Japanese Potato Salad With Cucumbers, Carrots, and Red Onion Recipe (2024)

  • Potato Salad
  • Japanese
  • Russet Potatoes
  • Summer Sides

A unique take on the classic flavor with tangy mayo, rice vinegar, and hot mustard.

By

Shao Z.

Japanese Potato Salad With Cucumbers, Carrots, and Red Onion Recipe (1)

Shao Z.

Shao Zhi Zhong is a Chinese-born and Philadelphia-raised food writer and recipe developer who specializes in Chinese home cooking. She's also a web designer.

Learn about Serious Eats'Editorial Process

Updated August 30, 2023

Trending Videos

Japanese Potato Salad With Cucumbers, Carrots, and Red Onion Recipe (2)

Why It Works

  • Starting the potatoes in cold water allows them to heat up along with the water, resulting in a more even doneness throughout.
  • Seasoning the cooking water allows the potatoes to be better flavored all the way to the core.

One summer during college I was fortunate to spend three months in Japan traveling and eating my way around the country. Naming a favorite meal during my stay there would be impossible—there were just too many unforgettable dishes and restaurants. But if there was one overall type of Japanese food that I enjoyed the most, it would have to beyōshokucuisine, which is Western food done Japanese-style.

One of the most popular yōshoku dishes, and one that can be easily made at home, is Japanese potato salad. When you compare the ingredient list of the Japanese version and the Western version, the ingredients are pretty similar. That's how most yōshoku dishes are—ingredient-wise, they look pretty much the same as the originals that inspired them. But they're almost always different in one way or another. In the case of the potato salad, the biggest difference is the texture, because in the Japanese version, they're always mashed. It also tends to include a wider variety of vegetables than you'd see in a typical American potato salad, including cucumber, carrots, and corn; sometimes there's even ham mixed in.

Mayonnaise is a key ingredient in both versions, but for the yōshoku one, Japanese-style mayonnaise, such as Kewpie, is the mayo of choice for its extra creaminess and sweetness. You can find it at most Asian supermarkets, and I've noticed more and more Western supermarkets carrying it as well, but if for some reason you can't track it down, it's easy enough tomake at home. For the salad, it's mixed with rice vinegar and Japanese hot mustard. The rice vinegar adds even more tang to the dressing while helping to thin out the mayonnaise so it can be more easily mixed with the potatoes.

While Japanese-style mayonnaise plays an important role in this dish, you can't have potato salad without potatoes. The first step is to boil them, and there is aright and wrong way to do it.First, always start the potatoes in cold water. This allows them to heat up as the water does, resulting in more even cooking throughout. Second, it's important to season the cooking water so that the potatoes can absorb it well.

Japanese Potato Salad With Cucumbers, Carrots, and Red Onion Recipe (3)

Next come the other salad ingredients. For this version, I'm keeping it simple with cucumbers, carrots, onions, eggs, and scallions, though there are plenty of Japanese potato salads that go well beyond this. To prevent a watery salad, I thinly slice the cucumbers and season them with salt to draw out excess water before combining them with the other ingredients.

Japanese Potato Salad With Cucumbers, Carrots, and Red Onion Recipe (4)

The last step is to gently mash the potatoes, leaving small chunks behind for texture, and then mix it all together.

Japanese Potato Salad With Cucumbers, Carrots, and Red Onion Recipe (5)

It may look like your run-of-the-mill American potato salad, but the flavor is 100% Japanese.

June 2015

Recipe Details

Japanese Potato Salad With Cucumbers, Carrots, and Red Onion

Prep5 mins

Cook25 mins

Active30 mins

Total30 mins

Serves6to 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, about 2 to 3 large potatoes, peeled and quartered

  • Kosher salt

  • 2 Persian cucumbers (4.4 ounces; 125g), thinly sliced crosswise

  • 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar

  • 6 tablespoonshomemadeor store-bought Japanese mayonnaise (3 ounces; 85g), such as Kewpie

  • 1/2 teaspoon Japanese hot mustard

  • 1 small carrot (2 ounces; 55g), quartered and thinly sliced crosswise

  • 1/4 red onion (2 ounces; 55g), thinly sliced

  • 2hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

  • 1 scallion, white and light green parts only, chopped

Directions

  1. Place potatoes in a large pot and add enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Season generously with salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain potatoes and transfer to a large bowl. Let cool.

    Japanese Potato Salad With Cucumbers, Carrots, and Red Onion Recipe (6)

  2. Meanwhile, place cucumbers in a bowl and sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix well, then let stand for 10 minutes. Drain any accumulated water, then gently squeeze cucumbers with paper towels to blot up any excess liquid.

    Japanese Potato Salad With Cucumbers, Carrots, and Red Onion Recipe (7)

  3. In a small bowl, whisk together rice vinegar, mayonnaise, and hot mustard until well combined.

    Japanese Potato Salad With Cucumbers, Carrots, and Red Onion Recipe (8)

  4. Mash potatoes with a masher or a large fork, allowing some small lumps to remain. Add cucumbers, carrots, onions, eggs, scallions, and mayonnaise mixture. Mix well and season with salt to taste. Serve right away. The salad can be refrigerated up to 1 day.

