Dan hit up the farmers market last saturday and came home with a wealth of cheap produce, including about 5 pounds of small waxy potatoes that needed to be put to use! We normally just split, season, and grill them, but I was craving something cool and creamy. We also had a bag full of basil left over from a friends CSA share, so I thought I’d combine them to make a creamy, pesto spiked potato salad! We’ve been eating this for a few days now, and I think it had the best flavor on day 1, so whip this up when you have a potluck to go to!
Creamy Pesto Potato Salad
1 1/2 pounds waxy potatoes
2 c loosely packed basil
1/4 c finely minced white onion
1/4 – 1/2c veganaise
2 tbs water
2 tbs nutritional yeast
1/4 c sesame seeds- or whatever nuts you have around
1 tbs sunny paris blend, or similar type seasoning
2 tbs olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
Halve your potatoes and place them in a pot with enough water to cover them by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, and cook until easily pierced with a fork. Drain, rinse gently under cool water, and chill while you make the dressing. Place the onion, and the Sunny Paris blend in a large bowl. In your food processor, combine the sesame seeds, nutritional yeast, and the basil, and pulse until a coarse paste forms, adding the olive oil to help bring it together. *Normally i’d use pine nuts, but I was out of everything but sesame seeds, so i just used those. They were subtle but delicious! Now, with the machine running, add in the first 1/4 c of vegan mayo and combine. If you want a lighter calorie count, thin to your desired consistency with water- it won’t kill the flavor. Otherwise, if you want a pronounced mayo flavor, add the other 1/4 c of veganaise in. Or, if you want to saucy, do both! Add salt and pepper to taste and fold into the cooled potatoes. Chill for at least 4 hours before serving.
grill-a-thon!
i forgot to take a picture of the potato salad on it’s own, so here it is swimming in a sea of delicious grilled food!
