Summer is upon us. Warmer weather (though temperamental) is on its way, and BBQs are being fired up ready to grill. It’s the season of grills and salads, and while everyone has their favourites, there’s no doubt that this Light Broad Bean Potato Salad is mine. A healthier version of the classic, this mayo-free potato salad is everything you want in a summer side dish. It is another one of my go-to salads from my favourite company, Abel and Cole, which means it’s guaranteed to be a good one!
This Light Broad Bean Potato Salad uses crème fraîche in the place of traditional mayo, and the result is a lighter, healthier, and in my opinion, tastier end product. Hints of lemon add flavour, along with tasty fresh broad beans, finished off with delicious crispy shallots on the top. Since trying this salad, we literally don’t make the “normal” version anymore, as this one’s just so much better.
If you serve this salad immediately, it will be slightly warm from the cooked potatoes. This is how we usually eat it, mainly because we’re greedy and want it straight away. However, it’s also delicious cold, which means you can make it in advance and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to eat. Perfect for BBQ parties where you need things already made, or for meal prep at the weekend.
It’s a super easy one to make! You just chop the potatoes and set them on to boil. While they cook, you prep the rest of the ingredients and dressing, and then assemble it all at the end! I love using fresh broad beans, (it’s satisfying to pop them out the pods) but you can use canned ones if you have them. They will already be cooked though, so you can just drain them and add them to the salad with the cooked potatoes.
For a healthier edition of your beloved potato salad, this is your recipe. If you try it, let me know what you think in the comments!
Potato and Broad Bean Summer Salad
Ingredients
- 500 g potatoes
- 500 g broad beans in the pod
- 3 shallots
- handful of mint leaves
- 1 lemon
- 200 g creme fraiche
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper (to season)
Instructions
- Pop the broad beans out of their pods and set aside in a bowl. wash the potatoes and chop into bite-size chunks (no need to peel). Add the potatoes to salted boiling water and boil for 13 minutes. Add the beans and boil for 2 more minutes until the potatoes are tender.
- While the potatoes are boiling, finely slice the shallots. Fry them in a little olive oil on a medium heat until browned and crispy, around 7-8 minutes.
- Finely chop the mint leaves and set aside. Zest the lemon and add to a large bowl, along with the juice of half the lemon. Add the creme fraiche to the bowl and stir together. Add half the chopped mint.
- Once the potatoes and beans are cooked, drain in a colander and add to the bowl of dressing. Toss to coat all the potatoes and beans and tip into your serving dish. Sprinkle the shallots over the top, along with the other half of the mint and serve.
Method in Pictures
Gather your ingredients
Pop the broad beans out their pods
Chop the potatoes into bite-size chunks
Boil the potatoes
Thinly slice the shallots
And fry them in a little oil
Meanwhile, finely chop the mint...
...and zest the lemon
Once the shallots are crispy, take off the heat and set aside
Mix the creme fraiche with the lemon juice and zest
Add the chopped mint
Add the beans to the potatoes and cook for 2 minutes more
Once the potatoes are tender, add them to the dressing and mix
Place in your serving dish
Sprinkle on the fried shallots and garnish with more mint
<