Pea Pesto Potato Salad

Perk Up Your Picnic

Grab your gingham napkins, ditch the dining room and fetch your friends—we have a healthy lineup of make-ahead picnic recipes that are not only hassle-free but pretty enough for pictures too! These pressed sandwiches, pesto potatoes and creamy chickpea salad recipes are simple and fast and certain to delight a small crowd of hungry outdoor diners. Plus, everything tastes better when served with sides of sunshine and fresh air. So, make a plan to get outside with this make-ahead, moveable feast that you can take anywhere, anytime.

Pea Pesto Potato Salad

Update the dressing on your potato salad with a pesto made from spring’s most popular pea. Not only does this mighty vegetable bring vibrant seasonal color to your picnic spread, it also adds another layer of protein, fiber and antioxidants to your potato. A cup of peas has 8 grams of protein and 7 grams of filling fiber, and they lend a rich, creamy depth and texture to the pesto, making it the perfect alternative to a traditional mayo-based dressing.

The pesto sauce is so easy, too, and works with both fresh and frozen peas. Everything comes together in a food processor and can be made well in advance of your outing. Just toss with the boiled potatoes the morning of your picnic, then pack up and go!

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/4 cups fresh or frozen peas
(thawed if using frozen), divided
1/2 cup fresh basil
1 clove garlic, smashed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted and divided
1 ounce grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 pounds mixed baby potato medley
1 tablespoon vinegar (optional)

To prepare pesto, combine 1 cup peas, basil, salt, 2 tablespoons pine nuts, cheese, lemon juice, mustard, 2 tablespoons water and olive oil in a food processor; process until smooth. If pesto is too thick, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency has been reached.

Place potatoes in a saucepan; cover with cold water to 2 inches above potatoes. Add 1 tablespoon vinegar. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain; let stand 10 minutes.

Spoon pesto over potatoes; toss gently to coat. Refrigerate until ready to pack or use. When ready to serve, sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons pine nuts, remaining ¼ cup peas and additional basil.

SERVES 8

SIDNEY SAYS: Look for baby potatoes for the Pea Pesto Potato Salad. The peel is more delicate and delicious and is where most of the nutrients and fiber are found. And adding a splash of vinegar to the water helps the potatoes hold their shape while boiling.

Sidney Fry is a two-time James-Beard-Award-winning food and nutrition writer who loves creating simple, healthy recipes and thoughtful, actionable content for the hungry consumer. A healthy living proactivist, Sidney is also a registered dietitian nutritionist, recipe developer and mama of three based in Birmingham, Alabama.