For your Independence Day picnic: Wasabi Potato Salad
When I saw that the White House had served Wasabi Potato Salad at its luau the other day, I knew I had to try that. After all, anything Michelle Obama can do, I can do better. Okay, maybe not, but I figured my Wasabi Potato Salad would be better than hers, and vegan to boot.
First I tried Google, and found some unappetizing non-vegan recipes. No help there; I was on my own.
Fortunately I had some salad potatoes. You must have good salad potatoes if you're attempting to make potato salad. If you live in America, you probably can't find any good potatoes, in which case you need to come to Britain. Tickets are cheap now; American Airlines is offering a deal. When you get here, look for Charlotte, Maris Peer, Anya, or the variety I used, red Roseval. All are small and have a waxy flesh, ensuring a clean slice with your knife.
Procuring potatoes is the most difficult part of making this salad. It's ridiculously easy. Normally I don't prefer mayonnaise-based salad, primarily because I don't eat mayo, but you really need mayo to mix with the wasabi paste. It's pretty easy to find vegan mayo, and my version doesn't call for much.
I also added toasted pecans, but no onions. Onions introduce a taste you just don't want. Celery is fine, and altogether, not counting salt, this recipe only has five ingredients! Which means you can easily make it for your Fourth of July picnic.
Provided, of course, you visit the Mother Country first for those potatoes.
Here's how:
Wasabi Potato Salad
(Note: this makes plenty for four servings. Double the recipe if you need to feed more.)
1 lb salad potatoes (I used red Roseval)
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
1 tablespoon (or more) wasabi paste
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/2 cup finely chopped celery (from 1 stalk)
salt, to taste
Place potatoes in cold water. Bring to a boil. Note: place larger potatoes in first, if they're not all the same size, or conversely, remove the smaller ones first.
While the potatoes are cooking, stir together the mayonnaise and the wasabi paste. Place the pecans, celery, and mayo mixture in a bowl and stir. (You may want to add more wasabi paste, depending on your taste; I only had one generous tablespoon, and it was enough, but more wouldn't have been an issue.)
When the potatoes are cooked (about 15 minutes after boiling; test with a sharp knife) pour off the water and replace with cold water. Replace the cold water again, to ensure the potatoes stopped cooking. When they're cool, slice them in half or in quarters if they're large (about two inches long is the largest potato you'll find in the salad varieties).
Gently toss the potatoes with the rest of the mixture. Add salt to taste. Refrigerate or serve at room temperature.
