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Italian Potato Salad

Italian potato salad with salami, cubed mozzarella, and cherry tomatoes, tossed in Italian dressing for a bold antipasto-style flavor. Cubed potatoes stay tender after boiling, then chill for 2 hours so everything tastes well blended.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 720
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Italian potato salad
  • 3 lb red potatoes
  • 1 cup salami
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 0.5 cup pepperoncini
  • 0.25 cup red onion
  • 0.75 cup Italian dressing
  • 0.25 cup fresh basil
  • 0.25 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 0.25 salt to taste
  • 0.25 pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Boil and cool the potatoes
  1. Boil the red potatoes in a Dutch oven at 100°C/212°F until tender, about 15–20 minutes. Drain them well and cool to room temperature, about 10–15 minutes, so they don’t steam the salad.
Build the salad
  1. Combine the cooled red potatoes, salami, mozzarella cheese, cherry tomatoes, pepperoncini, and red onion in a bowl. Toss gently just to distribute the mix.
Dress and finish
  1. Toss the potato mixture with Italian dressing until everything looks evenly coated and glossy. Let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes to start absorbing flavor.
Add herbs and cheese
  1. Add fresh basil and Parmesan cheese, then toss again until basil is evenly scattered. The salad should look bright with flecks of green and white cheese.
Season
  1. Season with salt and pepper to taste, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Stop when flavors are balanced and the dressing tastes lively.
Chill before serving
  1. Refrigerate the Italian potato salad at 4°C/40°F for 2 hours before serving. This chilling step helps the potatoes firm up slightly and melds the dressing with the toppings.

Notes

Pro tip: cool the boiled potatoes completely before mixing so the mozzarella stays cubed and doesn’t melt. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days; freezing is not recommended because potatoes and mozzarella can get watery. For a lighter option, use part-skim mozzarella and reduce Italian dressing to 1/2 cup while seasoning to taste.