German Potato Salad With Dill

Small, waxy potatoes are beloved for their creamy, buttery texture and ability to keep their shape when cooked. They star in this picnic-, potluck-, and cookout-ready German potato salad recipe, which skips the mayo glaze found in creamy Southern-style potato salad in favor of a punchy oil-and-vinegar dressing. For evenly cooked potatoes, start them in a pot of cold water. (Dropping potatoes directly into boiling water will cause the exteriors to cook faster than the cores, leaving you with dry, lumpy spuds.) While some German potato salad recipes use raw onions, we sizzle them in the oil to reduce their bite and bump up their natural sweetness. Toss the tender potatoes with the warm dressing so that the two can meld. When mixing, crush a few of the potatoes lightly with the back of the spoon to encourage them to soak in even more flavor.

Sliced scallions, dill, and caraway seeds brighten the potato salad, but you can use any herbs you have on hand—mint or chives would be welcome here too. For a richer version of traditional German potato salad, add crumbled bacon, and sub out the olive oil for the bacon drippings. This potato salad can be enjoyed hot or cold, so feel free to prepare this dish ahead of time and stash it in the fridge for up to three days.