Spring Potato Salad with Heart of Palm and Asparagus

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Spring Potato Salad with Heart of Palm and Asparagus

Few things irk me more than a potato salad that is excessively heavy on the mayo (alright, plenty of things irk me more, but it's still a good way to ruin a perfectly healthy dish). There are plenty of viable workarounds...

Few things irk me more than a potato salad that is excessively heavy on the mayo (alright, plenty of things irk me more, but it's still a good way to ruin a perfectly healthy dish). There are plenty of viable workarounds, so I see no reason to add a whole cup of full-fat mayo to any potato salad. For this recipe I chose to use a combination of light mayonnaise and 1% milk to hold the salad together. You can use also use milk or plain yogurt, or any combination of these ingredients. The texture will be the exact same, and the flavor nearly identical. The only difference will be the significant saving in calories.

I also try to bring the ratio of vegetables-to-potatoes a little closer to 1:1. This potato salad calls for asparagus, one of my favorite spring veggies. This is the perfect accompaniment to any sandwich, picnic, or spring dinner.

Ingredients: 

2 lbs small red potatoes (about 8), skin on
1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
1 15 oz can heart of palm, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch pieces
1 green onion
1 shallot
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
1 T fresh oregano, chopped
1 T Dijon mustard
1 T lemon juice
2 T light mayonnaise
1/3 cup 1% milk
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions: 

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Serves 4-6

Rinse the potatoes. Place in a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Cook about twenty minutes, until soft when pierced with a knife, but not mushy. Remove with a slotted spoon, reserving water. Let cool, then cut into one-inch cubes.

Add the asparagus to the boiling water and cook about two minutes. Strain and rinse, then set asparagus aside. Combine cooked and cut potatoes, asparagus, and heat of palm in a large mixing bowl.

In a food processor, combine cilantro, oregano, mustard, lemon juice, and milk, then blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over potatoes etc. and stir well to combine. Salad is best if allowed to refrigerate over night.