Sałatka Ziemniaczana z Jabłkiem i Groszkiem

Polish Potato Salad with Apple and Peas


“Embrace the Polish summer vibes with the sun, outdoor grill, cold beers, and a generous bowl of potato salad. This classic side dish is a must-have at family gatherings, going perfectly well with grilled kiełbasa and meats.”

How to pronounce it?
sawa-tkah zem-NA-tschana
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A white plate with Polish Potato Salad, made with new potatoes, dill pickles, apple, onion, green peas and mayo. On a white background, shot from above.

Have you ever been to a Polish party, picnic or wedding? Then it’s likely you’ve seen a giant bowl of potato salad on the table. And if you tried it, you’ll know how well it complements grilled kiełbasa sausage and meats that are being served.

The key ingredient of this Polish-style potato salad is a high-quality spud. To make this recipe, I headed to my local market, where I found these cute & tiny new potatoes – the first potatoes of the season. Love ’em!

New "baby" potatoes on a white background. Shot from above.

If you can’t find new potatoes – don’t worry. Regular potatoes will work just as well, just cut them into cubes.

Quick tip: If you feel that this recipe is too old-fashioned for your liking, try adding avocado, smoked salmon or dried tomatoes.

This recipe works well in winter months, when the selection of fresh vegetables is limited. Just remember to look for smooth, firm-textured potatoes without any bruises or discolouration.

How to Make This Salad?

Simply cut boiled potatoes into cubes, cover in mayonnaise with chopped onion, chopped apple, boiled eggs and pickles.

Season with salt, pepper and chopped greens such as dill or parsley. For a full recipe, scroll down to the bottom of this post.

New potatoes, dill, green peas, boiled egg, dill pickle, chopped onion - Ingredients for a potato salad. On a white background, shot from above.

Can You Make This Potato Salad The Day Before?

Yes. You can easily make the salad a day ahead – just mix all the ingredients, skipping the apple and mayonnaise.

Keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to go. Before serving, add chopped apple and blend everything with mayo.

Is It Better To Boil Potatoes With or Without Skin?

I watched a cooking show a while back, where a chef explained that boiling potatoes with the skin on adds flavour and texture to the finished product. Since then, I skip peeling them before boiling – and if they’re new potatoes, I don’t peel them at all.

If you really can’t imagine eating potato skins, you can peel them after they’re boiled. Just wait until they’re cooled down first.

A white plate with Polish Potato Salad, made with new potatoes, dill pickles, apple, onion, green peas and mayo. On a white background, a side view.

Regional flavours

Looking through my recent purchase – “Kuchnia polska. Potrawy regionalne” (“Polish cuisine. Regional dishes”) cookbook by Hanna Szymanderska, I’ve noticed that there are many regional varieties of this salad.

The one that caught my eye is Szałot Śląski – a Silesian recipe with sausage and/or pickled herring. I’m going to try it very soon :)

2 white plates with Polish Potato Salad, made with new potatoes, dill pickles, apple, onion, green peas and mayo. On a white background, shot from above.
Yield: 6 servings

Polish Potato Salad with Apple and Peas

A white plate with Polish Potato Salad, made with new potatoes, dill pickles, apple, onion, green peas and mayo. On a white background, shot from above.

Summer barbecues and picnics aren't complete without a tasty helping of this potato salad recipe.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 10 potatoes, medium-sized (or 15 small new potatoes)
  • 5 eggs
  • 1 onion, yellow
  • 4 pickled cucumbers, "kiszone",medium size
  • 1 can peas, 15oz/400g can, drained
  • 1 apple
  • 3 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp mustard, mild
  • 1/4 cup dill, fresh
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Boil potatoes either whole or cubed - both methods work well. The key is to make sure the cubes or whole potatoes are roughly the same size. They'll be ready within 15-20 minutes (poke them with a fork to check if they're tender)
  2. Boil the eggs (7-9 minutes).
  3. Cube your potatoes if cooked whole. Chop eggs and pickles roughly into pieces. 
  4. Peel the onion and chop finely. Throw everything into a large bowl.
  5. Peel an apple and cut into small cubes. Add them to the bowl together with drained peas.
  6. Add mustard and 3 tablespoons of mayo. Add chopped dill, season well.
  7. Mix together carefully. If you feel the salad is too dry, add more mayonnaise or a thick yoghurt.
  8. Serve chilled.

Notes

The salad shouldn't be kept outside of the fridge for more than 4 hours. Eat it quick! 

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 426Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 158mgSodium: 240mgCarbohydrates: 73gFiber: 9gSugar: 10gProtein: 15g
A white plate with Polish Potato Salad, made with new potatoes, dill pickles, apple, onion, green peas and mayo. On a white background, shot from above.

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