This colorful winter potato salad is loaded up with all the healthy winter veggies, and also brings a taste of what’s to come with warmer weather eats! Simple to make and whole30 friendly, vegan, and paleo – a perfect dish to enjoy and share as the winter months turn to spring!
We made it! Somehow it’s already March – I mean, thank goodness! This is always the time of year where I am just SO ready for spring weather.
If you’re like me, your head and your heart are all in on those warmer days and lovely spring produce, but your pantry is still stocked with hearty winter vegetables like beets, cabbage, potatoes and onions. Still. The same ones that have been on repeat for the last 3 months.
In all fairness, these vegetables really are an incredible way to nourish our bodies during the colder months. You know, that whole eating with the seasons thing really does have a purpose. And while heartier winter veggies usually end up roasted, caramelized, and sautéed, there’s nothing wrong with switching it up a little bit! This potato salad will help you channel some of that warm weather longing and turn it into a dish that hints at what is (surely!) just around the corner.
I’m just going to go ahead and get this out of the way first in the name of full disclosure. I LOVE potatoes. Seriously. So much love for the carby little tubers (maybe that’s why the Keto diet didn’t do it for me?! 😜)
Anyone else with me? I’m guessing that if you’ve read this far into this post you’re on my team.
I will eat them any way you slice ’em. Roasted, in a breakfast hash, smashed, as french fries (one of my occasional indulgences that always makes me so happy!), and of course, in potato salad.
They get something of a bad reputation for being a carb bomb devoid of any nutrients, but they really do have some redeeming qualities 😉
Potatoes, depending both on how they’re grown (organic really is best! They spend a lot of time in the soil!), and also the specific variety, actually contain a wide array of nutrients including:
- Iron
- Phosphorus
- Calcium
- Zinc
- Magnesium
- Potassium
- B6
- Vitamin C
- Choline
- Folate
- And the list goes on!
See? Lots of good stuff!
One other neat little bit about potatoes is that they contain a fair amount of fiber, specifically a type of fiber that acts a prebiotic in our gut. And prebiotics act as food that the healthy bacteria from all the probiotics we work so hard to include in our diet need to survive.
Which equals lots of reasons to love potatoes. Don’t ya think?
Especially when they’re of the colorful variety!
Because like with any vegetable:
More intense color = more nutrients!
It’s actually a nice little short cut you can use to tell how nutritious any fruits and vegetables are. Generally, a higher concentration of color equals more antioxidants, cancer fighting properties, and vitamins.
In the purple potato there’s a special little antioxidant called anthocyanin. It can also be found in other purple hued fruits and vegetables such as blueberries, pomegranates, blackberries, eggplant, red cabbage (also in this recipe!) and red onions.
Besides imparting a beautiful and alluring shade of purple to these fruits in veggies, it has also been linked to:
- Reducing risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering blood pressure
- Reducing inflammation in the body
- Cancer prevention
- Improved cognitive function
And besides all the goodness that those little purple potatoes bring to this winter potato salad, there’s also a large variety of other nourishing veggies shredded into the recipe that makes this a truly healthy dish!
what other veggies are in this potato salad?
- Red cabbage
- Beets
- Parsley
- Red onion
- Pumpkin seeds
So much healthy veggie yum!
Before I get to sharing the details with you, I want to make a quick note about quantity. As written, this recipe makes quite a lot of potato salad! You can easily halve the recipe or, if you want the larger amount but you’re not planning on eating it all the day you make it, I would recommend keeping the seasoned potatoes separate from the shredded vegetables, arugula, and final addition of salt, vinegar and olive oil. You can toss them together as you’ll be eating for a fresher, more tasty option!
While I know we’re not quite at the point of sandals and eating outdoors and 9 pm sunsets, why not make a cast iron pan seared steak tonight + this colorful winter potato salad and have a little winter picnic in your living room to satisfy all those feels until we actually get our warm weather fix. Sound like a plan?
make it a meal!
Try adding some pan seared chicken, greek marinated prawns, or grilled skirt steak to this potato salad and turn it into a healthy and satisfying meal!
equipment used for this recipe
T-fal Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker
Colorful Winter Potato Salad {vegan + paleo}
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
Description
This colorful winter potato salad is loaded up with all the healthy winter veggies, and also brings a taste of what’s to come with warmer weather eats! Simple to make and whole30 friendly, vegan, and paleo – a perfect dish to enjoy and share as the winter months turn to spring!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds colorful baby potatoes, cut in half
- 1 medium sized beet, shredded
- 1/4 of a small red cabbage, shredded – about 1 1/2 cups
- 1 small red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
- 2 big handfuls arugula
- 2 tablespoons parsley or another herb, chopped
- 1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
- 1 teaspoon salt + 1/2 teaspoon more to finish
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar + 2 teaspoons more to finish
- 1 tablespoon olive oil + 1 1/2 tablespoons more to finish
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Using a steamer basket over a pot with an inch or so of water, or a steamer basket on your instant pot / pressure cooker, cook potatoes until just fork tender, but not too soft, or they will fall apart in your potato salad. You can also boil them in water, but if you’re using purple potatoes, this will draw out a lot of the color and leave them pale.
- For steaming in a regular steamer basket set up your cook time will probably be about 12-16 minutes, depending on the potato size. The easiest way to gauge cooking time is just to check them every two minutes or so once you pass the 10 minute mark.
- If you’re steaming them in the pressure cooker your cook time will be much shorter – probably about 5 minutes.
- When potatoes are done cooking, set aside for about 15 minutes until cool enough to handle.
- While potatoes are cooling you can prepare the rest of the ingredients. Shred beets, cabbage, slice red onion, and wash and dry arugula.
- Once cool enough to handle, move potatoes to a bowl and add 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of vinegar and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Gently toss, being careful not to rough up the potatoes too much – you want them to hold their shape.
- When ready to serve, toss all vegetables including arugula with potatoes along with the additional 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 2 teaspoons of vinegar, 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, and black pepper.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
-
This recipe makes quite a lot of potato salad! You can easily halve the recipe or, if you’re not planning on eating it all the day you make it, you may want to keep the seasoned potatoes separate from the shredded vegetables, arugula, and final addition of salt, vinegar and olive oil. You can toss them together as you’ll be eating for a fresher, more tasty option!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
Did you make this recipe? I would love to know how it turned out for you! when you rate my recipes and leave feedback it helps me continue to improve. you can leave me a comment below, or snap a picture and post it to instagram with the tag @nyssaskitchen or hashtag #nyssaskitchen! xo
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