Simple Potato Salad with Thyme and Olive Oil

Sometimes simple is best, and this simple potato salad is a fine example. I like it for summer weekday evenings when life is busy or Sunday lunches when I need to make lunch in a hurry between church services. If you boil the potatoes ahead of time, the dish takes mere minutes to pull together. The thyme brings out the earthiness of the potatoes for a delicious salad every time.

Oh, and this salad is also a winner when you're asked to bring a salad to an outdoor potluck – with no eggs or mayonnaise to worry about as the salad sits for hours on a warm afternoon, this salad will still be fresh (and safe) hours later.

This potato salad can also easily be made by kids on their own. If your children are younger, boil the potatoes ahead of time (maybe even chop them, according to their abilities), and then let them toss everything together on their own. This is a GREAT dish to get kids excited about being in the kitchen (and the garden – if you're growing your own thyme!).

If you like simple potato salads, be sure to try our Primavera Potato Salad too. It's similar to this one with a vinaigrette and lots of fresh vegetables. Yum!

Potato Salad with Thyme and Olive Oil

2 lbs firm-fleshed potatoes (e.g. Yukon Gold, Sieglinde, etc), boiled and quartered
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
5 twigs thyme
A dash unrefined sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper

Boil the potatoes in a large pot of water just until tender. Let cool to room temperature, then dice into large chunks and place in a serving bowl.

Splash the olive oil over the potatoes and toss to cover. Pick the thyme leaves off the stems and sprinkle over the potatoes along with the salt. Toss once again and top with fresh ground black pepper.

Bon appetit!