    Japanese Potato Salad With Cucumbers, Carrots, and Red Onion Recipe (9)

Read More

  • 10 Great Takes on the Classic Potato Salad
  • Potatoes 101: All You Need to Know About Common Spuds
  • 23 Delicious, Fail-Proof Japanese Recipes
  • Japanese-Style (Kewpie) Mayo Recipe
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
179Calories
9g Fat
20g Carbs
4g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6to 8
Amount per serving
Calories179
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g12%
Saturated Fat 2g8%
Cholesterol 51mg17%
Sodium 179mg8%
Total Carbohydrate 20g7%
Dietary Fiber 2g8%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 8mg41%
Calcium 29mg2%
Iron 1mg7%
Potassium 537mg11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Japanese Potato Salad With Cucumbers, Carrots, and Red Onion Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is Japanese potato salad made of? ›

A classic side dish for homemade lunch boxes or bento picnics, a Japanese potato salad is made with boiled russet potatoes, vegetables, boiled eggs and, often, ham, all seasoned with rice vinegar and tangy Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise.

How to keep potatoes from falling apart when making potato salad? ›

Taste of Home Deputy Food Editor James Schend suggests adding a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar to the water before it comes to a simmer, which will help create a “crust” on the potatoes. This way, they'll be less likely to fall apart.

Why don't you peel potatoes for potato salad? ›

There's no reason at all, so my advice is to leave the skins on. The skin on a potato adds a nice texture and flavor to the potato salad and it's also the healthiest part.

What is Japanese style mayonnaise? ›

The key difference between the two mayonnaises is that Japanese mayo is made with egg yolks only, while American mayo typically includes whole eggs. Using only egg yolks results in a mayonnaise that's richer and more custard-like in texture and gives Japanese mayo its characteristic golden glow.

What flavor is Japanese potato? ›

The inner white flesh has a nutty, earthy taste with a very subtle sweetness—they're like the best possible combination of a russet potato and a yam.

Should I wait for potatoes to cool before making potato salad? ›

Yes, if your potato salad is a cold salad, as most are, allow the cooked potatoes to cool to room temperature before adding the dressing and other ingredients.

Should you peel potatoes before boiling for potato salad? ›

Drop a whole russet into the pot and by the time the outside has cooked through, the inside will still be raw. Larger potatoes should be cubed to ensure they cook evenly (peeled first if desired). Smaller potatoes tend to have thin skins and can be boiled whole, no peeling required.

What kind of potatoes are best for potato salad? ›

Waxy potatoes are generally considered the best for classic potato salad because they retain their shape, you don't have to peel them, and they have a smooth texture.

Is it better to boil or steam potatoes for potato salad? ›

Boiling potatoes for potato salad is time-consuming and often waterlogs the potatoes. Here's a simple way to cook your potatoes for a better texture — no pot of boiling water required!

Should you salt the water when boiling potatoes for potato salad? ›

Potatoes without seasoning are bland and flavorless, and salt adds delicious flavor. Potatoes are dense and require time to absorb some of the salt during cooking. That is why the salted water must be concentrated, claims Bon Appétit.

Can you cut potatoes and then boil them? ›

Cutting potatoes before boiling does aid in removing excess starch. Excess starch can make potatoes gummy or gluey. That said, cutting the potatoes too small can lead to too much water absorbing into the potatoes. A good rule of thumb is to go with a 2-inch dice on the potatoes before boiling them.

How to make potato salad Martha Stewart? ›

Directions
  1. Put potatoes in a large pot of salted water; bring to a boil. Cook until just tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain; let cool.
  2. Stir together mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, and dill; season with salt and pepper. Peel potatoes; cut into 1-inch chunks. Fold into mayonnaise mixture.
Feb 25, 2021

What is in Walmart potato salad? ›

POTATOES, MAYONNAISE (SOYBEAN OIL, WATER, EGG YOLKS, VINEGAR, SALT), MUSTARD (WATER, VINEGAR, MUSTARD SEED, SALT, SUGAR, SOYBEAN OIL, TURMERIC, PAPRIKA, GARLIC POWDER, SPICES, ANNATTO EXTRACT (COLOR], XANTHAN GUM, CITRIC ACID, NATURAL FLAVOR), DILL PICKLE CUBES (CUCUMBER VINEGAR, SALT, CALCIUM CHLORIDE, NATURAL ...

What is Japanese mayo made of? ›

Kewpie mayo is made with pasteurized egg yolks, vinegar (a proprietary blend that's said to contain apple cider and rice vinegars, and possibly malt vinegar), vegetable oil and salt. In Japan, it also contains monosodium glutamate (aka MSG).

Are Japanese potatoes good for you? ›

A: Japanese sweet potatoes are a nutritional powerhouse. They are rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, making them a great addition to a healthy diet. They can also be enjoyed as a nutritious snack option.

What are Japanese purple potatoes white inside? ›

Murasaki sweet potatoes are characterized by their deep purple skin and creamy white flesh, as well as their extra starchy texture. Although they're sometimes labeled "Japanese sweet potatoes," Murasaki sweet potatoes were actually developed in Louisiana.

Are Japanese potatoes the same as sweet potatoes? ›

Because they're a little drier and starchier than other varieties, Japanese sweet potatoes have a distinct creaminess and a fluffier, lighter texture, a little more like a regular baking potato than a standard orange sweet potato. They also have a particularly sweet yet, subtle flavor compared to many other varieties.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Greg Kuvalis

Last Updated:

Views: 6302

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (55 voted)

Reviews: 94% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Greg Kuvalis

Birthday: 1996-12-20

Address: 53157 Trantow Inlet, Townemouth, FL 92564-0267

Phone: +68218650356656

Job: IT Representative

Hobby: Knitting, Amateur radio, Skiing, Running, Mountain biking, Slacklining, Electronics

Introduction: My name is Greg Kuvalis, I am a witty, spotless, beautiful, charming, delightful, thankful, beautiful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.