• Basil leaves – Softer and more aromatic than the mint. Tear and scatter so it doesn’t look too arranged.

How to Make Greek Mosaic Salad

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (whisk the dressing)
  Whisk the olive oil, champagne vinegar, Dijon, salt, and black pepper until it comes together and looks slightly thickened.
• Step Two (dry everything before you start)
  Pat the watermelon, cantaloupe, cucumber, tomato, and feta dry. Don’t skip this. This is what keeps the plate from getting watery later. If you don’t do it, you’ll notice.
• Step Three (cut everything to match)
  Cut everything into similar-sized cubes. They don’t need to be perfect, but close enough that nothing sticks out or throws the pattern off. Once you start, you’ll see what I mean.
• Step Four (start placing, not tossing)
  Start arranging everything on a large platter. I usually work from the center out and alternate colors as I go. It doesn’t need to be perfect, just enough that it starts to look intentional.
• Step Five (fill in and break it up)
  Place the olives where they fit. Don’t try to line them up with anything. They’re here to break things up and keep it from looking too even.
• Step Six (leave a little space)
  Give everything a little room as you go. Once the dressing is poured on, things change slightly. This keeps it from crowding together.
• Step Seven (dress it right before serving)
  Drizzle the dressing lightly over the top right before serving. Enough so everything catches a little bit. Too much and it starts to blur together.
• Step Eight (finish and serve)
  Scatter the mint and basil over the top and finish with coarse black pepper. Then serve it while everything still looks the way you set it up.

Recipe Tips

• You want to start with the watermelon, cucumber, tomato, even the feta being dry. This is the difference between a clean platter and one that starts pooling liquid five minutes in.
• Cut everything in the same general size. It doesn’t need to be perfect, but once one piece is noticeably bigger or smaller, it throws the visual off.
• Give yourself more room than you think you need on the platter. It always looks a little spaced out at first, and then once the dressing comes online, everything moves together.
• Start placing the bigger pieces first and fill in around them. If you try to squeeze things in at the end, it starts looking forced and you’ll keep adjusting things that were already fine.
• The olives are not part of the pattern. Don’t try to make them match anything. Just put them in where they fit. They’re what keeps it from looking too controlled.
• Don’t go wild with the dressing. This isn’t something that should be coated heavily. A light drizzle right before serving is enough.
• Scatter the herbs and walk away. If you start placing them one by one it will look contrived.
• This looks and tastes best when everything is fresh.

Storage

• If you know you’ll have leftovers, keep the cut ingredients and the dressing separate and assemble what you need. That way everything stays cleaner and you avoid a watery plate later.
• If it’s already assembled, you can cover it and refrigerate it for a day or two. The flavors will be fine, but expect it to soften. Before serving again, you can blot a little of the excess liquid and add a small drizzle of fresh dressing to bring it back. It’s not going to be perfect though.
• This is not something you freeze. So don’t.

FAQs

• Can I use a different cheese instead of feta?
  You can, but feta is a workhorse here. It’s salty, creamy, and it goes really well with melon.
• Can I use a different kind of olive?
  Yes, just know it changes the tone. I use Castelvetrano olives because they are naturally mild and buttery. If you use something more briny, it will come through more.
• Do I have to cut everything into cubes?
  No, but also… yes. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but once everything is close in size, you’ll notice the difference.
• Can I make this ahead of time?
  You can prep everything ahead, just keep it separate and assemble right before serving. Once it sits fully put together, it starts to release liquid and soften.
• How do I keep it from getting watery?
  Dry everything before you start and don’t dress it until right before serving. That’s really it.
• Can I skip the dressing?
  You could, but the dressing ties everything together. It’s light, so it won’t weigh it down.
• What if I don’t care about how it looks?
  Then you can toss it and it’ll still taste good. It just won’t be this.

More From My Kitchen Notes

Just observations, not recipe tips.

• I’ve stayed away from quilting on purpose. I already know how that would go. I wouldn’t make one quilt, I’d start noticing the squares and the patterns I could create, and then it’s over. No one would hear from me again.
• There was a stretch in this same pregnancy where I could only eat sour orange Willy Wonka Gobstoppers due to nausea. They had to be orange flavored and round. Everything else made me sick. I was buying them in bulk at Costco and it felt reasonable.
• Are you really okay with uneven pieces, or have you stopped paying attention to things?
• This pregnancy also had me at Taco Bell drive-thru for their iced tea specifically. It had a certain flavor. And a Gordita. Forty cars deep, didn’t matter. When my brain decided something, it committed. I never had either one of those since.
• My PB&J’s also had to go crust to crust, cut into four perfect triangles. Anything else felt off.
• There’s a freestyle version of this salad that looks effortless. That’s not the part you see here.
• For a larger salad, you could put this together on a big sheet pan. I think it would look cool.
• And before anyone asks if my child got proper nutrition for brain development during this pregnancy, he’s now getting his PhD in molecular biophysics and biochemistry. I’m not saying there’s a connection, but I’m also not saying it. Everything worked out.
• If something comes in a pattern, I notice it. Once I notice it, I start organizing it. That’s usually how it begins.
• There’s a difference between eating something and needing it to exist a certain way. I’ve definitely done both.
• There are certain people who understand exactly what I mean when I say something needs to be cut the same way every time. And then there are those of you who think I’m exaggerating.
• I don’t correct people right away. I just watch how they do things the first time. That usually tells me everything.
• There’s a fine line between someone who notices details and someone who lets things slide. I don’t like to let things slide.
• If I hand you a plate and everything is cut the same size, know I didn’t arrive there by accident.
• If I hand something over and it looks simple, it’s because I already thought about it more than I should have.
• This salad requires consistency and presence. So do I.
• I’m fully aware I made a cubed pancake grid and ham salad dome dinner and called it a masterpiece. But you guys are still here, almost twenty years, still taking my advice. I love it.
• I’m very easy going until I’m not. The change is usually understated, but it’s there.
• I don’t like guessing where I stand with people. It’s easier when things are just clear.
• Some things are about flavor. Some things are about control. This one is a little bit of both.
• There’s something about getting it exactly right that’s hard to walk away from once you see it.

More Fresh Salads

• Radish and Jicama Salad with Lime Vinaigrette – crisp, bright, and full of crunch.
• Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad – sweet, creamy, and a little tangy.
• Chilled Pineapple Cucumber Salad – cold, crisp, with a little heat.
• Cherry Corn Salad with Arugula and Feta – sweet, peppery, and balanced.
• Cucumber Feta Salad with Red Onion and Lemon – sharp, fresh, and bright.
• Watermelon Feta Mint Salad – cold, crisp, and lightly sweet.

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Greek Mosaic Salad

Greek Mosaic Salad arranged piece by piece with watermelon, feta, cucumber, and olives instead of tossed. Finished with a light champagne vinaigrette so it stays fresh and not watery.

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine Mediterranean

Keyword Greek mosaic salad, Mediterranean salad, melon feta salad, summer Greek salad

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 220kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• Knife For even cuts so the pattern stays defined.
• Cutting board For eay slicing.
• paper towels To remove surface moisture from fruit and vegetables.
• mixing bowls (small). For emulsifying the dressing.

