Buckle up, we’re making pickles ourselves. This process doesn't have to take days. In fact, you only need a matter of minutes to yield the crunchiest, freshest, tangiest pickles in all the land. Just thinly slice cucumbers, then quickly soak them in a mustard-vinegar brine. That’s it. Toss these with boiled potatoes and lots of dill—and you have the potato salad of the summer. It's great with grilled anything (especially chicken or pork).
Red potatoes are cute and contrast well against the cukes, but yellow ones like Yukon Golds work just fine if that’s what you have. Whatever you do, avoid using teeny-weeny peewee potatoes for this salad. They have too much skin compared to creamy insides and don’t sufficiently take in the dressing well (we tried). Use golf-ball-size potatoes and cut them up to maximize their absorbent surface area.
Recipe information
Total Time
2 hours 45 minutes
Yield
6 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Place 3 lb. small red potatoes, quartered, in a large pot and pour in cold water to cover; season very generously with kosher salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, 12–16 minutes.
Step 2
Meanwhile, place 6 Persian cucumbers, trimmed, sliced ¼" thick, and 1 large red onion, finely chopped, in a large heatproof bowl.
Step 3
Bring ⅔ cup distilled white vinegar, 3 Tbsp. sugar, 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and ½ cup water to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and vigorously whisk in ⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil. Immediately pour over cucumber mixture. Let sit, stirring occasionally to ensure vegetables are evenly submerged, at least 10 minutes or until potatoes are ready.
Step 4
Drain potatoes and add to cucumber mixture; toss well to coat (it’s okay if some potatoes fall apart). Add ½ cup coarsely chopped dill, season with lots of freshly ground pepper, and gently mix to combine. Cover potato salad and chill until very cold, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
Step 5
Just before serving, stir potato salad with a large spoon. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with more dill and season with more pepper.
Recipe notes
Back to topSee Related Recipes and Cooking Tips
The Most-Saved Recipes in the Epicurious App This Week
Like cold soy milk noodles and “the best” pistachio ice cream.The Most-Saved Recipes in the Epicurious App in May
Like green falafel smash burgers and a crispy rice salad.
