Potato Salad

Written By Felicity Morrell

This potato salad is simple, flexible, and does double duty: it tastes great and supports gut health thanks to resistant starch. By cooking and cooling the potatoes before dressing them, you’re creating a side dish that feeds beneficial gut bacteria and works beautifully for meal prep.

It’s an easy recipe to scale up, ideal for family dinners, BBQs, or making once and enjoying across the week for lunches.

Why this potato salad is good for your gut

When potatoes are cooked and cooled, some of their starch becomes resistant starch, a type of carbohydrate that isn’t fully digested in the small intestine. Instead, it reaches the large intestine where it acts as a prebiotic, feeding beneficial gut bacteria and supporting bowel health, blood glucose regulation, and overall gut function.

Leftovers aren’t just convenient here, they’re part of the benefit.

Ingredients

Potato Salad

  • 800 g potatoes

  • Dressing (see below)

  • Optional mix-ins (see ideas below)

Dressing

  • 1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar

  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 small garlic clove, finely minced or 1 tsp crushed garlic

  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard

  • Pinch of sugar

  • 2 tsp baby capers

  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Optional Extras (mix and match)

  • 2 spring onions, finely sliced or ½ small purple onion

  • 1–2 tbsp finely chopped gherkins

  • ¼ cup corn kernels

  • 1–2 tsp freshly chopped dill

Method

  1. Cook the potatoes
    Place the whole, unpeeled potatoes into a pot of cold water. Bring to the boil and cook for around 20 minutes, or until a knife slides in easily.

  2. Cool and peel
    Drain and allow the potatoes to cool slightly. Once cooled, gently peel off the skins using your fingers (they should slip off easily).

  3. Prepare the dressing
    In a small bowl or jar, whisk together all dressing ingredients until well combined. Season to taste.

  4. Assemble the salad
    Cut the cooled potatoes into chunks. Add your chosen optional extras, pour over the dressing, and gently toss to coat.

  5. Chill before serving
    For best flavour (and gut benefits), refrigerate for at least 1–2 hours before serving.

Serving Suggestions

  • Serve as a side dish with grilled meat, fish, or tofu and colourful salads.

  • Add a leafy green salad and a protein source for a balanced lunch

Leftovers keep well in the fridge for 3–4 days and make an easy, satisfying lunch option during the week.

Tips for Versatility

  • Make it creamy: Add a spoon of Greek yoghurt or whole-egg mayo

  • Boost the protein: Toss through leftover meat, or add chickpeas, cannellini beans, or flaked tuna

  • Change the herbs: Parsley, chives, or basil all work well

  • Add crunch: Celery, radish, or extra gherkins

  • Go Mediterranean: Olives, roasted capsicum, and a squeeze of lemon

This is one of those recipes that’s less about exact measurements and more about using what you have — and it only gets better with time.

Felicity Morrell