Ingredients

Dressing:

• 3 tbsps (45 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsps (30 ml) champagne vinegar
• 1 tsp (5 ml) Dijon mustard
• ½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt
• ¼ tsp (1 g) black pepper

Salad:

• 1½ cups (225 g) seedless watermelon cut into cubes
• 1½ cups (225 g) cantaloupe cut into cubes
• 1 large English cucumber cut into cubes
• 1 large heirloom tomato or other very sturdy tomato (Roma could work), cut into cubes
• 8 oz (226 g) block of feta cheese cut into cubes
• ½ cup (75 g) Castelvetrano olives
• coarsely ground black pepper for garnish
• mint leaves for garnish
• basil leaves for garnish

Instructions

• Whisk the olive oil, champagne vinegar, Dijon mustard, kosher salt, and black pepper together in a small bowl or jar until fully combined and slightly thickened.
  3 tbsps (45 ml) extra virgin olive oil, 2 tbsps (30 ml) champagne vinegar, 1 tsp (5 ml) Dijon mustard, ½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt, ¼ tsp (1 g) black pepper
• Pat the watermelon, cantaloupe, cucumber, tomato, and feta dry with paper towels to remove excess surface moisture before assembling.
  1½ cups (225 g) seedless watermelon, 1½ cups (225 g) cantaloupe, 1 large English cucumber, 1 large heirloom tomato, 8 oz (226 g) block of feta cheese
• Cut all ingredients into similar-sized cubes so the arrangement looks even and each bite stays balanced.
• Arrange the watermelon, cantaloupe, cucumber, tomato, feta, and olives on a large platter in a loose mosaic pattern, alternating colors and leaving a small amount of space between pieces.
  ½ cup (75 g) Castelvetrano olives
• Drizzle the dressing lightly over the top just before serving so the ingredients stay defined and the platter does not become watery.
• Finish with coarse black pepper and scattered mint and basil leaves, then serve immediately.
  coarsely ground black pepper, mint leaves, basil leaves

Notes

• This salad is best served immediately after assembling.
• If holding briefly, keep the dressing separate and add just before serving.

 

 

If you’re making this Greek Mosaic Salad, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card.

 

 

 

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

 

 

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Serving: 250g | Calories: 220kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 420mg | Potassium: 480mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 350IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 250mg | Iron: 1mg

Have you made this Greek Mosaic Salad? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Greek Mosaic Salad appeared first on Noble Pig.

Radish Jicama Salad with Lime Vinaigrette and Knowing When to Leave It Alone

This radish and jicama salad took a few tries before I left it alone. I had one vinaigrette going, didn’t like it, changed it, didn’t like that either, and at some point just stood there thinking, okay this is getting ridiculous. I went back to lime because it was really the best choice and sometimes you just have to walk away from possibilities that never quite make the cut.

This is a radish and jicama salad with a lime vinaigrette, made around crunch instead of greens.

And can we discuss jicama for a second because it’s one of those things I consistently forget about until I see it again. It looks like nothing, and then you cut into it, and it’s cold and crisp and a little sweet, and suddenly I remember why I love this thing that resembles an oversized potato.

When I was a kid I planted an entire garden of radishes. And it wasn’t just part of a garden, it was the whole thing. I had read about how easy radish gardening was for kids in one of those big vegetable gardening encyclopedias and decided I was going to do this. I didn’t want help, ask for help, and I was going to do it myself.

I had seeds, and I knew when to plant them and what they were supposed to do. That felt like the most important part. It wasn’t. And I, in fact, did not have the situation handled.

At the point where the radishes were really starting to take off, the dog went out and dug up half of what I planted like he had been waiting for this moment, and whatever survived that had the tops eaten off by my rabbit, who clearly didn’t even hesitate at the opportunity, just took them out like they were planted for him.

And then, because it was spring, the turtle came out of hibernation and wandered through whatever was left, just slowly undoing things in his own way, digging and chomping. I never even considered the animals in my ten-year-old, garden-planning brain.

So now I’m replanting, moving things around, trying again, not really sure what I’m changing, except the location, but doing it anyway.

Finally, it was time to harvest. I pulled one up, looked at it for a second. Okay, hmm. I pulled another one. Maybe the next one. I kept going longer than I needed to. I had a very specific radish in my head, the ones I would get in Paris with butter and a baguette, and I really thought I was going to be presenting my family with those long, cylindrical Paris radishes if I just stayed with it.

I never did, because it turns out those were an heirloom variety and a completely different seed, and since I refused help, I learned the hard way. I was stubborn like that, even at ten. That was one of the first times I realized remaining coachable mattered more than I wanted it to.

So, when this salad got me close enough to perfection, after someone with a palate I trust suggested that Mexican oregano, which is more citrusy and earthy than regular oregano, was going to work with the lime instead of against it, they were right. And that avocado oil, instead of extra virgin, was going to let the lime and cumin stay front and center instead of fading into the background. They were right again.

Radishes sliced thin, jicama for crunch, lime, a little vinegar, Dijon, garlic, honey, cumin, Mexican oregano, cilantro, avocado oil. I didn’t stand there changing it again, which is usually how I know to stop.

“Okay, leave it,” I said. Walk away.

It’s cold, it’s crisp, there’s a little bite to it, and that’s it.

I don’t know. Sometimes you keep pushing something and sometimes you just stop when it’s close enough and eat it.

This one got there.

Why I Love This Recipe

• This is a radish and jicama salad, not a bowl of greens with a few things thrown in. You know right away. You notice the crunch first, and it stays that way instead of disappearing into the rest of the plate.
• This is what I make when everything else is already rich. When I want something that cuts through that without turning into something else I have to think about. It’s especially good with tacos or anything coming off a hot pan.
• There’s no cooking, which is the reason I keep making it. If it required one more step, I’d likely opt out because days are busy.
• The lime vinaigrette finally does what it’s supposed to do. Lime, a little vinegar, Dijon, garlic, honey, cumin, oregano, cilantro, avocado oil. Nothing extra, nothing missing, and I’m not going back in with a spoon to change it again.
• The mix of lime juice and two vinegars keeps the dressing from going too sharp or too plain.
• You can leave the salad as is or add to it depending on what you’re making that day. Add grilled chicken and it’s dinner.
• It gives you a small window where everything is right. The radishes still have their peppery edge, the jicama stays very cold and crisp, and the dressing hasn’t soaked all the way in the greens yet. That’s the moment to eat it.

Ingredients

• Jicama – A crisp root vegetable with a clean, slightly sweet bite. Think somewhere between an apple and a water chestnut, but less juicy. Often used in salads for its crunch, it keeps its texture, which is everything here.
• Radishes – Peppery and sharp, the flavor doesn’t hide. Slice them thin or they take over. Too thick and it’s all you’re going to taste.
• Mixed greens – I use a mix with baby spinach. The greens are not the main event, but enough to catch the dressing and bring everything together.
• Lime juice – Fresh has more edge and a stronger citrus flavor.
• Rice vinegar + apple cider vinegar – Used together so the dressing doesn’t go too far in one direction. One keeps it light, the other gives it some weight.
• Dijon mustard – Helps the dressing emulsify and keeps it from separating. You won’t taste it outright, but you’d notice if it weren’t there.
• Garlic – Grated so it disappears into the dressing instead of sitting in it.
• Honey – Enough to take the edge off without turning it sweet.
• Cilantro – Finely mince it so it blends in. Bigger pieces take over fast.
• Avocado oil – Neutral, which lets the lime come through. Other oils get in the way.
• Ground cumin + dried Mexican oregano – They sit in the background but make a difference. You don’t want to notice them first.
• Kosher salt + black pepper – Necessary. Taste and adjust.

