Your Babcia's veggie salad, but make it crispy.
If you grew up eating salatka jarzynowa at every holiday table, you know exactly what it tastes like...creamy, tangy, studded with pickles and hard-boiled eggs, loaded with carrots and peas, and deeply comforting in a way that's hard to explain to someone who didn't grow up Polish.
The traditional version boils the potatoes, and carrots.And while that soft, unified texture is part of its charm, I kept thinking: what would happen if the potatoes were the exact opposite? Crispy!
So I did it. And it turned out fantastic!!
This version keeps all the flavors you love from the classic, the tangy creamy dressing, the fermented pickle bite, the fresh dill, the eggs but the vegetables stay raw for brightness and crunch, and the potatoes get the full restaurant treatment: boiled with baking soda, shaken until the edges are fluffy, then roasted in smoking hot fat until they're deeply golden on every craggly surface. It's the same salad, but with a texture contrast that makes every single bite more interesting!
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make this recipe.
For the crispy potatoes
- Idaho russet potatoes
- Baking soda
- Potato starch or Corn starch
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
For the fresh vegetables
- Carrots
- Frozen peas, thawed
- Vidalia onion
- Full sour fermented dill pickles
- Hard-boiled eggs
For the dressing
- Greek yogurt
- Mayo
- Sour cream
- Dijon or mild mustard
- Red wine vinegar
- Lemon juice
- Fresh dill
- Salt and pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
1. Boil the potatoes: Cut your russets into uniform 1.5 to 2 inch chunks - uniform size matters so they cook and crisp evenly. Add to a pot of cold salted water along with the baking soda. Bring to a boil and cook 15 to 18 minutes until just fork-tender. You want them cooked through but not falling apart.
2. Shake and dry the potatoes: Drain well, then return the potatoes to the dry pot. Put the lid on and shake vigorously for 5 to 10 seconds. When you lift the lid, the edges should look rough, fluffy, and almost shaggy, that's exactly what you want! Let them sit uncovered for 2 to 3 minutes to steam dry. The drier the surface going into the oven, the crispier they'll get.
3. Roast until crispy: Preheat your oven to 425°F. Add your fat to a sheet pan and place it in the oven for 5 minutes until smoking hot, this step is non-negotiable. If the fat isn't hot when the potatoes go in, they'll steam instead of sear. Toss the potatoes in potato starch (or corn starch), salt, and pepper, then carefully add them to the hot pan. You should hear a strong sizzle. Roast 40 to 50 minutes, turning once halfway, until deeply golden and craggly on all sides. Set a handful aside for garnish!
4. Make the dressing: While the potatoes roast, whisk together the yogurt, mayo, sour cream, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, and dill. Taste and adjust, the dressing should be tangy, creamy, and bright. Add more lemon if it needs more acid, or sour cream for creaminess!
5. Prep the vegetables: Diced the carrots as finely as you can, a mandoline or the shredding side of a box grater makes quick work of this. Rough chop the pickle chips so they have real presence in the salad. If your Vidalia onion tastes sharp, soak the diced pieces in cold water for 5 minutes and pat dry before using. Fold everything carrots, thawed peas, onion, pickles, and eggs into the dressing. Refrigerate while the potatoes finish roasting so the flavors can meld.
6. Assemble: Let the potatoes cool for about 5 minutes, just enough to stop the cooking but while still warm. Fold them into the salad. Top with the reserved crispy potato bits, a generous handful of fresh dill, and cracked black pepper. Serve within 2 hours for the best texture!
Equipment
- Large pot: for boiling the potatoes; needs a lid for the shaking step
- Sheet pan: you want the potatoes spread out in a single layer with room between them; crowding = steaming, not crisping
- Large mixing bowl: for the dressing and vegetables
- Whisk
Storage
This salad is best within 2 hours of assembly when the potato crust is at its crispiest. If you're making it ahead, store the crispy potatoes and the dressed vegetables separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator.
- Dressed vegetables keep well for up to 3 days in the fridge, the flavors actually get better on day two as everything melds together.
- Crispy potatoes should be reheated in the air fryer or a 425°F oven for a few minutes before folding into the salad. Do not microwave...they will get soft and gross.
- This recipe does not freeze well; the dressing will separate and the vegetables will lose their texture.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:
Salatka Jarzynowa with Crispy Potatoes
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Cut russets into uniform 1.5-2 inch chunks. Add to a pot of cold salted water with the baking soda. Bring to a boil and cook 15-18 minutes until just fork-tender. The baking soda breaks down the potato surface to create the craggly edges that get ultra crispy.
- Drain well, then return potatoes to the dry pot. Put the lid on and shake vigorously for 5-10 seconds until edges are roughed up and fluffy-looking. Let them steam dry uncovered for 2-3 minutes - the drier the surface, the crispier the result.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Add fat to a sheet pan and place in the oven for 5 minutes until smoking hot. Toss potatoes in potato starch, salt, and pepper. Carefully add to the hot fat - you should hear a strong sizzle. Roast 40-50 minutes, turning once halfway, until deeply golden and craggly on all sides.
- Whisk together yogurt, mayo, sour cream, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, dill, and parsley. Season to taste, the dressing should be tangy and bright. Adjust with more lemon, vinegar or sour cream if needed.
- Dice carrots as finely as possible. Rough chop the pickle chips so they have presence in the salad. If the Vidalia onion tastes sharp, soak in cold water for 5 minutes and pat dry. Fold carrots, peas, onion, pickles, and eggs into the dressing. Refrigerate while potatoes finish roasting.
- Let potatoes cool 5 minutes, then fold into the salad so every craggly piece is fully coated in dressing. Top with a generous sprinkle of fresh dill and cracked black pepper. Serve within 2 hours for the best crunch!
