Hearty Potato, Egg and Green Bean Salad Recipe

Bobbie says:

Hearty Potato, Egg and Green Bean Salad is a great spring recipe. These three components  get cooked in the same pot and a versatile dressing that can be made ahead of time means you can have a very easy but hearty main dish salad on the table in just over half an hour. Since baby potatoes, fresh green beans and eggs are plentiful in many areas, it might be a relative bargain. The salad is served warm, but is also delicious prepared ahead and chilled.

This salad is tossed with a sort of Caesar style dressing, but without the bother of the raw eggs and anchovies required by a more traditional Caesar dressing recipe. It gets a touch of anchovy flavor from the  Worcestershire – did you know traditional worcestershire sauce contains anchovies? Some brands omit this ingredient. Mayonnaise adds some creaminess, otherwise it would just be pretty much a vinaigrette.

If you’re looking for timesaving recipes, you’ve got it — the potatoes and eggs get cooked together, then are removed from the boiling water and the green beans get tossed into that same water for a brief swim. Another timesaver is that the potatoes don’t need to be peeled – they have a very thin skin, and the red color adds eye appeal to the completed dish.

The dressing will be about double what you’ll need to finish the salad. If you decide to put the entire salad together ahead of time, add just enough dressing to coat the ingredients. At serving time, you can either add a bit more dressing and gently mix again, or allow each person may to add more if they wish.

I know, I know — SIX CLOVES of GARLIC? No, that’s not an error. Yes, it’s somewhat of a garlicky dressing. If you’re not a huge garlic fan, use less. If you’re like my daughter, you’ll use at least 12 cloves of garlic. (She earned that reputation during a 4-H cooking class and will laugh when she reads this.)

Two Methods of Preparation

You can use a blender or food processor, which yields a smooth and creamy dressing, but then you’ve got to clean the machine. Or you can toss everything in a jar and shake it up, which will give you slightly lumpy results and you have to clean a cutting board (Because you would never, ever use a knife on your bare countertop, right? Of course you wouldn’t.)

As for potatoes, wash them as well as you need to – this will vary. I was fortunate to find potatoes that only needed rinsing, but sometimes they can be quite dirty when you get them. If that’s the case with yours, you’ll need to rub them gently with your fingers as you wash them. Avoid using a scrub brush on them, unless you have one with very soft bristles. Anything rough will tear the delicate skin on these baby potatoes, and we do want the skins intact on them. While you’re washing them, look for any blemishes, and remove them with a small, sharp knife.