Steaming Hot Potato Salad!

Insalata di Patate Calda con Peperone Rosse & Fagiolina
Hot Potato Salad with Red Peppers & Beans

 

As it is supposedly Springtime now, I decided to make a fitting kind of supper- light, bright and tasty. Basically, it was just a slight elaboration on my favorite Sicilian potato salad, which I also prefer to eat lukewarm, just like we make it in The Old Country.

And of course it is wonderful served cold too- but there is just something about the zingy flavor of the vinegar and oregano in the dressing that I love whilst it is still steaming!

 

 
By adding green beans and red peppers to it, I not only made the potato salad a lot more colorful, but of course more flavorful too! Both the beans and the peppers go perfectly well with a nice shot of vinegar to counter their natural sweetness and that makes this trio into a prefect combination for a tasty and refreshing salad!

I enjoyed mine simply with a little hard-boiled egg on the side- a good way to make use of those Easter remnants and to make for a satisfying and easy evening meal.

The quantities of each ingredient really is something I trust you with judging for yourselves... I mean- how many people are you cooking for? How big are your potatoes or peppers? No, no- there is no need to get bogged down with that kind of thing when making a dish as simple as this!

But the fact is that you will need- potatoes, peppers, green beans, sweet red pepper (bell peppers are fine), Spring onion (although regular onion is fine too!), dried oregano, malt vinegar, olive oil, a little salt and pepper of course and fresh parsley.

 

This is an "all in one pot" affair, all done in 20 minutes and all-in-all an all-round wonderful dish! It is, as I already mentioned, great both hot OR cold, as part of any party spread and perfect as a side-dish to... well, almost anything come grill season!

 

Peel and cut the potatoes nice and "chunky"- if they are small ones like these, you can cut them into quarters lengthways like I did. Cut the peppers and beans into nice bite-sized lengths and the onions into relatively small rings- and get cooking!

Start off by boiling the potatoes on their own, in well salted water for 10 minutes before adding the peppers and beans and a good pinch of oregano. Continue boiling for 5 minutes.

 

 
After that time, pour off most of the water, so that there is just an inch or so left in the bottom of the saucepan and add a generous splash, both of malt vinegar and of olive oil. Add the chopped onions, stir gently but thoroughly, pop on the lid and allow to simmer on for a further 5 minutes.

 

After that time, the remaining water will have been absorbed and will have combined with the oil and vinegar to make a nice dressing that will have infused the potatoes with the great flavor of the oregano and vinegar... the aroma is quite intoxicating... and totally delicious!

Serve with a little more oregano, salt and pepper... and get it whilst it's hot!

 

Paired with my simple little egg, a sprinkle of parsley and some freshly ground pepper, it was all I needed this evening!

 

I almost wish I hadn't eaten it all now, so that I could eat the rest cold and just double-check for you all... just to be absolutely sure that it tastes equally wonderful cold... but I guess you will have to either try it for yourselves- or wait till next time that I make it- hahaha!

 

So colorful and so delicious- it is quite simply impossible to resist! And why would you want to? It is made for enjoying!

 

 

What a delight!