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–+ servings
Mound of Japanese potato salad with ham, cucumbers, carrots and onions.
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Japanese Potato Salad

Level up your side dish game with my mom's Japanese potato salad recipe. It features a delightful combination of creamy spuds in a rich, tangy dressing with a delicious mix of crunchy cucumbers, sweet carrots, and savory ham.
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine Japanese-Western
Keyword picnic, potluck
Level Beginner
Main Ingredient Potato
Diet Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 191kcal
Author Marc Matsumoto

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 100 grams cucumber
  • 35 grams onion
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 500 grams potatoes (peeled)
  • 100 grams carrots (peeled)
  • ⅓ cup Japanese mayonnaise (such as Kewpie mayo)
  • 1 tablespoon sushi vinegar
  • 75 grams ham (cut into ½-inch squares)
Grams + US Cups - US Standard

Instructions

  • Slice 100 grams cucumber thinly and add them to a bowl along with 35 grams onion finely diced. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon salt over the vegetables and toss to coat evenly. Let them sweat while you work on the rest of the potato salad (about 20-30 minutes).
    100 grams cucumber, 35 grams onion, ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Add 500 grams potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes and 100 grams carrots quartered lengthwise and sliced ⅛-inch thick to a pot with enough water to cover the vegetables by 1-inch. Bring the water to a rolling boil and turn down the heat to maintain a gentle boil. Cook until tender enough to easily pass a toothpick through (about 15-20 minutes).
    500 grams potatoes, 100 grams carrots
    Boil potatoes and carrots.
  • To make the dressing, add ⅓ cup Japanese mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon sushi vinegar to a large mixing bowl and mix them together until smooth and creamy.
    ⅓ cup Japanese mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon sushi vinegar
    Mixing mayonnaise and sushi vinegar to make dressing.
  • When the spuds are tender, drain them in a colander and shake off any excess water.
  • Add the hot potatoes and carrots to the dressing and mix them in. You want the outer layer of the spuds to dissolve into the dressing so that each piece is about half its original size.
    Mixing cooked potatoes and carrots into Japanese mayonnaise dressing.
  • Use your hand to massage the cucumber and onions to coax out any excess liquid. The cucumbers should turn translucent in the process. Squeeze out as much of the water from them as you can and add them to the salad.
    Squeezing excess water from salted cucumbers and onions.
  • Add 75 grams ham and stir the ingredients together. Taste the potato salad; if it tastes like something's missing, season it with additional salt.
    75 grams ham
    Mixing Japanese potato salad together in a glass bowl with a spatula.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 191kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 341mg | Potassium: 474mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2.806IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg