Potato and Arugula Salad with Corn and Tomatoes
Potato and Arugula Salad
Potato Salad, With a Twist
A healthy twist on potato salad, this light and refreshing salad has a zesty dressing and makes a great summer salad. Filled with fresh, colorful vegetables, potatoes add a heartiness that make it work as a solid side dish or as a main meal unto itself.
History of Potato Salad
A staple at summer cookouts, traditional potato salads include boiled potatoes, mayonnaise (lots), vinegar, salt and pepper, and perhaps some chopped eggs, celery, and onion.
While potato salad has been around since the 16th century, the first written American potato salads cropped up in the in the 19th century. And, it wasn't until the early part of the 20th century that the fat-laden mayonnaise was added to the recipe.
Since then, potato salad recipes have exploded in all types of directions. Type "potato salad" in to epicurious and you will get literally hundreds of recipes ranging from the classic recipes to Potato Salad with "Green Chile-Cilantro Salsa" or "green beans, roqueforte, and walnuts."
Recipe Basics
With reds, greens, orange, yellow, and purple, this salad not only looks beautiful, but also packs a nutritional punch, adding a variety of vegetables to an otherwise carb and fat laden side dish. Here's a breakdown of the main ingredients:
- Potatoes on their own (not loaded up with fat or fried), are actually relatively healthy: high in fiber, good for the heart, and helpful in reducing cancer risk. Potatoes contain more potassium than a banana, and are fat or cholesterol free. There are about 5,000 potato varieties out there!
- Corn adds fiber, crunch, and antioxidents. If it's corn season, steam the corn and then slice off the kernals. If not, frozen corn can work well too.
- Tomatoes are loaded with vitamins and are great for fighting cancer and increasing heart and bone health. Use a variety of tomatoes - red, orange, and yellow; grape, teardrop, or cherry.
- Arugula, with its slight peppery taste, is extremely low in calories, but is packed with vitamins, including calcium and iron. In addition to being a nutritious replacement for iceberg lettuce, arugula is often used on sandwiches, as a pizza topping, or in pestos.
- Fresh basil. A highly fragrant herb used most frequently as the base for pesto or as a topping for a tomato, mozzarella salad, basil is packed with vitamins and minerals, especially Vitamin K and is known for its anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
Taken together, these ingredients make a healthy, delicious salad.
This recipe is highly versatile. Add other colorful vegetables, like red, green, orange, or yellow bell peppers, roasted zucchini or egglant, or even grilled chicken. Make the dressing ahead, and this recipe can be thrown together relatively quickly for a weeknight meal or as part of a weekend barbeque.
Cook Time
The Main Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 cups small red, blue, or white potatoes, any combination
- 2 ears corn, or 2 cups frozen
- 2 cups yellow, orange, or red tomatoes, any combination
- 1/4 cup shallots, minced
- 3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
- 1-2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, extra virgin
- 6 cups arugula
- 1/2 cup basil leaves, chopped
- 1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled
Mixed Potatos
Fresh, Colorful Tomatoes
Instructions
- Boil potatoes until tender, 12-13 minutes. Drain, cool, and cut in halves or quarters.
- Cut tomatoes in half.
- Combine potatoes, tomatoes, and corn.
- Whisk together shallots, vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, and oil.
- Combine the potato mixture with the dressing.
- Arrange the arugula on a serving platter.
- Top the arugula with the potato mixture.
- Gently mix together.
- Sprinkle with basil and goat cheese.
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