How to Make Radish and Jicama Salad

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (make the vinaigrette)
  Whisk the lime juice, rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, Dijon, garlic, honey, salt, pepper, oregano, and cumin in a bowl. It should start to look a little thicker and less separated.
• Step Two (add the cilantro and oil)
  Stir in the cilantro, then drizzle in the avocado oil while whisking. Don’t hurry this part. This is where it emulsifies and turns smooth instead of staying broken. Drizzling slowly keeps the dressing from separating too quickly.
• Step Three (taste it)
  Taste it. Add a little more salt if it needs it. If you made it ahead, pull it out of the fridge for a few minutes, then shake or whisk it again. It comes back.
• Step Four (put the salad together)
  Add the greens, radishes, and jicama to a big bowl. Pour in some dressing, not all of it, then toss. You can always add more. You can’t take it out.
• Step Five (serve it)
  Serve it right away while everything still has some life to it.

Recipe Tips

• Slice the radishes thin. If they’re thick, that’s all you’re going to taste.
• Cut the jicama evenly. Big pieces throw everything off.
• Don’t pour all the dressing in at once. Start with less, toss it, then decide. It should coat everything, not sit in the bottom.
• Drizzle the oil slowly when you’re making the dressing. That’s what keeps it from breaking.
• Taste it before serving. Limes aren’t consistent, so sometimes it needs a little more salt or a little more honey.

Storage

• This salad is best right after tossing. That’s when everything still has the texture you want it to have.
• The dressing can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for 3–4 days. Let it sit out for a few minutes, then shake or whisk to bring it back.
• You can prep the radishes and jicama ahead and keep them separate in the fridge. The same goes for the greens.
• Once dressed, it starts to change. The greens soften first, the radishes and jicama last a little longer, but it’s not the same.
• If you know you’re making it ahead, keep everything separate and toss it right before serving.

FAQs

• Can I make this ahead of time?
  You can prep everything ahead, but don’t toss the radish and jicama salad until right before serving. Once the dressing goes on, the greens start to soften, and it’s not the same.
• What can I use instead of jicama?
  Cucumber is the closest in texture. Fennel works too if you want something a little different in flavor. The key is something with crunch.
• Are radishes spicy?
  They have a peppery bite, especially if they’re thick. Slice them thin and it’s much more balanced.
• Can I skip the cilantro?
  Yes. Leave it out. It’ll still be fine.
• What protein can I add to make it a full meal?
  Grilled chicken, shrimp, or even something simple like rotisserie chicken. Something that fits with the rest of the salad.
• Can I make the dressing creamier?
  You can add a spoonful of Greek yogurt or a little mayo if you want it thicker. It changes the feel, but it’s still fine.
• Can I use bottled lime juice?
  You can. It will be softer and less defined. Fresh lime has more edge, which is what makes this taste the best, but bottled will still get you there.

From My Kitchen Notes

Just a few existential observations.

• I thought I had a plan because I knew when to start. That turned out to be a very small part of it.
• Jicama stays cold even when everything else around it isn’t. It’s so underrated.
• There’s a point where you stop adjusting and just watch what happens.
• Lime is usually where I end up when I’ve tried too many other things.
• Some versions of recipes never quite get there, no matter how many times you try again.
• Close enough has a very specific feeling. You either catch it or you keep going past it.
• Not everything needs help. But sometimes the willingness to ask for advice makes all the difference.
• There’s a differnce between checking on something and interfering with it.
• There’s a point where staying where you are becomes its own decision.
• I don’t always know what I’m doing, but I usually know when to stop.
• There are moments where everything lines up and still nothing happens. That part is never about the recipe.
• Some things come together after you stop pushing them. Some things don’t move until you do.
• I’ve never been interested in perfect versions of anything. I like something a little rough around the edges.
• You can watch someone decide in real time that they’re not going to deal with something.
• The part where you think the next one will fix it… that part can go on for a while.
• The first version of anything isn’t the final version. It teaches you more by doing than thinking ever will. Waiting for certainty is just another way of not starting.
• Sometimes the only way to see what something is… is to leave it alone and come back to it.
• It turned out that radishes weren’t hard to grow. They’re just fast and unforgiving. And if you don’t thin the seeds, there’s too much competition going on underground.
• Some things don’t move unless something moves them.
• I’m not someone who waits for clarity. I move first and let clarity catch up. I have never needed a perfect plan to start. That’s my operating system.
• You can’t think your way into an experience. You have to walk into it.

What to Serve with Radish and Jicama Salad

• Beer-Battered Fish Tacos with Mango Slaw – crispy cod, sweet mango slaw.
• Cajun Shrimp Tacos – skillet shrimp, creamy slaw.
• Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole – cheesy, layered, green chile.
• Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas – charred vegetables, seasoned chicken.
• Chicken Fajita Casserole – baked chicken, peppers, tortilla chips.

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Radish and Jicama Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

Radish and jicama salad with lime vinaigrette, crisp greens, and fresh flavor. This crunchy radish and jicama salad combines peppery radishes, sweet jicama, and a balanced lime dressing for a light side that works with tacos, grilled meats, or seafood.

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine Cinco de Mayo, Mexican-Inspired, Summer Recipes

Keyword cilantro lime vinaigrette, cinco de mayo side dish, fresh salad salad, jicama radish salad, jicama salad, lime vinaigrette salad, radish and jicama salad, radish salad

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 to 6

Calories 160kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• mixing bowls For whisking the vinaigrette and tossing the salad.
• whisk To emulsify the dressing.
• Knife For slicing radishes and cutting jicama.
• Cutting board For prep work.

Ingredients

Lime Vinaigrette:

• ¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp (5 g) Dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic grated
• 2 tsps (10 ml) honey
• ½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt plus more to taste
• ¼ tsp (1 g) black pepper
• ¼ tsp (0.25 g) dried Mexican Oregano leaves
• ¼ tsp (0.25) ground cumin
• 2 tbsps (8 g) finely minced fresh cilantro
• ⅓ cup (80 ml) avocado oil

Salad:

• 3 cups (90 g) mixed greens
• 5-6 large radishes thinly sliced
• ½ medium (~250 g) jicama cut into matchsticks or small cubes

Instructions

• To make this radish and jicama salad, whisk the lime juice, rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, honey, salt, pepper, oregano, and cumin in a medium bowl until fully combined and slightly thickened.
  ¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lime juice, 1 tbsp (15 ml) rice vinegar, 1 tbsp (15 ml) apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp (5 g) Dijon mustard, 1 clove garlic, 2 tsps (10 ml) honey, ½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt, ¼ tsp (1 g) black pepper, ¼ tsp (0.25 g) dried Mexican Oregano leaves, ¼ tsp (0.25) ground cumin
• Stir in the minced cilantro, then slowly drizzle in the avocado oil while whisking continuously until the dressing is fully emulsified and cohesive.
  2 tbsps (8 g) finely minced fresh cilantro, ⅓ cup (80 ml) avocado oil
• Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt as needed. If not using immediately, refrigerate and let sit at room temperature briefly before serving, then shake or whisk to recombine.
• Place the mixed greens, sliced radishes, and jicama in a large bowl. Add enough dressing to lightly coat the ingredients, tossing gently until evenly dressed.
  3 cups (90 g) mixed greens, 5-6 large radishes, ½ medium (~250 g) jicama
• Serve immediately for the best texture and crunch.

Notes

• Thinly slice the radishes so their peppery bite doesn’t overpower the salad.
• Cut the jicama evenly for a consistent crunch in each bite.
• Use fresh lime juice for the best flavor balance in the vinaigrette.
• Drizzle the oil slowly while whisking to keep the dressing emulsified longer.
• This salad is best served right after tossing to maintain texture.
• The dressing can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days; shake or whisk before using.
• This radish and jicama salad pairs well with tacos, grilled chicken, seafood, or other warm-weather meals.

