The Surprising Swap I Make for My Potato Salad

We all have our favorite potato salads, probably passed down from Grandma or Grandpa to Mom or Dad to you. Those are untouchable, right? Well, let me suggest that you shake things up with a one-ingredient swap.

Potato salads are steeped in tradition, whether yours has mayo, boiled eggs, and pickles or some other familiar combo. But when you’re a private chef, coming up with a new twist keeps your clients excited about dinner.

So I tried making potato salad with sweet potatoes, and it went over big. I started because some of my clients think potatoes are on the “no” list, and I do what they say. But sweet potatoes are on the “yes” list, and the first sweet potato salad I made was so delicious that I started doing it all the time.

Which Type of Sweet Potato To Use

My favorite kind of sweet potato to use for potato salad is the white sweet potato, which is pale-fleshed and mildly sweet but looks enough like a standard potato to surprise you when you take the first bite. I also use the standard orange kind, which is easier to find.

I’m a fan, too, of a variety called the garnet yam, which is deep reddish orange and sweeter than some others. I even use Stokes Purple sweet potatoes, which have a dramatic, deep color that will tint the mayonnaise a sky blue after a day in the fridge. They take a little longer to cook and have a meaty, dense texture that works well when the salad is cold. You can use whatever sweet potato is available to you—they are all good. 

How I Make My Sweet Potato Salad

That little bit of sweetness from the potatoes balances really well with a slightly tangy dressing, whether you are going with mayo and mustard or a vinaigrette. And because sweet potatoes are smooth and creamy in texture, they play well with crunchy additions like celery and other raw veggies.

My favorite sweet potato salads involve lots of veggies and a vinegar-based dressing. The one I make most has cubed white sweet potatoes, artichoke bottoms, capers, celery, halved grape tomatoes, and a lemony, garlicky vinaigrette. 

Tips for Working With Sweet Potatoes

When I make regular potato salad, I boil my potatoes whole and strip the skins after they are tender because this method wastes less of the potato flesh. With sweet potatoes, I recommend peeling and cubing, then steaming the cubes. That way, you can take them off the heat to cool before they become too soft. You want to be able to pierce them with a knife, not mash them.

Believe me, sweet potato salad just works! So shake up your potato salad routine for a sweet new take.