New Potato Salad with Dill and Radish Recipe
New potato salad with dill and radish is a spring‑summer take on Polish potato salad, inspired by fresh market produce. It has a creamy, slightly tangy yogurt‑mayonnaise dressing, crunchy radish and cucumber, and a pronounced dill aroma, yet it stays lighter than heavy mayonnaise‑based salads. It keeps well and travels nicely in a container, so it’s great for barbecues and picnics.
Potato salads are a staple at Polish barbecues and home gatherings, usually with a heavy mayonnaise dressing., This version uses new potatoes and spring vegetables, making it closer to a light, fresh salad than a winter side for pork chops., It reflects the Polish love of early‑season produce – new potatoes, radishes and fresh dill – that signals the start of the warm months.
This salad really makes the most of the short season for new potatoes, radishes and fresh dill, so it tastes different from versions made with winter potatoes., Thanks to the yogurt‑forward dressing, draining the vegetables and plenty of herbs, it’s fresh, light and stable even in warmer weather., It’s a genuine alternative to heavy, mayonnaise‑laden barbecue salads.
Why this version works
- Boiling the potatoes in their skins helps them hold their shape and keeps them from turning into mash.
- Combining yogurt with a little mayonnaise creates a creamy yet still light dressing.
- Salting and squeezing the radish and cucumber separately prevents their juices from watering down the dressing.
Chef's tips
If you cook the potatoes a day ahead, store them whole in the fridge and cut them just before assembling – they’ll release less starch and won’t turn mushy., I always taste the salad right before serving, because after chilling the flavour softens and often needs a pinch of salt or a little lemon juice., For larger gatherings I make extra dressing in a jar so I can easily refresh the salad after a few hours.
How to serve
Serve as a side to grilled pork neck, sausage or fish, along with a simple mixed‑leaf salad., For a quick summer meal, top with a fried or poached egg and serve with a slice of sourdough bread., For a work lunchbox, just add a handful of arugula or a few lettuce leaves to make it a complete meal.
Watch out for
- Don’t mix hot potatoes with the dressing – it can split and the herbs will lose their colour.
- Don’t cut the potatoes too small, as they’ll break up easily during mixing and chilling.
- Don’t over‑salt at the start – after a few hours in the fridge, the flavour intensifies.
Substitutions
- You can swap the yogurt for kefir or buttermilk, adding a bit more mayonnaise for creaminess.
- If you don’t like raw onion, replace it with extra chives or finely chopped spring onion.
- You can replace part of the fresh cucumber with lightly fermented cucumbers (Polish “małosolne”); in that case, reduce the salt in the dressing.
Ingredients
- new potatoes - 800 g
- radish - 8 pieces
- fresh cucumber - 1 pieces
- fresh dill - 0.5 bunch
- chives - 0.5 bunch
- yogurt thick plain - 150 g
- mayonnaise - 2 tablespoons
- Sarepska mustard - 1 teaspoon
- lemon juice - 1 tablespoon
- salt
- pepper ground black
Preparation
- Scrub the new potatoes thoroughly with a sponge or brush; don’t peel the thin skin. Cut larger ones in half so they all cook in a similar time.
- Cover the potatoes with cold, lightly salted water and cook for 15–20 minutes from the boil. They should be fork‑tender but not fall apart when pierced. Drain and leave to cool completely in a sieve or on a tray.
- Wash the radishes, trim the ends and slice thinly. Wash the cucumber; if the skin is thick or bitter, peel it, then cut it lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and slice into half‑moons.
- To keep the dressing from becoming watery, lightly salt the radish and cucumber, place them in a sieve and leave for 5–10 minutes. Then gently squeeze out the excess juice with your hand or a spoon – the vegetables should still be crisp.
- Rinse the dill and chives, dry them very well in a salad spinner or with paper towels and chop finely. Dry herbs cling better to the dressing and don’t water down the salad.
- In a separate bowl, mix the yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. The dressing should taste distinctly tangy and slightly spicy, as the potatoes will mellow the flavour.
- Cut the cooled potatoes into large cubes or thick slices and transfer to a large bowl. Add the squeezed radish and cucumber, plus the chopped dill and chives.
- Pour in the dressing and very gently mix with a wide spoon or spatula, lifting the ingredients from the bottom so the potatoes don’t break up. The finished salad should be evenly coated in dressing but not swimming in it.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes so the flavours meld and the dressing thickens slightly. Before serving, stir from the bottom and taste – if needed, season with more salt or a little lemon juice.
Storage
Store the salad in the fridge for up to 2 days in an airtight container. Over time the potatoes absorb the dressing and the salad thickens – before serving, gently stir and, if needed, add a spoonful of yogurt or a few drops of lemon juice.
I like this salad best the next day, when the potatoes have soaked up some of the dressing and the whole thing tastes like a garden sandwich without the bread., I often add a few slices of lightly fermented cucumber if there’s a jar sitting on the counter.