 

For optimal outcomes when preparing this radish and jicama salad, it's recommended to refer to the recipe details within the post. The recipe post commonly includes valuable notes, expert tips and frequently asked questions, that are not presented in the recipe card, often including how to make this recipe dairy-free, gluten free or vegan and ideas for healthy ingredient substitutions or variations.

 

The provided nutrition information is merely an approximation, as variations can arise depending on the specific ingredients/brands you select.

 

© noblepig.com. All content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing this recipe is encouraged and appreciated, but copying and/or pasting the full recipe to social media or other platforms is strictly prohibited.

Nutrition

Serving: 150g | Calories: 160kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 220mg | Potassium: 240mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1200IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg

Have you made this Radish and Jicama Salad? I’d love to hear how it turned out — leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Radish and Jicama Salad with Lime Vinaigrette appeared first on Noble Pig.

Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad (and Everything That Came With It)

I spent years being trained to become a debutante, which sounds so silly when I say it now, but at the time it meant years of social etiquette classes where I sat in rooms learning how to exist properly, how to walk, sit, hold a fork, and somehow, over and over again, how to eat a strawberry spinach salad because it was considered a socially acceptable salad to serve to guests. Mostly, it was trendy at the time.

There were entire sessions created around posture, and I’m not exaggerating, we walked with books on our heads while someone followed behind adjusting our shoulders if they thought we were even slightly off. And to be fair it worked because I can still walk in four and five inch heels without thinking about it, which is probably the only useful thing I took from any of it. However, I remember thinking the whole time that if one more person touched my back I was going to drop the book on purpose just to watch it hit the floor and break whatever illusion we were all pretending to maintain.

And then we would sit down and eat.

It was always some version of the same salad, strawberries and spinach arranged like they had rules, and apparently they did, because everything depended on who was in the room, whether it was daytime or evening, whether men would be present, and I remember one of them saying, very matter-of-factly, that if it was just ladies at lunch you kept it light, absolutely no protein (diet culture already slipping into young girls’ minds), but if men were there, you should make it more substantial, like the whole thing needed to suddenly shift.

We had been eating that same salad often enough, and by that point, it no longer tasted like anything, just something you moved around on a plate while proving you understood the assignment in the way they wanted.

And then one day goat cheese showed up, and the entire tone of the room changed like we had just crossed into something more advanced, and these women started talking about goat cheese like it had just arrived on earth, like this was the moment where things became elevated, and I looked down at it thinking, wait, because I had already been eating goat cheese for years, not in rooms like this, in France, on real tables where no one explained it to me like I needed permission to understand it.

So I raised my hand, which was already stepping out of formation, and said, I mean, this isn’t new, and I could feel the room almost swallow me enough to know I had crossed the invisible don’t-question-anything-here line, and at that point if felt like a dare to add another knife-twist, because I was already in it, they’ve been serving this forever, which did not help.

The “charm marms” as I often referred to them in my head didn’t like that at all, and it wasn’t about the cheese, it was about the fact that I wasn’t staying inside the version of things they were trying to create in that room, because those classes weren’t random, they had a destination, and that destination was me being presented at sixteen to society, in a grand ball at a hotel in Santa Monica. Ick. And when the time did come, I refused, completely, which went over about as well as expected with my mother, but there was no version of that life that made sense to me even then.

In fact, the arguments about the whole deb ball debacle went on for months and at one point I can still see my high school boyfriend standing there in his football uniform during one these rounds and finally realizing and saying, like wait, you’re being presented to society… what about me, like that was the moment it finally registered for him, and I could see it on his face, which honestly felt like the most reasonable response in the entire situation. I can still see the look my mother shot him in that moment, like, yeah, you’re temporary, keep up. I mean, that makes me feel a little tender-hearted for him right now. He finally understood it all in that moment.

Now I make this strawberry goat cheese salad with all the things. Mixed baby greens, sliced strawberries, avocado, toasted pecans, shallot, and mint, and a maple Dijon balsamic vinaigrette that coats everything instead of disappearing, and the goat cheese is just goat cheese, not a revelation, not an elevated ingredient, just part of the assembly, and the whole thing is good because it’s allowed to, not because someone decided what it was supposed to mean.

It’s the same salad. I just don’t need anyone explaining it to me anymore. I already knew.

What It’s Like to Eat

• It’s light, but you’re not immediately thinking about what else you need next.
• There’s enough contrast that it doesn’t get boring after a few bites.
• You get soft, creamy, crisp, and some crunch, and none of it takes over.
• The goat cheese stays in pieces. Once it disappears, it’s not the same salad.
• The dressing stays where it’s poured. It doesn’t collect at the bottom or vanish halfway through.
• It holds longer than you expect before anything starts to slip. You can leave it as a side or add salmon or grilled chicken to make it a full meal.

Ingredients

• Baby greens (spinach + arugula) – On its own, each one is lacking. Together they keep things interesting.
• Strawberries – This is not where you use the sad ones from the back of the fridge.
• Avocado – There’s a very specific moment when an avocado is right. If you miss it, that’s on you.
• Goat cheese – Straight from the fridge so it stays in pieces. Let it warm up and it starts getting ideas.
• Pecans – Toast them until they smell like something. Otherwise they’re filler.
• Shallot – Keep it small, thin, and under control.
• Fresh mint – Optional until it’s there, and then suddenly not.
• Olive oil – If you wouldn’t taste it on its own, don’t put it here.
• Balsamic vinegar – Dark, a little deep, keeps everything from getting too comfortable.
• Dijon mustard – This is what keeps the dressing from separating.
• Maple syrup or honey – Just enough to keep it from going its own way.
• Salt and black pepper – Enough to make you keep eating it.

If you want something more fruit-forward, I have a strawberry spinach salad with strawberry vinaigrette that is sweeter and uses the berries differently.

How to Make Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (make the vinaigrette)
  Whisk the olive oil, balsamic, Dijon, maple syrup (or honey), salt, and pepper together until it comes together and stays that way, or just throw it in a jar and shake it until it does. You’re not looking for something that runs off immediately. It should hang on to the sides for a second.
• Step Two (make the base)
  Add the spinach and arugula to a wide bowl or platter, then scatter the strawberries and avocado over the top so nothing’s clumped together and every bite has a chance.
• Step Three (add the rest)
  Toast the pecans until they smell like something, not just warm, and keep the goat cheese cold if you want it to stay in pieces or let it sit for a minute if you want it softer once it’s in. Tear the goat cheese into pieces and drop it over everything, then add the pecans, shallot, and mint so it’s all spread out and not sitting in one spot like it got left there.
• Step Four (dress it)
  Start with about half the dressing and toss it gently, just enough to coat the leaves without smashing the avocado or crushing everything else, then add more if it needs it.
• Step Five (timing matters)
  This salad is best right when you make it. If you’re getting ahead, keep everything separate and bring it together at the last minute. Cut the avocado right before or give it a little lemon to keep it green.

Recipe Tips

• Start with less dressing than you think. You can add more. You can’t take it back.
• Dress it right before serving. Give it too much time and everything starts to give.
• Keep everything in a single layer when you make it. Piling it up doesn’t make it better, it just hides what’s going on. I can still hear the charm marms saying, “presentation is everything.” They’re weren’t wrong.
• Toast the pecans until you can smell them from across the room. Otherwise they’re just taking up space.
• Add the avocado last. There’s a point where it’s right and then it’s not. It doesn’t wait for you.
• Keep the goat cheese cold if you want it to stay in place. Once it softens, it goes wherever it wants.
• Don’t overwork it when you toss. The more you push it around, the less it holds together.
• Use strawberries that taste good. This isn’t where you try to fix them.
• If something feels off, it usually is. Adjust it then, not after it’s already gone too far.
• Not everything needs more to be better. Sometimes it just needs to be left alone.

