Yes, potato salad can be healthy! This recipe combines fresh basil pesto with almonds for perfect pair to creamy potatoes and crunchy green beans in this quick and easy Pesto Potato Salad.
Well hey there! I'm Abra, a functional nutritionist from Abra's Kitchen and I'm so happy to jump in for Melissa today to share with you one of my all time favorite summer recipes, a healthy potato salad with green beans - YUM!
One of my favorite summertime foods is the humble potato, it is grown abundantly in the summer months here in the northeast and is so versatile and tasty. As a nutrition professional, I have some good news, you can eat potatoes! In fact, they are loaded with nutrients. Just don’t eat white potatoes fried or “chipped” or loaded with processed ingredients (at least not all the time).
Health benefits of the potato
- High in potassium and fiber.
- High in B6 which is an excellent source of energy and a crucial nutrient for brain health.
- High in manganese and vitamin C.
See, there's lots of good stuff that comes from a potato! The skin of the potato is where the majority of the dietary fiber is found, so try not to peel your potatoes, eat the peel, it's quite yummy.
White potatoes are high glycemic (simply meaning they can spike your blood sugar) so you don’t want to eat too many of them and you should make sure you eat them with a lot of fiber (ahem, back to that skin) to help stabilize blood sugar levels.
Why I love this recipe
What I love so very much about this particular recipe, starring the potato, is the addition of other veggies, lots of fresh basil, and a crazy amount of flavor. Pesto potato salad with green beans is at almost every one of my summer BBQ's.
Can we talk about pesto for a minute? Pesto is one of the easiest recipes to make and so very worth it! Yes, I know you can purchase it pre-made, but I promise once you taste homemade and see how easy it is to make you will never buy pre-made again. I made this pesto with almonds instead of pine nuts to cut down on the cost a bit, and I find that almonds go really well with green beans and basil.
Speaking of basil…
Step by step
- To make this healthy potato salad simply boil the potatoes, adding the green beans for the last few minutes.
- While the potatoes and green beans cool, mix up the homemade pesto.
- Toss together the potatoes and green beans with fresh scallions and that yummy almond pesto, and PRESTO! You are ready to entertain (or eat it all by yourself, whatever suits your fancy).
Tip: Since this potato salad isn’t loaded with mayonnaise it can sit out on a summer day without worry.
Have leftovers?
Bonus tip! This salad is AMAZING the next day, but not cold. I love when I have healthy pesto potato salad leftovers because I usually heat it slightly (just in a small skillet over medium heat) and serve it as the perfect side dish to a grilled piece of fish or chicken. We call this kind of dish a double duty winner!
Other recipes from Abra's Kitchen you may love:
If you try this recipe, please comment and rate it below, I love hearing from you!
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Pesto Potato Salad with Green Beans
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 10 1x
- Category: side
- Method: none
- Cuisine: American
Description
Fresh basil pesto with almonds is the perfect pair to creamy potatoes and crunchy green beans in this quick and easy Pesto Potato Salad.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. red skinned potatoes
- 1 lb. green beans, trimmed and cut in half
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
Pesto:
- ¼ cup raw almonds
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup good olive oil
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoon grated pecorino romano cheese
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp sea salt
Instructions
- In a large pot boil potatoes (whole) until easily pierced with a fork, about 20-25 minutes depending on the size of your potatoes, mine were small to medium.
- In the last few minutes of cooking the potatoes add the green beans to the potato pot and cook for 4 minutes.
- Drain potatoes and green beans in a large colander and set aside to cool.
- In the meantime prepare the pesto: Combine almonds, garlic, and basil in a food processor and process until very finely chopped.
- With machine running slowly drizzle in olive oil and process until well combined.
- Add remaining ingredients (cheese, salt, and pepper) and gently process until just combined. If you find your pesto is too thick you can add a bit more olive oil or even a few splashes of veggie stock works well.
- Dice potatoes into bite size pieces (I keep the skin on) and add to a large bowl with sliced scallions, green beans, and pesto. Stir well to combine.
- Top with additional basil and slivered almonds (optional) serve immediately.
Keywords: pesto potato salad
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Jackie says
Is this meant to eat warm or is room temp okay? I wanted to make it at home and take it to a dinner party but wasn’t sure if I should pop it in the oven quickly before serving at the party or just serve as is, not chilled or reheated.
Melissa Riker says
As long as its not chilled I think it would be fine. Its best eaten warmed or room temperature.
Melissa says
I know I’m a little late here, but I always chop my veggies before I cook them just for ease sake. Is there a reason you suggest to chop the potatoes after boiling in this recipe? Thank you!
Melissa Riker says
This was a guest post written by another blogger, but I don't see any reason you can't chop the potatoes first, that is also the way I do it. -Melissa
Melissa says
Yum!
★★★★★
Kitty says
My basil plants have done really well this year and I've been looking for new inspiration. Thanks for the recipe!