This mayonnaise-free Lebanese mashed potato with a garlic, dried mint, lemon juice and olive oil dressing is a flavorsome salad or side I grew up eating, it is a simple, flavorful, nutritious and perfect for summer barbecues.
No bland flavors in this Lebanese mashed potato salad!
While there is another Lebanese potato salad that features firm, distinct chunks of potatoes, today’s post is about fully mashed potatoes blended uniformly with garlic, lemon juice, dried mint and olive oil; it holds dearly the Mediterranean flavors, it is quick to make, healthy and tastes superbly delicious.
Ingredients
- Potatoes: Use any starchy variety like Russet or Yukon Gold.
- Dried Mint: Ideal to use in this salad, it adds a depth of earthiness, and please avoid using fresh mint here, fresh mint would bruise, wilt, or turn black from oxidation.
- Garlic: Elevates the mild earthy flavor of potatoes.
- Freshly squeezed Lemon Juice: To provide a bright acidity.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: It adds a silky texture without the heavy dairy
- Salt: Obviously, for taste.
Components of the dressing: Olive oil provides a rich, smooth fat base, lemon juice adds sharp brightness to cut through that richness, and garlic adds a deep, savory punch, but the deeper flavor notes come from dried mint.
Tips and Tricks:
- Yukon Gold potatoes are especially appealing here, but you can use any other variety.
- Peel and cube the potatoes before cooking for a creamier outcome.
- You need to start potatoes in cold water, so they cook evenly; this will prevent the inside from keeping hard and the outside from getting mushy.
- Mash the potatoes using a hand-mill or a potato ricer and avoid a blender to avoid a gluey and gummy texture.
- The salad tastes best the day it’s made, but it can be refrigerated for a day or two, bring it to room temperature before serving.
More potato recipes:
- Fried Potato Kibbeh Balls
- Lebanese Potato Souffle
- Mashed Potatoes with Hard-boiled Eggs
- Lebanese Style Mashed Potatoes
- Potato and Chicken Stew
- Potato Kibbeh
- Mfaraket Batata
- Potato and Green Bean Salad
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Lebanese Mashed Potato Salad
Description
Ingredients
- 2 kg/ 4lb 8 oz Russet or Yukon Gold or any starchy variety
- 2 1/2 tablespoons dried mint
- 8 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Peel, wash and cut the potatoes into large cubes; cover with water and cook over high heat, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover up and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Crush the garlic cloves using mortar and pestle, and juice the lemons.
- To make the dressing, combine together the crushed garlic, salt, lemon juice, olive oil and dried mint, whisk well to homogenize.
- Drain the liquid and mash the potatoes using a potato masher, or hand-mill, and please avoid using a blender.
- Add the dressing, mix well to integrate everything together, take a bite and make sure you balance the salt to your taste preference.
- To create uniform balls of mashed potatoes, use a ice-cream scoop to portion them elegantly on a serving plate, decorate with cherry tomatoes, optional, but recommended, or alternatively, spread on a flat plate like any dip. Heavenly!
Video
Notes
- You are going to make a dressing to be added to the mashed potatoes, and that’s where flavor comes in. No butter and cream are involved, you are going to mix up some lemon juice and olive oil and dried mint and that’s what you are going to mash those tender potatoes with.
- Olive oil provides a rich, smooth fat base, lemon juice adds sharp brightness to cut through that richness, and garlic adds a deep, savory punch, but the deeper flavor notes come from dried mint.