Storage

• This is better fresh. It holds for a bit, but not indefinitely. You’ll feel when it starts to slip.
• If you’re saving it, keep everything separate. Once it’s dressed, it’s on the clock.
• The dressing will keep in the fridge for a few days. Shake it before using. It will separate. That’s normal.
• Slice the avocado right before serving, or give it a little lemon if you’re doing it ahead.
• If it’s already dressed, you can refrigerate it, but it won’t come back the same. It’s still edible, just… different.
• This isn’t one of those things that improves by sitting. It’s better when you meet it where it is.

FAQs

• Can I use a different cheese?
  You can, but it changes the whole thing. Goat cheese does something specific here. Sub it and you’ll notice. Having said that, feta is the most friendly swap.
• What greens work best?
  Spinach and arugula. One soft, one with a little peppery bite. You can change it, just know it won’t feel the same.
• Can I make this ahead of time?
  You can prep everything, but don’t put it together until the last minute. Once it’s dressed, it starts moving.
• What protein works with this?
  Grilled chicken, salmon, shrimp, whatever you like. Add it if you want, leave it if you don’t.
• Can I use store-bought dressing?
  That’s up to you.
• How do I keep the avocado from browning?
  Cut it right before serving, or give it a little lemon sprinkle. After that, it’s doing what it’s going to do.

From My Kitchen Notes

None of this is recipe advice. It’s just the stuff I think about later.

• There’s a version of a plate that gets assembled for the room, and a version that gets assembled for yourself. They never look the same.
• “Absolutely no protein” for women was said with a straight face, which still makes me a little angry.
• There are situations where you already know you’re not staying, even while you’re still sitting there.
• If something only works when no one questions it, it probably doesn’t work.
• There’s a difference between adding something in a recipe because it belongs and adding something because you think it completes the picture.
• Timing changes everything. Some ingredients hold together if you meet them when they’re ready. Some don’t come back once you’ve passed that point.
• I can still feel when a chair moves too much when someone sits down, which is not a skill I have ever needed in my real life. They made it seem so important.
• There’s a very specific tone people use when they’ve decided something is correct and don’t want it questioned. I loved introducing the cracks in their thinking.
• Food still doesn’t need an audience to decide what it’s allowed to be.
• There’s a difference between being taught something and agreeing with it.
• I have never once adjusted what I was eating based on who else was at the table, and I’m still not sure what that was supposed to accomplish.
• There are people who will nod along to things they don’t believe just to keep the room smooth. I’ve never been that person.
• Social etiquette classes made me realize I was not learning how to do something. I was learning how to be seen doing it.
• There’s always a moment where you could step in or stay quiet, and once you see it, it doesn’t really go away.
• You don’t need permission to recognize something.
• You can leave a room without standing up. And not everything needs to be agreed on to be understood.
• There are things you don’t respond to right away, not because you didn’t feel them, but because you did.
• Some things take longer than they should, and by the time they move, everything around them has already changed.
• I don’t correct people anymore. I just notice. And then sometimes I don’t.
• Some people need to be told what something is before they can recognize it. I’ve never had that problem.

Switch the Dressing, See What Happens

• Raspberry Vinaigrette – sweet, tart, berry-forward.
• Honey Champagne Vinaigrette – honey, Dijon, light acidity.
• White Balsamic Vinaigrette – mild, tangy, slightly sweet.
• Honey Dijon Vinaigrette – honey, Dijon, red wine vinegar.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This strawberry goat cheese salad is great as a spring or summer side or a full plate depending on how you serve it. Keep it simple or add grilled chicken or salmon. The full ingredient list and steps are right below.

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Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad with Maple Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette

Strawberry goat cheese salad with spinach, arugula, avocado, and toasted pecans tossed in a maple Dijon balsamic vinaigrette. This strawberry spinach goat cheese salad works as an easy spring or summer salad and can be served as a side or topped with chicken or salmon for a full meal.

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword balsamic vinaigrette salad, spring salad recipe, strawberry arugula goat cheese salad, strawberry goat cheese salad, strawberry pecan salad, strawberry salad with goat cheese, strawberry spinach goat cheese salad, Summer Salad

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 320kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• mixing bowls (medium and large) For whisking the vinaigrette and assembling the salad.
• whisk Helps emulsify the dressing.
• skillet For toasting the pecans.

Ingredients

Maple Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette:

• ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
• 2 tbsps (30 ml) balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsps (10 g) Dijon mustard
• 1½ tbsps (32 g) maple syrup or honey
• ½ tsp (3 g) sea salt
• ¼ tsp (1 g) black pepper

Salad:

• ½ cup (60 g) pecans toasted
• 6 cups (180 g) baby spinach and arugula mix
• 12 oz (340 g) strawberries sliced into coins
• 2 avocados sliced
• 4 oz (115 g) soft goat cheese
• 1 small shallot thinly sliced
• fresh mint leaves small handful

Instructions

• In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup (or honey), salt, and black pepper until fully combined, emulsified, and slightly thickened. Alternatively, combine the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake until smooth.
  ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil, 2 tbsps (30 ml) balsamic vinegar, 2 tsps (10 g) Dijon mustard, 1½ tbsps (32 g) maple syrup, ½ tsp (3 g) sea salt, ¼ tsp (1 g) black pepper
• Toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and lightly browned, then set aside and cool before adding to the salad.
  ½ cup (60 g) pecans
• Place the baby greens (a mix of spinach and arugula) in a large, wide serving bowl or arrange them on a platter. Scatter the sliced strawberries and avocado evenly over the greens.
  6 cups (180 g) baby spinach and arugula mix, 12 oz (340 g) strawberries, 2 avocados
• Crumble or tear the goat cheese into bite-sized pieces and distribute it across the salad. Add the toasted pecans, thinly sliced shallot, and fresh mint leaves.
  4 oz (115 g) soft goat cheese, 1 small shallot, fresh mint leaves
• Drizzle about half of the vinaigrette over the salad and gently toss to coat, taking care not to bruise the greens or break up the avocado. Add additional vinaigrette as needed until the salad is lightly coated but not overdressed.
• For the best texture and flavor, assemble the salad immediately before serving. If preparing ahead, store the vinaigrette, sliced ingredients, and greens separately and combine just before serving. To prevent browning, lightly brush the cut avocado with lemon juice if slicing in advance.
• Cold goat cheese is easier to crumble cleanly, while room temperature cheese will be softer and creamier once mixed into the greens.

Notes

• Use a mix of baby spinach and arugula for a balance of mild and peppery greens.
• Toasting pecans improves flavor and texture.
• Start with less dressing and add more as needed.
• Assemble just before serving for best texture.

 

 

If you’re making this Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Serving: 300g | Calories: 320kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 320mg | Potassium: 520mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 3500IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 2mg

Have you made this Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad with Maple Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette appeared first on Noble Pig.

Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad, Right Before You Change Your Mind

I love the moment right before someone changes their mind. The pause before the bite. That second where you’re still explaining yourself, listing reasons, and telling me you’ve already decided, but I already know you haven’t. It’s that second in time where you don’t trust me yet, and then you do. First I’ll mirror your breathing. You don’t even know that’s happening.

That moment never looks dramatic from the outside. It’s usually unnoticed, just like the half-second too long before you reach for the fork. It’s the way you say, “I don’t usually like this,” while already getting closer. Full eye contact. I don’t interrupt you, or argue. I just wait.

