How to make southern soul food style potato salad with eggs, relish, green onion, and celery!
Good old fashioned southern potato salad. Sounds good right? Well I figure I’d get on here and share my version for southern style potato salad before barbecue season hits next month. Besides, y’all have been requesting it for quite some time now. Believe it or not, I actually posted a potato salad recipe a few years ago. However, since then I have changed a couple of ingredients, and I’ve also changed a few of the preparation steps. Let me tell you how I make my southern style potato salad!
Let’s start off with the potatoes. I use regular russet potatoes for my potato salad. I know a lot of people think that russet potatoes are only good for baking, and mashing… But honey, that is far from true. My family and I have always used russet potatoes in our southern potato salad recipes, and we’ve never had a problem.
I use boiled eggs in my potato salad. I’m on of those people that won’t touch potato salad, unless it has eggs! A true southern & soul food style potato salad has eggs.. And lot’s of it!
Pickles or relish? It really depends on you. My mom has always used chopped dill pickles for her potato salad. I was taught to use pickles. However, as I got older, I started to use relish. I use a combination of sweet and dill relish, but you can use either or.
In order to have an amazing dish of southern potato salad, you must have an amazing dressing. Some people use miracle whip in there potato salad, but around here- that will get your feelings hurt! I use Best Foods Mayonnaise aka Hellmans as my dressing base. I then add regular yellow mustard, and a splash of pickle juice ( my secret ingredient…don’t tell nobody! Shhh!). After everything is mixed, I then add in the relish, seasoning, and mix. Then Voila.. My potato salad dressing is done!
Ooh, before I forget I also use a nice amount of onion. I use to use yellow onion ( sometimes I still do!) , but I really love using green onions in my southern style potato salad recipe. This is just my preference. You can certainly use yellow, white, or even red onion if you choose.
Once everything is mixed up, I refrigerate the potato salad until it’s nice and cold. It’s really simple. I usually serve this potato salad with barbecue dishes such as my Barbecue Oxtails, and even my Sweet & Smokey Pork Spare Ribs.
Here’s my video tutorial for this southern potato salad recipe
Southern Potato Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 large russet potatoes scrubbed and rinsed
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp yellow mustard
- 1/4 cup sweet relish
- 1/3 cup dill relish
- 1/4 cup cup chopped green onion green and white parts
- 1/4 cup diced celery
- 2 tbsp dill pickle juice
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- paprika optional
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes until they are nice and fork tender, once done drain the water and let cool.
- Peel the potato skin off, place them into a large bowl, then cut the potatoes in chunks.
- Dice or crumble the boiled eggs, then add them into the bowl with the potatoes.
- Next, toss in the celery, and onion.
- Sprinkle in all of the seasonings, then set the bowl to the side.
- In a separate bowl combine the mayonnaise, mustard, relish, and pickle juice.
- Mix until well combined, then add it with the other ingredients.
- Fold all of the ingredients until they are well combined.
- Cover and refrigerate until the potato salad is nice and cold.
- Place the potato salad into a serving bowl, then sprinkle paprika on top ( optional).
- Serve and enjoy!
I’m gonna make this tomorrow along with your ribs that were posted last week. Would it make a huge difference if I left the celery out?
I love celery in my potato salad, but it can be omitted.
I love your potato salad and I make mine almost the same way, except I use finely diced pickles instead of relish.
Yummy. I like diced pickles as well!
This is almost the way I make my potato salad. It is the best! Pinned. Thanks for sharing.xoxo
Thanks Mary! As always, I appreciate you coming by! XOXO
Only difference between Rosie’s potato salad and the way I make mine is, I don’t use onion powder or garlic powder. Except for those two ingredients, I make mine the SAME way as this recipe.
Wonderful tater salad .Yeah I’m a southern / country gal haha …Love your page & videos ..And your are awesome .Thanks for all the great recipes…
Thanks so much Debby! I’m glad that you like my blog! XOXO
Hello Rosie! Thank you for sharing your AMAZING recipes! For the pickle juice, is it dill, sweet, or sour?
Dill pickle juice 🙂
Im from Louisiana and I make my salad this way but I add some sandwich spread to it as well. It be so good
Oh wow! I never thought of adding sandwich spread! GREAT idea!
& Jerica. We on the same Page. That’s my secret ingredients. Sandwich Spread. Yes
Love your videos. Have been cooking for a very long time but your videos have helped me add ingredients that I don’t normally use and they have taken my recipes to another level. Thanks and keep up the good work!
