Potato and Chickpea Salad with Dill & Cornichons
"While I love dreaming up new recipe ideas, I still tend to gravitate to beloved, nostalgic foods, especially when I’m cooking for other people. My hunch is I’m not alone. Familiar foods are comforting, and they’ve stood the test of time for a reason. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room to find ways to make classic dishes feel current and fresh. Take this potato salad, for example. It’s got the hallmarks of a retro potato salad—mayonnaise, minced red onion, and dill—along with a can of chickpeas to lighten things up and diced cornichons for a vinegary crunch in each bite. It’s proof that with a few updates, a good potato salad (and a jar of pickles) never goes out of style."
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1½ lb small red or baby Yukon Gold potatoes
- Kosher salt
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
- ½ tsp Dijon mustard
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (15oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup minced red onion (half a small onion)
- ¾ cup cornichons finely chopped (about 3.5 ounces)
- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup minced fresh dill
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a large pot and add 2 Tbsp salt and enough water to cover generously. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. Drain and set aside until just cool enough to handle.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper and whisk until smooth. Stir in the chickpeas and onion and set aside.
- When the potatoes are just cool enough to handle, cut them in half (or quarters if they are larger than 1½ inches in diameter) and add to the bowl with the dressing. Toss gently and set aside, tossing occasionally, until cool.
- Add the cornichons and mayonnaise to the potatoes and mix well. Add the dill and toss again. Season with more salt and black pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature.