Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Step-by-step instructions
- Start the potatoes in cool water. Put the cut potatoes in the saucepan and add enough cool water to cover by about 1 inch. Add the teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady gentle simmer.
- Cook until tender, not crumbling. Simmer for about 10–15 minutes after the water reaches a boil, checking a large piece with a knife. It should slide in easily without a hard center, while the potato still holds its shape. Drain immediately once tender.
- Prepare the artichokes. While the potatoes cook, drain the artichoke hearts and pat away excess packing liquid. Cut whole hearts into quarters and oversized quarters in half. Remove any unusually tough outer leaf or fibrous stem piece that is unpleasant to bite.
- Whisk the dressing. Combine olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon, and pepper in the small bowl or jar. Whisk or shake until evenly mixed. The artichokes and capers supply salt, so wait before adding finishing salt.
- Dress warm potatoes. Let the drained potatoes release steam for about 3 minutes. Transfer to the large bowl and fold with roughly two-thirds of the dressing. Let stand for 2 minutes, then check whether the surface looks lightly coated or dry.
- Fold in the other ingredients. Add the prepared artichokes, scallions, parsley, and capers. Fold gently with a broad spoon, lifting from underneath instead of stirring in circles. Add the remaining dressing as needed to coat without creating a pool.
- Taste and serve. Taste potato and artichoke together, then add salt only if needed. Serve slightly warm, or refrigerate promptly for a chilled salad. If chilling, taste again before serving and refresh with a small squeeze of lemon if necessary.
Notes
Yield: 4 side portions. Preparation: 15 minutes. Cooking: about 15 minutes. Brief cooling: 5 minutes. Total: approximately 35 minutes.
Plan around these estimated times and follow the doneness checks in the instructions. Allow extra time if your equipment or ingredients require it.
Canned artichoke potato salad without mayo
Equipment: a saucepan, colander, large mixing bowl, small bowl or jar for dressing, whisk, cutting board, and knife.
Choose potatoes that hold their shape
Yellow potatoes or small red potatoes work well because their cooked pieces usually remain intact during folding. Scrub them under running water and remove any damaged areas. Peeling is optional for thin-skinned potatoes; leaving the skin on provides a little structure and saves preparation time.
Cut the potatoes into approximately 3/4-inch chunks before boiling. Consistent size matters more than exact shape. A bowl of tiny fragments and oversized pieces is difficult to cook evenly, and stirring dressing through unevenly cooked potatoes can turn the soft pieces into mash.
Check the canned artichokes before mixing
A can's listed weight includes packing liquid, so the drained yield is smaller than the number on the label. Use one standard 14- to 15-ounce can rather than measuring that entire weight as drained hearts. After draining, the hearts should not drip continuously when lifted with a fork.
Some canned hearts contain outer leaves that remain fibrous even though the inner portions are tender. Pull away any piece that feels leathery as you cut. This is a texture issue worth handling before the salad is dressed; discovering a tough leaf in a mouthful is much less pleasant than trimming it at the board.
Artichokes packed in brine can be salty. Rinse briefly if necessary, then drain and blot again. Taste one piece before adding the capers and final salt. Briny ingredients can vary enough that a fixed finishing salt measurement would be less useful than a final taste.
Correct the texture or seasoning
- The potatoes have hard centers: Return them to simmering water before dressing. Acidic dressing will not make an undercooked center pleasant to eat.
- The salad looks watery: Drain artichokes more thoroughly next time and let potato steam escape briefly. Lift servings with a slotted spoon if necessary.
- The salad tastes too sharp: Add a small splash of olive oil and fold gently. Taste with a full potato piece before adjusting again.
- The salad is salty: Fold in additional plain cooked potatoes if available. Extra lemon changes the flavor but does not remove salt.
- The potatoes break apart: Stop stirring and serve the softer version as it is. Use firmer potatoes and gentler handling next time.