I’m a mayonnaise hater, and most potato salads look cringe-worthy to me. I can’t stomach anything with an uneven sauce to potato ratio. Good cooking is all about perfect ratios! After years of swearing off potato salad, I finally found out that it’s possible to make a good one with a little vinaigrette and a lot of mustard. The potatoes can be crispy and roasted then happily smashed to absorb all that good vinegary sauce. So I made this better Roasted Potato Salad with Za’atar for all the mayo haters.
If you haven’t tried Za’atar, it’s a lovely mediterranean spice blend that tastes slightly toasty and has oregano, thyme, marjoram, sesame seeds, and sumac. It’s perfect for anything roasted, and it adds a nice flavor to this potato salad.
Let’s get started on this recipe. First, we’ll roast our potatoes in olive oil, za’atar, fresh rosemary, and salt. I like to roast them cut side down so the edges brown nicely. Once they’re fork tender, remove them from the oven while you whisk your vinaigrette.
For the vinaigrette, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, dijon mustard, grainy mustard, red wine vinegar, a pinch of salt, and a minced garlic clove. Pour this over the potatoes in a large salad bowl. Smash the potatoes with a fork against the sides of the salad bowl. Mix together to coat the potatoes and add the green onions, mixing again.
This dish is a great side with grilled chicken, barbecue or even a roasted piece of meat! See the full recipe below.
- 2 lb mini waxy potatoes (red potatoes or fingerling)
- 2 tsp za'atar
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
- 2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 tbsp stone ground mustard
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1½ tsp red wine vinegar
- juice of half a lemon
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Drizzle a baking sheet lightly with olive oil, about 2 tbsp. Halve the potatoes and place on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with the salt, za'atar, and rosemary and toss to coat. Turn the potatoes cut side down and bake them for 25-30 minutes.
- Whisk together the ¼ cup olive oil, stone ground mustard, dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, minced garlic clove, and add a pinch of salt.
- Once the potatoes are done, add them to a salad bowl. Pour over the vinaigrette and lightly mash the potatoes against the side of the bowl to absorb the vinaigrette. Sprinkle with the green onions and toss. Serve warm or chill and serve cold.
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