Easy Instant Pot™ Peppadew® Potato Salad
This South African peppadew® potato salad is perfect for summer entertaining. Enjoy this classic salad as a side at your next cookout, without overheating yourself or your kitchen, thanks to the Instant Pot™.
I love potato salad. I don’t know many folks with German heritage who don’t. The tangy, bacony goodness of warm german potato salad is one of my fondest childhood memories.Nonetheless, boiling potatoes and frying bacon in a hot, cast iron skillet is not my idea of a good time on a hot summer day.
Moreover, dietary trends have changed. I love bacon — don’t misunderstand me. However, nowadays, in any gathering of six or more there is at least one vegetarian or vegan. As a guest, it’s awful to return from a party hungry because even the sides are loaded with things you can’t eat. As a host or hostess, it’s embarrassing to realise you’ve failed to plan for your guests’ dietary requirements. So, for this recipe, I’ve opted to go vegan.
Best of all, the hot stuff happens inside the Instant Pot™, not in your kitchen! Plus, the beauty of the Instant Pot™, is that the potatoes cook a whole lot faster. So, if you’re like me, and you sometimes get a little too busy for much advance planning, the Instant Pot™ becomes a last-minute godsend! This salad can be on the table in less than 30 minutes flat.
About Peppadews®
Peppadews® are a sweet picante pepper originating right here in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Today, these peppers, which were originally discovered in 1993, are exported across the globe.
If you haven’t tried a peppadew® yet, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by their sweet, mildly spicy flavour. Peppadews® add hint of sweetness and a mild zing to just about anything, and are a delicious addition to innumerable savoury recipes.
About This Recipe
Potato salad is easy to make. The only tricky bit is not to overcook the potatoes. We’ve all had a mealy, mushy potato salad before — and it’s not a great experience.
The key to avoiding this unpleasant outcome is cooking your potatoes for the right amount of time. They should retain some structure, while still being soft enough to bite through without difficulty.
Thus, it’s critical to get the cooking time just right. In developing this recipe, I used organic baby Mondial potatoes — which are currently in season locally. I cut the potatoes into about four pieces each (the pieces were approximately 2.5 cm/1 inch squares). If you cut your potatoes smaller, you will need to reduce the cooking time accordingly.
The only other step to be vigilant about is draining your potatoes thoroughly after rinsing them under cold water. The rinsing halts the cooking process and cools the potatoes slightly — which is important. However, you must be very careful to drain your potatoes thoroughly before this step. Otherwise, the extra water will dilute your dressing and yield a watery, disappointing salad.
I hope your family enjoys this fresh, South African Peppadew® potato salad as much as mine does! Bon appétit!
Easy Instant Pot™ Peppadew® Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 10 whole, mild peppadews®, finely chopped
- 2 spring onions, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
For the dressing
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon peppadew® pickling juice
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the potatoes
- 700 g baby potatoes, washed and cut into approximately 2.5 cm pieces
- 1 c water
Instructions
- Place the chopped peppadews®, spring onions, and parsley in a bowl large enough to toss the salad in.
- Whisk together the oil, pickling juice, vinegar, salt and mustard together until fully emulsified. Set aside.
- Place the stainless steel steam rack in the base of the Instant Pot™. Pour the water into the base of the inner pot. Place the cut up potatoes into a steamer basket and set it on the trivet in the pot liner. Place the lid on the pot and and close. Ensure that the pressure release handle is set to "Sealing". Press the [Pressure Cook] button and set the time to 10 minutes.
- As soon as the cooking time is finished, press [Cancel] and carefully turn the pressure release handle to venting.
- When the pressure is released and the pressure valve has dropped, open the lid carefully and lift out the steamed potatoes. Rinse them briefly under cold water to halt the cooking. Drain thoroughly.
- Then, toss the warm potatoes with the peppadews®, spring onions, and parsley. Drizzle the dressing over the vegetable mixture and toss to coat. Taste and adjust the salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed. The salad may be served immediately or chilled in the refrigerator for up to a day before serving.
Notes
Different potato varieties and sizes have different cooking times. If your potatoes are not cooked to your liking after the first 10 minutes, close the Instant Pot™ and the set the pressure handle to the "Sealing" position. Press [Pressure Cook] and set the timer for 2 minutes. Continue in 2 minute increments, until potatoes are cooked to your liking. Note that if your potatoes are cut into smaller than 2.5 cm (1 in) pieces, you will need to reduce the initial cooking time to avoid overcooking.
Jeanette, I just recently bought my instant pot! Looking for recipes to try and you surprised me again in your article about the new ingredient! I never heard about Peppadews peppers. Going to look at stores to try. I would love to try this salad recipe, so healthy version of potato salad! If can’t able to find, going substitute for pimento. Thank you for sharing! Gala
Oh Gala! I’m so delighted you found the Peppadews. They are a uniquely South African ingredient, and so delicious! When I was living in the US, over 10 years ago, they were already available in local markets. Don’t know if you have Harris Teeter in Louisiana; but, if you do, they ought to have them. If not, pimentos would add color as well as flavour. However, the taste is very different. I think Peppadews taste a little more sweet/sour/mildly spicy. Like a cornichon, but with sweet pepper flavour. Very unique!! Please let me know how you like it. I’m also really looking forward to Russian Instant Pot recipes from you:-)