Description
Swapping regular boiled potatoes for crispy smashed potatoes in this salad is a serious game-changer. Tossed with refreshing tzatziki sauce, crispy bacon and zingy herbs, this easy salad is one you’ll reach for again and again.
Use store-bought tzatziki if you like, but it’s super quick and easy to make it yourself.
Ingredients
For the salad –
- 2lbs/1kg baby potatoes
- Salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 slices of streaky bacon
- 4 scallions (spring onions)
- Small bunch of garlic chives
- 1/4 cup pickled jalapenos
For the tzatziki dressing –
- 1/2 large cucumber
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup thick Greek or Greek-style yogurt
- 1 lemon, juiced and zested
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes. Heat your oven to 430F/220C. Add the potatoes to a large pot, then cover with cold water. Add a very good pinch of salt (at least 1 tablespoon), then set over high heat and bring to a boil. Cook for about 12 minutes, until you can easily pierce the potatoes with a fork. Drain the potatoes, then return them to the now-empty pot.
- Smash the potatoes. Drizzle two oven trays with olive oil, then arrange the drained potatoes on the trays. Use a glass to squash the potatoes flat (smashing them). Try to make sure there’s a little space in between each potato, so they can cook evenly. Drizzle more olive oil on top, then sprinkle a little salt over each potato.
- Roast the potatoes. Transfer the smashed potatoes to the oven, and roast for 30 minutes, flipping them over halfway through the cooking time, until they’re super crispy and golden.
- Make the tzatziki dressing. While the potatoes are cooking, grate your cucumber into a colander set over a bowl. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt and mix it through the cucumber. Use the back of a spoon to press the grated cucumber, squeezing as much liquid as possible into the bowl underneath. Once you think you’ve squeezed most of the water out, mix the grated cucumber with the yogurt, crushed garlic, lemon juice, zest and a good grind of black pepper. Taste, then add a little more salt if needed.
- Prepare the salad ingredients. Cook the bacon in a small pan over medium-high heat until super crispy, and finely chop the jalapenos, scallions and chives.
- Mix the salad. Once the potatoes are super crispy, you’re ready to mix the salad. Add the potatoes, jalapenos, crispy bacon, scallions and chives to a large mixing bowl. I like to tear the potatoes into smaller pieces, just so they’re a little easier to eat with a fork. Dollop a couple of heaped spoonfuls of the tzatziki dressing into the bowl, and mix to combine. Add a little more dressing if you like it saucier. Transfer to a serving platter or bowl, and serve with the rest of the tzatziki on the side.
Notes
INGREDIENT NOTES: Skip the bacon to make the salad vegetarian. Swap the chives for mint, basil, flat-leaf parsley or cilantro. I recommend making your on tzatziki for the best flavour, but a good store-bought tzatziki will work too.
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: The salad keeps well, for about 3 days in the fridge. It’s great cold, and the potatoes do stay reasonably crispy. If you’re making it for a party, I recommend not mixing the dressing through the salad until you’re ready to serve, just to make sure everything stays super crispy.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS: This is a perfect summery side or salad to take a long to barbecues and garden parties. I love serving it as part of a salad spread – it’s great alongside a crunchy Asian slaw, broccoli crunch salad or rainbow chopped salad. Pair it with grilled meat – miso grilled chicken, lamb koftas or honey harissa chicken is great, or as a side to juicy lamb burgers.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 35
- Category: salads
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: american
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 300g
- Calories: 328
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 1005.7mg
- Fat: 18.4g
- Saturated Fat: 5.6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11.8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30.8g
- Fiber: 4.5g
- Protein: 11g
- Cholesterol: 24.7mg