This lemon lavender potato salad is a refreshing twist on a classic and perfect for enjoying at summer BBQs.

Can we be real for a hot second? I’m staring at this picture of potato salad with pretty little purple flowers in it, my dog is snoring next to me after a very tiring day at the lake jumping from boat to dock and back to boat again and I kind of just wish life was that easy. Filled with flowers and snoring puppies.

But real life can suck. It’s been a sucktastic week actually. From small things to big things, from stuff that affects me to stuff that affects friends and family. I just don’t get it and I feel extremely clouded on many levels. There’s no point to this little rant other than telling that pretty purple flower that was mocking my thoughts to shut the hell up.

Lemon lavender potato salad

And…we’re done with that. No one wants to read about suckiness.

So, potatoes.

lavender potato salad

Lavendar and lemon ones.

Sounds like a Yankee candle not a side dish, right? I hear ya.

For the three summers we’ve been in this house I’ve planted herbs on the front steps. There are three steps and so to keep my ocd in check, there have been 6 pots, 3 on each side of the steps. The first 5 were no brainer decisions. Basil, parsley, cilantro, mint and rosemary. Easy, done, use them all the time. But then there was the 6th pot. I really had no need for a whole plant’s worth of another herb because the other 5 are my go-to ones. But, I just couldn’t handle the empty space on the step, it would’ve made me twitch every time I walked inside.

Year 1 it was thyme. I hate thyme. I continuously try to like it but I just don’t. That was a bad idea.

Year 2 was tarragon. Lovely, but I think I used it twice. Just what do you actually use tarragon for?!

Year 3 was sage. Had this one been around in the fall, it would’ve gotten a lot more use, but summertime recipes for sage? Yeah, they don’t exist.

And so that brings us to this year and the almost throw down at Lowes for herbs. Lavender became the 6th pot guinea pig this time around and up until now it’s fate was similar to the tarragon and sage. It just smelled too pretty to actually eat. Faced with 6 potatoes that needed to be used asap though, I figured I’d give the candle scented herb a try and it just so happened to turn out glorious.

This is not your typical potato salad. There’s no mayo, no eggs and no other crunchy vegetables. Just the potatoes themselves, some lemon, olive oil and florally herbs. And somehow, it turned out to be everything I wanted it to be. Light, summery, quick, easy, and refreshing. I don’t think I’d ever have labeled a potato salad as refreshing before this but that’s exactly what the lavender makes it.

Lemon lavender potato salad

One recipe alone is not grounds for permanent 6th pot placement, but things are looking up for the lavender’s fate.

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Lemon Lavender Potato Salad

Servings: 4 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Lemon lavender potato salad
This lemon lavender potato salad is a refreshing twist on a classic and perfect for enjoying at summer BBQs.

Ingredients 

  • 4 cups russet potatoes, cubed
  • water
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon lavender, minced
  • 1/2 tablespoon rosemary, minced
  • salt & pepper

Instructions 

  • Add potatoes to a medium pot, cover with water and bring to a boil.
  • Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook until fork tender, about 20 minutes.
  • While potatoes cook, whisk together oil, vinegar and lemon juice in a medium bowl.
  • Add herbs and salt & pepper.
  • Once potatoes are cooked, drain and add them while hot to the dressing.
  • Toss to combine and fully coat all the potatoes and season with more salt & pepper to taste.
  • Serve room temperature.

Nutrition

Serving: 1SERVINGCalories: 314kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 6gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gSodium: 110mgFiber: 6gSugar: 3g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Salads
Cuisine: American
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Founder and Writer at Running to the Kitchen | About

Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.

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37 Comments

  1. Aw man, I’m sorry things aren’t going exactly awesome for you/family/friends right now. But seriously, I think its perfectly ok to vent about it here if it makes you feel better. Sometimes blogging it out is the best solution ever. Seriously!

  2. I’m going to try this asap! I’ve been on a lavender kick (odd, but true). It started with lavender-honey lemonade from Joy the Baker. Then, to use up the remaining lavender-honey syrup, I’ve been experimenting with cocktails. And I still want to try lavender madelines. But these potatoes just moved to the top of list! Thanks! Hope you have a much better weekend!

  3. Puppy dog snoring and lavender makes everything better — I wish!! When my dog snores I want to either use him as a puppy pillow or wake him up because seriously, he’s freakin’ loud!!

    Lavender is a highly undervalued savory dish herb. Way to go with that awesome incorporation.

  4. Ugh – sorry life has been sucktastic lately. The only good side of sucky days/weeks/things is that it can usually only go up from there!

  5. This is my kind of potato salad! I am not a fan of the gloopy, calorific mayo-and-dill based potato salads. I mostly enjoy the mustard-based if at all, but really, just having potatoes with some herbs and a light dressing (not sauce!) is the way to go. I was going to ask where you got the lavender! I’ve been wanting to try some recipes with it, but didn’t know where to find it. Guess I need to grow it! Also, I’m with you on thyme, sage and tarragon. Thyme just isn’t my kind of herb, I always see tarragon paired with chicken and I don’t eat meat and sage is definitely a fall thing so I agree with you there too. P.S. puppy snores and flowers sounds like a perfect way to start summer <3 hope your week gets better!

  6. I hope things get better. I empathize, my last month has been that way! Nothing but blue skies from here on our! *fingers crossed*

    I’d have to omit the lavender on this one, I’ve given it a go many times and I can’t do the culinary lavender thing. Now candles, pillow sprays, perfumes, etc, count me in!

  7. This sounds absolutely delicious. As for planting herbs – do you take them inside after the summer? The other thing I sometimes do is dry them and put them into little jars so they last longer.

    1. I do sometimes, but Ginger has managed to either eat all the dirt in the pots or the actual plants themselves every time I’ve tried to extend their life indoors…

  8. I hope your weekend is filled with nothing but joy! And more amazing recipe creations… I can’t get enough of your tempting posts! I loVe lavender – gorgeous salad, Gina!

  9. Hmmm, Lavender Potato Salad. I wonder if I would like it? I’m very intrigued by this recipe!! I have lavender growing in the front yard, I think I need to make a small batch to try it out!! I love your creativeness!