Me, nonchalantly, fully aware of what I’m doing: “Come over here, sit down. You don’t have to decide anything yet, or like it, or even finish the bite.”

As I slowly bring the fork into view. Closer. Not dramatically or forcefully, just obviously, like this is already happening.

I’ve never needed permission to feed someone. I just need them close enough to try.

I know exactly what you’re thinking in that moment. You’re standing when the fork finally reaches your hand or mouth. You say something like, “I don’t usually like this kind of thing, or I’m not really a pasta salad person, or I don’t love mayo.” I let you finish and I don’t argue with or correct you. In fact, I’m no longer even listening, I just look at you and say, “taste it.”

I know you’re still skeptical, that part always amuses me, but I’m unaffected by whatever your qualms are, but now I have you close enough to smell it. Lime, chili, and corn that touched a hot pan instead of being dumped in raw, sweet and steaming. Something creamy underneath that’s just part of the dish.

“Take a bite.” You hesitate for just a beat too long. That’s my favorite part. It makes me smile.

Then you do it, and the change happens before you can stop it. Your shoulders drop and your eyes flick down to the bowl like it just told you a secret. I’ve learned not to rush this moment, because the pause after the bite matters more than the reaction. You don’t say anything right away, because now you’re reconciling what you thought with what’s really happening.

I don’t try to explain it or need to watch your face, because I already know.

That moment right there, that’s my whole thing.

And yes, I realize this is just a Mexican street corn pasta salad. I know people make versions of this all the time, but this one is part of the category of food I use when I want someone to give in.

I created this recipe from the same mischeivious corner of my brain as my Mexican street corn soup, the one you all go crazy for. It has the same flavors and instincts, I just morphed it into something cold, creamy, and more casual. A dish you can bring to a gathering and watch while people come back for more.

You don’t have to trust me yet with these flavors, but you will.

Why I Love This Recipe

• I have this thing for watching someone take the first bite and realizing it tastes better than they thought it would be, especially when they were wary of it in the first place. That split second where they stop talking and just keep eating never gets old. It happens a lot with this pasta salad.
• The flavors here are spot on. It’s creamy, tangy, a little smoky, and salty, with enough lime to keep everything in balance.
• I’ve always loved elote, and this tastes like a natural extension of that obsession.
• In many cases this easily outperforms the main dish. Make sure whatever else you’re serving can hold its own.

Ingredients

• Rotini pasta – The ringlets catch the sauce in all the right places and don’t let go.
• Frozen corn – Reliable, sweet, and ready to turn golden the second it hits the pan, the same kind of corn that carries my Street Corn Chicken Rice Bowls.
• Oil – Enough to get the corn hot and slightly flirtatious.
• Green onions – Fresh bite, soft finish.
• Cilantro – Bright, unmistakable.
• Cotija cheese – Salty, crumbly, and absolutely necessary.
• Mayonnaise – Creamy without being a try-hard.
• Sour cream – Adds tanginess.
• Chili powder – That warm, familiar heat.
• Garlic powder – Adds a little dominance.
• Paprika – Adds smokiness, but mostly mood.
• Ground cumin – Earthy respect.
• Fresh lime juice – The balancer.
• Coarse kosher salt – Obviously.
• Black pepper – Just enough edge at the end.

How to Make Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (cook and cool the pasta)
  Cook the rotini in salted water until it’s just done, not soft, not mushy, still holding its shape. Drain it, then rinse it under cold water until it’s cool. Let it sit there for a minute and finish draining before it goes into the bowl. This is not a step you want to rush through. Cold pasta is what keeps the whole thing feeling light instead of weighed down later and you want the cooking process to stop.
• Step Two (brown the corn)
  Heat the oil in a skillet and add the corn, don’t mess with it right away. Let it sit and get hot. Stir it once, then leave it alone again until it smells toasted and looks blistery in spots. You’re not trying to dry it out, you just want depth. When it looks right, add it warm to the pasta and let that contrast exist.
• Step Three (mix the dressing)
  Stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Taste it here. This is the moment you decide if it needs more lime, more spice, or nothing at all. Once it’s on the pasta, the conversation changes, so get it where you want it first.
• Step Four (bring it together)
  Add the green onions, cilantro, cotija, and black beans to the bowl. Pour the dressing over the top and toss it slowly, carefully, until everything is coated. This isn’t the part where you hurry through it, you’re just helping things meet each other where they are.
• Step Five (finish and serve)
  If you want, scatter a little extra corn, green onion, cilantro, and cotija over the top. Serve it now, or cover it and let it chill. It doesn’t fall apart if you give it a little time.

Recipe Tips

• Cold pasta matters more than you think. Warm pasta will drink up the dressing too fast and everything goes soft in a way you didn’t ask for. Let it cool completely before anything else touches it.
• Let the corn get color before you move it. That pause is where the flavor comes online. If you stir too early, you miss it.
• Taste the dressing on its own before it goes anywhere. This is the moment you decide how bold you want the spice to be. Once it’s mixed in, you’ve already committed.
• Add the dressing slowly and toss gently, you’re coating, not drowning. Stop as soon as everything looks right.
• This salad likes a little time to rest. Ten or fifteen minutes in the fridge lets everything come together.
• If it tastes blah, it usually wants lime, not salt. A small squeeze does the most.
• Eat it cold, but not straight-from-the-back-of-the-fridge cold. Give it a minute on the counter, because flavor always opens up when it’s not holding its breath.

Storage

• Let it cool completely before storing. Warm pasta sealed up is how good texture gets lost.
• Keep it covered in the refrigerator and eat it within two to three days. It does hold together well, but it’s best while the corn still has some bite and the dressing stays loose.
• If it thickens after chilling, a squeeze of lime or a small spoonful of sour cream brings it back immediately.
• Freezing? Just nope.

FAQs

• Can I make this ahead of time?
  Yes. This is one of those salads that does relax once it’s been sitting. The flavors get closer and nothing dulls out. If you make it earlier in the day, you did yourself a favor.
• Do I really need to brown the corn?
  Yes, that’s really important. Raw or just-heated corn will taste unfinished here. A little color gives it the familiar street-corn flavor you’re expecting when you take the first bite.
• What if I don’t like cilantro?
  Then don’t use it. Parsley works, or nothing at all. The corn and lime still carry it to the finish line.
• Can I switch the cheese?
  Cotija is what makes it taste like elote instead of “creamy corn pasta.” If you don’t have it, feta is fine, just not the same.
• Can I add protein to it?
  You can. Chicken, shrimp and steak will all work, but this salad already knows what it is. Don’t crowd it, unless you need to.
• Is it supposed to be spicy?
  Not really.
• Can I leave the pasta out?
  You must be thinking about something else.

From My Kitchen Notes

• Someone told me recently my food ki*k (add the “n,” we can’t say that word on the internet without repercussions), is finding out what food someone doesn’t like and calmly saying, “Come here, sit down next to me.” No debate or consent form. A single sentence doing crimes. Just a fork and a look that says, trust me for ten seconds. I laughed when they pointed it out. Then I thought about it longer than I should have, because yeah, they are absolutely correct in their assessment of me. I feel seen and fully exposed. And I’m totally okay with it. I like being known for this.
• I get an unreasonable amount of satisfaction from the exact second someone takes a bite and realizes they misjudged me. There’s always a pause, a recalibration, then silence. That’s my favorite part.
• I don’t enjoy convincing people, I’m all about the moment they realize they were wrong about whatever they said they weren’t going to like. That very specific pause right before their eyes glaze back is not about food, it’s about surrender.
• If you recognize these flavors, this pasta salad is going to taste exactly like you think it’s going to. No tricks or surprises, just good.
• I’ve noticed that I’m most persuasive in the kitchen when I’m not trying to persuade anyone at all, sort of like, silent certainty.
• I prefer cooking for people who don’t agree with my flavor choices. The skeptical ones who say they don’t like pasta salad, or corn, or mayo. You are my favorite guest. And we’ll close the distance together, you’ll see.
• Collecting reactions over recipes is very me.
• There’s a version of me who could have written this post as a “crowd-pleasing summer side.” I’m done with her.

