Folks, THIS creamy, dreamy potato salad with tuna is all I want to eat for the rest of the summer. Maybe the rest of the year.
Honestly, the creamy Avocado and Herb Green Sauce could make pretty much anything taste good. But, there's also potatoes.
And wild caught tuna fillets. And fresh cherry tomatoes. You know your salad is going to be good when you'd happily eat a plateful of every single individual component all on its own.
Creamy Avocado and Herb Green Sauce
From now on, the days I'm not actually eating this potato salad (there might be one or two), I will be covering whatever's on my plate with this creamy, herby, nutty green sauce.
Because holy-mother-of-all-that-is-good-in-the-world. This sauce is crazy good.
Like eat it by the spoonful good. Like, stand over the sink, using your finger to scoop out every last bit from the food processor good. (Not that I've done that.)
Putting this sauce on everything is actually totally possible because it takes all of 5 minutes to make. 6 if you're moving at a nice, leisurely pace. You literally take every ingredient in the sauce, dump it into a food processor, and give it a whirl. I mean... it's dangerous how easy this sauce is.
The sauce is kind of like a creamy chimichurri (another sauce I like to put on EVERYTHING) with almonds and dill. Almonds IN the sauce?
Yes. A hundred million times, YES. The creaminess of the avocado and yogurt or sour cream with the freshness of the herbs and the nutty texture of the roasted almonds is just so 😋😋😋.
I've given up trying to find a word that describes how delicious I think this sauce is.
What Kind of Tomatoes and Herbs are Best in This Potato Salad?
The fresh mix of cilantro, parsley, and dill in this salad is fantastic. But, while I've never met anyone who doesn't like parsley (I'm sure they exist?), plenty of people don't like cilantro and dill. If that's you, here are some good substitutions...
Instead of dill, try basil, chervil or tarragon.
Instead of cilantro, increase the amount of parsley to 1 &½ cups and use ½ cup of oregano or marjoram.
I like to add the tomatoes in this potato salad right before serving, or even served alongside the salad, allowing everyone to add their own. If you have good cherry tomatoes - and I hope you do - they will be super juicy.
Super juicy flavorful tomatoes are a good thing in your mouth, but will make your potato salad kind of watery if you mix them in.
The salad will even get a bit watery if you sprinkle them on top and then let the salad sit for an hour or two. So, keep them separate or add them at the last minute.
How to Keep Potato Slices from Breaking Apart
If you've ever made potato salad with thin slices of potatoes, you know that when you try to toss them around in any kind of sauce, they break apart really easily. This results in a salad that still tastes delicious, but doesn't look so good.
So, here's what you do:
- Boil the potato slices until they are al dente - tender, but still firm.
- Gently drain the potatoes in a colander set in the sink, then spread them out over a baking sheet.
- Leave them alone and let them cool, which allows them to dry out so your sauce doesn't get all watered down.
- Spread the creamy green sauce all over the potatoes, then use a spatula to lift the potatoes from the tray into a bowl or serving platter.
Because you didn't toss them around to coat them in sauce, they will all remain intact. I learned this trick from an America's Test Kitchen recipe and it's kind of brilliant.
Used in this Recipe:
Tonnino Tuna in Olive Oil - Lemon and Peppers or Garlic varieties.
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Potato Salad with Creamy Green Sauce and Tuna Fillets
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
For the Creamy Avocado and Herb Green Sauce:
- 1 ripe avocado, peeled and chopped into chunks
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 jalapeño, seeds removed, chopped into chunks
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt or sour cream
- ⅓ cup white wine vinegar
- 1 cup fresh Italian parsley
- 1 cup fresh cilantro
- ⅓ cup fresh dill
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp granulated sugar or honey
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper (more to taste)
- about ½ tsp fish sauce (optional, but adds some umami to the sauce)
- 1 cup roasted and salted almonds
For the Potato Salad:
- 2 tbsp salt
- 2 lbs red potatoes
- 1 or 2 jars of high quality tuna (I used Tonnino Tuna)
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- Additional fresh dill and parsley, for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
Make the Creamy Avocado and Herb Green Sauce:
- Put all the ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth - about 30 seconds. Scrape the sauce into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate.
Make the Potato Salad:
- Fill a large saucepan with cold water and add the 2 tablespoons of salt. Wash the potatoes and slice them into ¼-inch slices. The easiest way to do this is using a mandoline. As you slice the potatoes, add the slices to the pot of cold water.
- Set the saucepan on the stovetop over high heat. When the water begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium and let simmer until the potatoes are al dente - tender, but still firm. This should take about 5 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes in a colander set inside the sink then spread the potato slices out onto a baking sheet. Let sit until room temperature.
- Spoon the green sauce over the cooled potatoes, spreading it over them with the back of the spoon so that they are thickly coated. Use a spatula to lift the slices from he baking sheet onto a serving plate or bowl.
- Top the potatoes with the tuna, using your fingers to gently break the fillets apart slightly. Sprinkle with additional fresh herbs, if desired.
- Slice the tomatoes in half and sprinkle them over the top of the salad right before serving, or serve them alongside the salad. (*see note)
Notes
- The juice in the tomatoes will make your potato salad kind of watery if you mix them in. The salad will even get a bit watery if you sprinkle them on top and then let the salad sit for an hour or two. So, keep them separate or add them at the last minute.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes (includes time for the potatoes to cool)
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Potatoes
Keywords: potato salad, green sauce, herbed potato salad, creamy potato salad, tuna, potato salad with tuna, fresh potato salad
Lisa says
Do the almonds go into the sauce? How finely ground should they be?
RebeccaBlackwell says
Hi Lisa! Yes - add the almonds into the sauce along with everything else. Then just turn on the food processor and process until smooth. The sauce won't be totally smooth - the almonds add some texture. Just blend until everything is mixed up. Let me know if you have any other questions! And, I'd love to hear what you think about this sauce after you make it! xo