Thanks Mary! I appreciate the compliment!
Hey, Rosie! Just found your blog and your recipes look great! I am making you souther cabbage with smoked sausage tomorrow and sm looking forward to trying this potato salad recipe. Just one question, I like to add diced green olives with pimento instead of dill relish. Have you tried that variation and liked it? If so should I change the amount vs dill relish? Thanks for any advice AND the recipes!
Hi Marie! I don’t add any of those ingredients to my potato salad. You’ll have to experiment a tad.
Hi, this recipe looks great and I want to make it. I’ve read that Russet potatoes are dryer so some people don’t recommend it for potato salad. Should I use the Russet potatoes in this particular recipe or other potatoes are okay. Thanks
I used russet potatoes for this recipe. If you’d like to use a different potato, that’s fine 🙂
I am so glad I found your web site. After not having to cook for 25 years, I am back into it. Your recipes are so much like my parents’ were when I was growing up. I love it. And I’m 70 years old. Thanks
Hi Lizanne! I’m glad that you found my blog! XOXO
I’ve never made potato salad before. So do I boil the potatos whole? About how long does that take?
You can actually peel the potatoes, and cut in fours. Boil until tender.
Sounds great nd i also as little sugar nd celery seeds
Hi, I’ve lived in Costa Rica for about one year since retiring, and I’ve really started to miss good southern cooking. I just made Your Potato Salad and it is delicious-reminds of my mom’s old potato salad recipe. I added both green and yellow onions to the mix and it tastes delicious!
Thanks so much for your easy, deli is recipe!
Thanks so much for trying my recipe Lintonia!
Delish!! It’s time for a recipe book young lady!!
Looking for my mother’s old receipe and I found it with your post. Thanks
Glad that I could help! 😀
Almost the same as mine but I add green n red peppers and a dash of celery salt.
Hi Rosie Thanks For Your Great Recipes.
where do you buy pickle juice?
You can just get is from the pickle jar 🙂
Thank you so much Rosie!
I just made it now and it is delicious thank you
This looks delicious! I’m seriously thinking about making this recipe for Fourth of July / Independence Day this year.
Question: Since I’m not a big fan of celery (I never have been, lol) what would you recommend using as a substitute?
Chris Romero
Jacksonville, Florida
Hi Chris! No need to substitute it, just leave it out 🙂
What are your thoughts on boiling the potatoes in a broth, instead of just plain water??
It’s an excellent idea! I usually do that when I make mashed potatoes.
Your recipes are always the Truth!
Thanks Tamika!
I am loving your recipes. I come from a deep southern cooking family, so what I cook has a southern flavor. I was not cooking for awhile but due to arthritis, I am in the house and I have returned to making meals. I found your recipes and I love them plus I am learning to cook with seasonings that were not available to my older relatives when they were cooking. I am finding it hard to use measuring cups and spoons but i am learning. Anyway, thank you for your recipes.
Hi Margaret! I’m glad that you found my blog! XOXO
Oh my. Your recipes take me back to my mama and grandmas cooking. Both wonderful southern cooks. I learned my their sides. I am 75 years old so I know for sure your recipes are for real southern style. So pleased to have found you. “Don’t throw the jar away and save the sweet pickle juice.” Such fond memories. Bless you.
Man this is the best potato salad, I’ve ever made. Brought back childhood memories fro my hubby. Recommend it 100%.
I add a tablespoon of hot sauce for a kick. Just mix it up with the mayo and pickles. Adds a nice flavor.
Thanks 4 the rub recipe. Can t wait 2 try. Love brown sugar on my ribs. Potato salad recipe is exactly like I make mine which makes me stick my chest out. Can’t wait 2 try bar b que oxtails. Never thought of doing that. I haven’t tried a Rosie recipe that I didn’t like..thank u Rosie 4 all u do
Thanks for sharing your potato salad recipe. I followed it exactly the first time. My family did not like taste of the dill relish. The next time I omitted the dill relish and increased the sweet relish. My family devoured it. I also use red potatoes that. I keep the skin on. Thanks again.
Southern potatoes salad was delicious. I’m getting older and juggling many balls in my life; it was great not to have to look for my recipe. Many of your recipes are so similar to mine kudos girl.
Love you Andrea
Xoxo!