More Food That Changes Minds

• Creamy Mexican Avocado Dressing – And the salad it belongs on.
• Grape, Corn and Black Bean Salsa – Unexpected, bold, worth trusting.
• Hot Corn Dip – Melty, seasoned, no holding back.
• Shrimp and Avocado Taco Salad – Fresh, with corn-forward energy.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

Creamy Mexican street corn pasta salad with golden sautéed corn, cotija, cilantro, and a bold chili-lime dressing. An easy, make-ahead side dish that holds up well for game day, potlucks, and parties.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Mexican-Inspired

Keyword corn pasta salad, creamy pasta salad, elote pasta salad, game day pasta salad, Mexican pasta salad, Mexican street corn pasta salad, street corn pasta salad

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 360kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• Pasta Pot For boiling the pasta.
• Colander To drain and cool the pasta thoroughly.
• large skillet For sautéing the corn until golden and blistery.
• mixing bowls (large an small). For assebling the salad, for whisking the dressing.
• whisk To fully emulsify the dressing.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (200 g) dry rotini pasta
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) avocado oil or any oil
• 3 cups (~340 g / 12 oz) frozen corn
• ½ cup (120 g) mayonnaise
• ¼ cup (60 g) full-fat sour cream
• ½ tsp (6 g) chili powder
• ½ tsp (3 g) garlic powder
• ¼ tsp (4 g) paprika
• ⅛ tsp (2 g) ground cumin
• 1-2 limes juiced
• ⅛ tsp (1 g) table salt
• ⅛ tsp (2 g) black pepper
• 3 green onions sliced
• ½ cup (15 g) fresh cilantro
• ⅓ cup (35 g) crumbled cotija cheese
• 1 cup (170g) black beans drained and rinsed

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the rotini pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta, rinse under cold water to stop the cooking, and drain well. Transfer the cooled pasta to a large serving bowl and set aside.
  2 cups (200 g) dry rotini pasta
• While the pasta cooks, prepare the remaining ingredients. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the corn and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the corn is heated through and lightly golden. Transfer the cooked corn to the bowl with the pasta.
  1 tbsp (15 ml) avocado oil, 3 cups (~340 g / 12 oz) frozen corn
• In a small mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, ground cumin, lime juice, salt, and black pepper. Whisk until smooth and fully combined.
  ½ cup (120 g) mayonnaise, ¼ cup (60 g) full-fat sour cream, ½ tsp (6 g) chili powder, ½ tsp (3 g) garlic powder, ¼ tsp (4 g) paprika, ⅛ tsp (2 g) ground cumin, 1-2 limes, ⅛ tsp (1 g) table salt, ⅛ tsp (2 g) black pepper
• Add the green onions, cilantro, cotija cheese, and black beans to the pasta and corn mixture. Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss until evenly coated.
  3 green onions, ½ cup (15 g) fresh cilantro, ⅓ cup (35 g) crumbled cotija cheese, 1 cup (170g) black beans
• Sprinkle additional corn, green onions, cilantro, and cotija cheese over the top, if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

• Rinse the pasta well so it stays light and doesn’t absorb too much dressing.
• Let the corn get lightly golden for deeper flavor.
• Taste the dressing before mixing and adjust the lime to your liking.
• Toss gently so the pasta stays intact and evenly coated.
• This salad holds up well and tastes better after a short chill.

 

If you’re making this Mexican street corn pasta salad, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card.

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Serving: 225g | Calories: 360kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 320mg | Potassium: 420mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 750IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 2mg

Have you made this Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad appeared first on Noble Pig.

Chilled Pineapple Cucumber Salad, A Completely Reasonable Decision

A pineapple, a cucumber, and a serrano ended up in the same bowl. Not because I planned it, just because they were all there at the same time and nothing stopped me.

I first made this in Hawaii after stopping at a small farm stand and buying more pineapple than I needed, which is easy to do when it’s fresh and everywhere. I had no intention of making anything interesting. I just wanted something cold.

I chopped pineapple and cucumber, added red onion, a serrano, lime, salt, and cilantro, put it in the fridge, and ate it later outside. No moment or revelation came from it, just one of those things that works so perfectly you remember it without trying to.

What stuck with me wasn’t the setting, it was how useful the salad was. It was cold when everything else felt too warm, with lots of brightness or being too sugary, and it was filling without being a project. It tasted good immediately and even better after it sat for a bit, which is rare and worth noting.

I’ve been making it ever since, usually far from Hawaii, usually for people who don’t expect much from a bowl of pineapple and cucumber. It gets eaten before anything else on the table, and then someone asks for it later.

This is not a special-occasion recipe. It’s what I make when I want something interesting and unexpected.

And nothing about it has ever improved when I tried to make it nicer. So don’t bother.

Why I Love This Recipe

• Pineapple and cucumber together feel wrong until they don’t, which is usually how my favorite things start.
• The lime is underestimated at first and then pretends it was obvious all along.
• Red onion keeps it from drifting into spa water territory.
• It stays cold, crisp, and put-together even after sitting in the fridge, which is more than I can say for most salads.
• The lime and honey combo fixes everything without turning it into dessert or a wellness lecture.
• It works next to grilled food, fried food, and anything fatty that needs a reality check.
• I serve this with my air fryer pork belly bites, and there’s some kind of magic going on there when these two come together.

Ingredients

This salad is short on ingredients, but very specific about them.

• Fresh pineapple – Use ripe pineapple, cut into bite-size pieces. Pre-cut from the market is completely fine if it’s fresh and firm. You want sweetness and juice, not mush.
• English cucumber – The thinner skin and lower seed count matter here, and it stays crisp after chilling.
• Red onion – Thinly sliced is key. Enough to be noticed, but not takeover.
• Serrano pepper – One pepper is all you need. More is a personal decision.
• Lime zest – Adds citrus without adding more liquid. This is why the salad doesn’t turn watery.
• Fresh lime juice – This is the fixer and balancer of the recipe.
• Honey – You’re not making a sweet salad, only a small amount.
• Kosher salt – Necessary.
• Black pepper – Subtle, but it keeps the salad from tasting like a fruit bowl.
• Fresh cilantro – Chopped, not pulverized. If you’re anti-cilantro, mint works, but that’s between you and your conscience.

How to Make Chilled Pineapple Cucumber Salad

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (mix the dressing first)
  Start with the dressing so it’s ready when everything else is. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime zest, lime juice, honey, kosher salt, and black pepper until the honey dissolves and the whole thing comes together. Taste it. You’re looking for citrus-forward flavor with just enough honey to keep it from going too acidic.
• Step Two (make the salad)
  Add the pineapple, cucumber, red onion, serrano, and cilantro to a large bowl. Toss it once or twice just to distribute things evenly before the dressing goes in. This keeps the pineapple from pooling at the bottom and running the show.
• Step Three (dress and adjust)
  Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently until everything is coated. Taste it again. This is the moment to add a pinch more salt or another squeeze of lime if it needs it. Once it’s chilled, adjustments get harder, so do it now.
• Step Four (chill, then serve)
  Refrigerate the salad for 15 to 30 minutes. That’s enough time for it to get properly cold without the cucumber losing its edge. Serve it straight from the fridge.

