Martha Stewart Potato Salad

Martha Stewart potato salad brings steamed red potatoes, a tangy white vinegar base, and a creamy buttermilk-mayo dressing together with sliced cornichons, and it feeds 12 in under an hour of active work.

This is a Kostyra family recipe published on marthastewart.com, one Martha learned from her Aunt Catherine and has been making since childhood. She steams the potatoes instead of boiling them, then dresses them warm so the vinegar soaks in before the creamy layer goes on.

The two-bowl transfer is the technique you cannot skip. Instead of stirring, you pour the dressed potatoes from one bowl into another until everything is coated, because a spoon or spatula would crush the warm slices into a starchy mess.

Martha Stewart Potato Salad

Recipe by medshi8Course: Sides, SaladsCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Calories

250

kcal

Total time

55

minutes

Warm steamed red potatoes absorb a sharp vinegar hit first, then get gently tossed in a buttermilk-thinned mayo with grated onion and crunchy cornichon slices. Chill for two hours and finish with shingled hard-boiled eggs for presentation.

Ingredients

• 5 lb (2.3kg) medium red-skinned potatoes

• 1 medium white onion, finely grated

• 1/2 cup (120ml) distilled white vinegar

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

• Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

• 1 cup (240ml) mayonnaise, preferably Hellmann’s

• 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk

• 1/3 cup (55g) sliced cornichons

• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish (optional)

• Hard-boiled eggs, sliced, for garnish (optional)

• Freshly ground white pepper

Directions

• Set up the steamer. Fill a large pot with about 2 inches (5cm) of water and a pinch of salt. Place the steamer basket inside, making sure the water stays below the holes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a rapid simmer.
• Steam the potatoes. Add the potatoes to the basket, cover, and steam until tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Peel and slice warm. Remove the potatoes and let them cool just enough to handle. Peel with a paring knife and slice into 1/4-inch (6mm) thick rounds.
• Toss with the vinegar base. Combine the grated onion, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the warm potato slices and use a large rubber spatula to gently combine without breaking them. Let stand 10 minutes.
• Add the creamy dressing. Stir in the mayonnaise, buttermilk, and cornichons. Pour the mixture into a second bowl, then pour it back. Repeat this transfer a few times until the potatoes are evenly coated and creamy.
• Chill. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. The mixture thickens as the potatoes absorb the dressing.
• Garnish and serve. Season with salt and white pepper. Top with parsley and shingled hard-boiled egg slices if desired.

Notes

• Add enough water to reach just below the steamer basket. The potatoes need 25 minutes, so check that the water level will last the full cook time.
• Grate the onion on a box grater as finely as possible so it melts into the salad instead of leaving raw chunks.
• Never stir this salad. Use the two-bowl transfer to coat the potatoes without breaking them apart.
• Account for the 2-hour chill, which cools the salad and lets the potatoes absorb the dressing.
• Variations (from Martha’s original):
  Use finely chopped dill pickle or sweet gherkin in place of cornichons if you prefer.
• No buttermilk on hand: add 1 tablespoon white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup, pour in enough milk to reach the 1 cup (240ml) mark, stir, and let sit until slightly curdled, about 5 minutes.

FAQs

Why does Martha steam the potatoes instead of boiling them?

Boiling floods the potatoes with water, which makes them waterlogged and prone to crumbling when you slice them. Steaming cooks them through with dry heat and keeps the starch firm.

That firmness matters twice: first when you peel and slice them warm, and again during the two-bowl toss. Waterlogged slices would fall apart at both stages and turn the salad into mush. If you have ever ended up with a thick, pasty potato salad, boiling was probably the reason.

Why toss the potatoes with vinegar while they are still warm?

Hot starch absorbs liquid much faster than cold. Dressing the slices while they are warm lets the vinegar soak into the potato instead of just sitting on the surface, which gives every bite that tangy backbone.

If you wait until the potatoes cool, the vinegar pools at the bottom of the bowl and the salad tastes flat. That 10-minute rest in the vinegar mixture is what builds the flavor layer underneath the creamy dressing. For another side dish where timing drives the result, her buttermilk fried chicken uses the same warm-then-coat logic with its brine.

What do cornichons add that regular pickles do not?

Cornichons are smaller, crunchier, and sharper than standard dill pickles, so they punch through the rich mayo dressing without adding bulk. Martha uses them for color, crunch, and a tart snap in every other bite.

That said, her recipe offers a direct swap: finely chopped dill pickle or sweet gherkin works if cornichons are not available. Slice them thin either way, because large pickle chunks throw off the texture of the soft potato rounds.

How do you get the hard-boiled egg garnish to look like Martha’s?

Place eight eggs in a saucepan, cover with a few inches of water, bring to a boil, then remove from heat, cover, and let sit exactly 13 minutes. Transfer to an ice bath, peel, then slice each egg into about eight thin rounds.

Flatten the slices gently with your palm so they overlap like shingles, then use a knife to lift a row at a time and arrange them along the rim of the bowl. The ice bath stops the cooking and prevents that green ring around the yolk. For a treat after your cookout, try her chocolate cake alongside this salad.

How long does Martha Stewart potato salad last in the fridge?

Her page gives a clear answer: up to four days, sealed and refrigerated. The salad thickens as it sits because the potatoes keep absorbing dressing, so you may need to stir in a splash of buttermilk before serving leftovers.

Because this is mayo-based, it should never sit at room temperature longer than two hours, or one hour if it is very hot outside. Keep it in a cooler with ice packs at any outdoor event, and bring only what you plan to serve within that window.