Creamy Potato Salad with Crunchy Cucumber
A smooth potato salad with the crunch of quick-pickled vegetables, perfect for sandwich fillings.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
Boiled potatoes are mashed with butter until smooth, then tossed with pickled cucumber, carrot, and onion. The crunchy vegetables cut through the richness of the salad, making it wonderful to enjoy tucked into bread as a snack.
- Servings
- about 4–5 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Not spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Potato7, 600 g (after cleaning)
- Cucumber1, 150 g
- Carrot1/3, 100 g
- Onion1/2, 100 g
- Butter2 pieces, 45 g
Cucumber and carrot pickling
- Salt1 tsp
- Vinegar2 tbsp
Sauce
- Mayonnaise6 tbsp
- Sugar1–2 tbsp
- Salt1 tsp
- Ground black peppera little
- Lemon juicea little
- If you have cucumber pickles, you can skip the pickling step: just slice them, squeeze out the moisture, and use them right away.
- Pickle the cucumber and carrot in salt and vinegar for about 20 minutes.
- Finely dice the onion, soak it briefly in water to remove the sharpness, and dry it completely.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
I peeled 7 medium potatoes.
1 cucumber, 1/3 carrot, and onion—mine is very small since it is for pickling, so use 1/2 of a medium onion—and butter.
Pickle the cucumber and carrot
Slice the cucumber and carrot thinly.
Cut them into half-moons or quarter rounds, add 1 tsp salt and 2 tbsp vinegar, mix well, and let pickle for about 20 minutes.
As time passes, moisture will draw out from the vegetables. Squeeze them tightly with a cotton cloth or your hands for a crisp, snappy texture.
Prepare the onion
Finely dice the onion and soak it in water for a bit to remove the pungent sharpness.
Drain in a sieve to remove most of the water, then blot the remaining moisture away with paper towels.
Boil and mash the potatoes
Boil the potatoes until thoroughly cooked and tender, then drain all the water.
While still hot, add the butter, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 to 2 tbsp sugar, and mash well.
A few small chunks taste great, so you do not need to mash them completely smooth.
Mix the salad
Add the pickled cucumber and carrot, onion, 6 tbsp mayonnaise, a little ground black pepper, and a little lemon juice, then mix evenly.
Adjust to taste with salt, sugar, or lemon juice, and finish.
Finished
It is delicious enough to eat just as it is.
The crisp crunch of the cucumber and carrot is wonderful, and the slight bite from the onion cuts the richness.
Spread a little jam on sandwich bread and fill it with this salad, and a tasty snack is ready in no time.
Add sliced ham or cheese and pair it with a glass of milk, and it makes a perfectly satisfying meal.
Moist, savory, and soft potato salad—it tastes even better made with new potatoes.
Ppunwife's tips
- After pickling, squeeze the cucumber and carrot tightly with a cotton cloth or your hands to give them a crisp, snappy texture.
- A few small chunks taste great, so you do not need to mash the potatoes completely smooth.
FAQ
Can I use store-bought pickles instead of pickling the cucumber myself?
If you have cucumber pickles, you can skip the pickling step: simply slice them, squeeze out the moisture, and use them right away.
Do the potatoes need to be mashed completely smooth without any lumps?
Leaving a few small chunks gives a pleasant texture, so there is no need to mash them until perfectly smooth.
How do I tone down the sharpness of the onion?
Finely dice the onion and soak it briefly in water to draw out the sharp, pungent bite.
When is the best time to add butter while mashing the potatoes?
Add the butter while the thoroughly boiled potatoes are still hot so it melts gently into the residual heat and blends smoothly.