Recipe Tips

• I always cut the pineapple last. If it sits too long after cutting, it starts leaking juice and softening everything around it. You want it freshly chopped and still holding itself together when it gets to the bowl.
• Keep the cucumber dry on purpose. If there’s water sitting in the bottom of the bowl after you chop it, drain it off. Extra moisture turns this into pineapple soup faster than you think.
• Slice the onion thin, then thinner. This is not the place for chunky red onion. Thin slices disappear right into the mix instead of becoming the only thing you taste five minutes later.
• Serrano pepper is not a dare. Remove the seeds unless you’re feeling reckless. This salad is about balance, not seeing how brave you are before dinner.
• Zest the lime before you juice it. This feels obvious, but people still forget. Zest gives you aroma without more liquid, which matters here. Don’t leave it out.
• Taste it before you chill it. Cold mutes everything. If it tastes right at room temperature, it’ll taste even better once it’s chilled. If it’s off now, it won’t magically fix itself in the fridge.
• Serve it cold, not “kind of cool.” This salad does want actual refrigerator time. Fifteen minutes minimum. Thirty if you’re organized. Anything less and it just feels unfinished.

Storage

This salad is not a long-term project. It lives in a short-window.

• Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and plan to eat them within 24 to 48 hours. After that, the pineapple keeps releasing juice, the cucumber softens, and the whole thing starts sliding in a direction you didn’t sign up for. You don’t want this.
• If you know you’re not serving it all at once, keep the salad and dressing separate and combine them right before eating. It buys you time and keeps the texture where it should be.
• Do not freeze this. Not as an experiment. Not “just to see.” Pineapple and cucumber do not come back from that.
• Give it a quick toss before serving leftovers. The flavors come together, the juices move around, and a few stirs put everything back in order.
• This is a make-it, chill-it, eat-it recipe. When you respect the window, it’s excellent, but pushed too far and it will absolutely tell on you.

FAQs

• Can I make this ahead of time?
  Yes, within reason. You can mix it a few hours before serving and let it chill, which actually helps. I wouldn’t make it the night before unless you enjoy softer cucumbers and a lot of juice at the bottom of the bowl.
• Do I need fresh pineapple, or can I use canned?
  I use fresh only. Canned pineapple is already softened and sweetened in a way that in my opinion doesn’t work here. This salad is all about fresh texture and acidity. Canned turns it into something else entirely.
• Is the serrano very spicy?
  Not if you handle it correctly. Remove the seeds and ribs, and dice it small. You’ll notice it, but it won’t take over. If you love spice, leave a little more behind. If you don’t, you can use less or skip it.
• Can I sub the cilantro?
  Yes. Mint works well if cilantro isn’t your thing. Use less than you think you need.
• What if I don’t like raw red onion?
  Slice it thin and you’ll be fine. If you’re still suspicious, soak it in cold water for a few minutes and drain before adding. It keeps the onion flavor without letting it dominate the dish.
• Is this meant to be a side or a standalone dish?
  It’s technically a side, but I eat it by itself all the time. I’ve served it with pork, grilled chicken, and anything that needs something cold next to it.
• Can I skip the honey?
  You can, but it won’t be the same. The honey isn’t there to make it sweet. It keeps the lime from going too far and pulling the whole thing out of balance.
• Why chill it at all?
  Because it’s better cold. The flavors come together, the cucumber stays crisp, and the salad feels finished instead of improvised.

From My Kitchen Notes

A few observations about this salad.

• I’ve found people really underestimate pineapple when it isn’t grilled, caramelized, or buried under something creamy. Raw pineapple does something to make people nervous. I think that’s funny, but also want to know why. Someone answer this void for me.
• No one comments on the cucumbers, but if you leave them out, the whole salad feels wrong immediately.
• Serranos have a way of sorting people into categories. Some people notice them in the salad instantly and say nothing. Others don’t notice until halfway through and then sit there thinking about them for the rest of the meal, like it was too much for them.
• Farm stands always sell out of cucumbers before anything else, even when everything else looks more exciting. I’ve stopped questioning it.
• “What was in that?” questions show up hours after the meal ends. No questions during.
• I’ve watched people add feta to it and immediately regret that decision. I’ve also watched people insist on adding feta again the next time. Everyone has to learn their own lessons. It doesn’t need feta, I promise.
• It gets treated differently depending on the setting. On a table with grilled meat, this salad feels necessary. On its own, it feels like something you weren’t supposed to eat all at once but did anyway. That’s me.
• The bowl is always scraped cleaner than expected. Not dramatically. Just… clean enough that I notice.
• Every time I make it, I remember that I didn’t invent this. I just put things together because they were there and nothing stopped me. That’s usually how the good ones happen.

More Cold, Sharp Sides for Rich Food

These are the sides that cool things down and keep the plate in balance.

• Pineapple Coleslaw – crisp, cold, and built for anything grilled
• Cucumber Feta Salad – sharp, salty, and still very much a side
• Cucumber Tomato Onion Salad – vinegar-forward and exactly what it sounds like
• Cilantro Lime Broccoli Slaw – crunchy, bright, and not remotely creamy

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Chilled Pineapple Cucumber Salad

Chilled pineapple cucumber salad made with fresh pineapple, crisp cucumber, red onion, serrano pepper, lime zest and juice, honey, and cilantro. A cold, refreshing side dish that stays crisp and balanced after chilling.

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword chilled pineapple cucumber salad, cold pineapple salad, cucumber pineapple salad with lime, pineapple cucumber salad, summer pineapple cucumber salad

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Chilling 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 78kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• mixing bowls One small bowl for the dressing; one large for tossing the salad.
• whisk Helps dissolve the honey and blend the dressing.
• Chef's knife For cuting the pineapple, cucumber and onion.

Ingredients

• zest of one lime
• 2 tbsps (30 ml) fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp (21 g) honey
• ½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt
• ¼ tsp (0.5 g) black pepper
• 2 cups (330 g) fresh pineapple cut into bite-size pieces
• 1½ cups (210 g) English cucumber chopped
• ½ cup (75 g) red onion thinly sliced
• 1 Serrano pepper finely diced, remove seeds and ribs for less spice if you want
• ¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro chopped

Instructions

• In a small bowl, whisk together the lime zest, lime juice, honey, kosher salt, and black pepper until fully blended and the honey is dissolved.
  zest of one lime, 2 tbsps (30 ml) fresh lime juice, 1 tbsp (21 g) honey, ½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt, ¼ tsp (0.5 g) black pepper
• Add the pineapple, cucumber, red onion, serrano pepper, and cilantro to a large mixing bowl and gently toss to combine.
  2 cups (330 g) fresh pineapple, 1½ cups (210 g) English cucumber, ½ cup (75 g) red onion, 1 Serrano pepper, ¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro
• Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently until everything is evenly coated.
• Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, adding a pinch more salt or a squeeze of lime if desired.
• Refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes before serving so the salad stays cold, crisp, and refreshing.

Notes

• Nutrition is calculated assuming the full amount of dressing is consumed.
• Serrano heat level will vary depending on size and whether seeds are included.
• Serving weight is based on a finished, chilled salad portion.

 

If you’re making this chilled pineapple cucumber salad, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card.

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Serving: 155g | Calories: 78kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 198mg | Potassium: 210mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 180IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 0.6mg

Have you made this Chilled Pineapple Cucumber Salad? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

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