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Greek Potato Salad – The Ultimate Potato Salad

ByElena Paravantes, MS, RD

Simplicity really is key in most Greek dishes. The original Greek potato salad is simple and full of healthy ingredients. For me it is the ultimate potato salad because none of the other ingredients overwhelm the potato, instead they enhance it. While most potato salads contain mayonnaise or bacon or other heavy ingredients, this one does not. Basically it contains olive oil, lemon, oregano and onion. These 4 ingredients are all sources of antioxidants.

A Healthy Potato Salad

Olive oil obviously is healthy due to its good fats and polyphenols, oregano is considered a super-herb; researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture compared the antioxidant activity of 39 commonly used herbs and observed that oregano had 3 to 20 times higher antioxidant activity than the other herbs studied. Lemon, one of the most popular condiments in Greece, is an excellent source of vitamin C which is also a potent antioxidant. And the onions which really give the potatoes a kick, contain several antioxidants, one of them being quercetin which is well absorbed from the onions and can protect from several chronic diseases.

This is also a good potato salad for picnics because it does not contain dairy or eggs making it picnic-friendly in terms of food safety as it does need to be immediately refrigerated.

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Greek Potato Salad-The Ultimate Potato Salad

greek potato salad
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
A popular Greek recipe: a healthy potato salad made with olive oil and herbs. No mayo and no eggs
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean, Vegan
Keyword: Olive Oil, Potato, Salad
Servings: 6
Author: Elena Paravantes, MS, RD
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Ingredients

  • 2 pounds potatoes (1 kg)
  • 1/3-1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 small onion-chopped
  • 1-2 tablespoons oregano
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar

Instructions

  • Wash potatoes and boil for about 45 minutes, until pierced easily with a fork.
  • Once potatoes are boiled run through cold water and peel.
  • Cut potatoes in your preferred shape and place in a bowl.
  • Mix the olive oil with the lemon juice (or vinegar) and add to the potatoes (make sure the potatoes are warm so that they will absorb the olive oil well, this makes a good salad) and mix gently.
  • Add the onion and oregano (rubbing it between your fingers to release the aroma) and blend.
  • Add salt to taste.

 

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Greek Potato salad

Photos by Elena Paravantes © All Rights Reserved

Elena Paravantes, MS, RDN is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist by the U.S. Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). She is an expert on the Mediterranean Diet. She has been active as a clinician, consultant, author and lecturer for 20 years, both in the U.S. and Greece. An expert on the Greek Mediterranean Diet, her interviews and articles have been published in many publications including CNN, U.S. News and World Report, Prevention, NPR, and Shape. Elena has collaborated with a number of organizations including Loyola University, Yale University, University of Missouri, Louisiana State University, and the American College of Greece. Elena earned her Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition and Dietetics and her Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Sciences in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She holds has a Master’s Degree of Science in Health Management.

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28 Comments

  1. Oh I’m so happy to see this recipe Elena. The weather is warming up in australia and I love potatoes but not hot in warm weather. This is a perfect balance and screams Greek flavours to me. I love the gift of eating the med way and you for sharing the simplicity of good wholesome food I love to eat.5 stars

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  2. Hi Elena! Are you using russet, red or yukon potatoes in this recipe? I currently have red in my pantry. Will that work and will I need to adjust the cooking time? Thank you!!

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