Here's the story behind this recipe. I went to a BBQ. I ate a delicious potato salad made by one of my neighbors. I realized it had bacon in it.
I don't follow a super strict vegan diet, but I do eat almost entirely plant-based foods (you can read why here) and I very, very rarely eat pork. Pork was an easy food for me to give up as I started committing more and more to plant-based eating and I rarely crave it. But that potato salad was one of those foods that you find yourself thinking about days after you eat it. It truly wasn't just the bacon that made it special. It was the smokey flavors, dijon mustard and herbs that kept me thinking about it for so long. I recreated my best version of the same side dish, only 100% plant-based. I didn't make it plant-based because I think you should never eat pork, but I do know this version will make you feel better after eating it and that it is friendlier to the environment and to the pigs, and I really, really wanted a version of the recipe that I would want to eat again. So, here it is!
Servings: 6-8 side dishes
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
For carrots:
4 carrots
1 cup yellow onion, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
For the potato salad:
1.5 lbs red creamer potatoes or other red or yellow small potatoes, diced in half or quartered to be about 1 inch
1 cup scallions (whites and greens), chopped
1 cup Italian parsley, stems removed and chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp dijon mustard
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Instructions
Step 1: Preheat oven to 425°. Using a mandolin chopper, slice carrots lengthwise so you have strips of carrot (they should resemble a strip of bacon). You can use a knife to slice carrots if you don't have a mandolin. Cut the carrot slices into smaller pieces (~1 inch). Spread the carrots onto. a baking sheet, lined if preferred. Add the chopped yellow onions to the baking sheet, as well. Drizzle with olive oil and season with paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, salt and pepper. Toss the vegetables so they are evenly coated. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until they have crispy edges and even a light char. Once cooked, set aside to cool.
Step 2: Boil a large pot of salted water. Once boiling, add diced potatoes and simmer on low for 15 minutes. Pierce them with a fork and test to avoid overcooking. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain them from the hot water.
Step 3: In a large bowl, add the diced scallions, olive oil, mustard, white wine vinegar, salt, pepper and parsley. Stir to combine.
Step 4: Add the potatoes to the large bowl and dressing mixture. Add the carrots and onions, as well, including the crispy pieces. Stir to combine.
This salad tastes even better the next day! It can be stored in the refrigerator in an air tight container for 3-5 days.
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