The Persian Way To Make Potato Salad Even Better (There's So Much Protein)

The standard mayo and mustard potato salad, a regular at picnics, barbecues, and many a potluck, is a true American classic. For a bit of a variation, you can spice up your spuds with some hot sauce and top them with paprika or try an extra savory boost with an herbed potato salad. But when you're ready to expatriate your taters, there are a number of delicious takes on potato salad from around the world, one of which might just blow your mind — Persian potato salad.

Persian potato salad is an Iranian classic, and it has a few extra ingredients you're not likely to find together in any version stateside — chicken, eggs, and peas — all of which contain a nice kick of protein. For instance, adding 100 grams of chicken will give the salad anywhere between roughly 24 to 32 grams of protein depending on the cut you choose, whereas an egg of average size can add between 6 to 7 grams. A cup of cooked peas will bring in approximately another 8.6 grams of protein on top.

Persian potato salad is generally a part of the feast laid out on the last day of Nowruz, which marks the Persian New Year. It's perfect to keep in the fridge for a quick snack or bring out for a picnic, but it can easily feed a whole family for dinner as well. The additional ingredients deliver more than just protein too, they bring some amazing texture — a bit of chew from the chicken, extra creamy consistency from the eggs, and a nice firm pop from the peas. And the flavor they bring is incredible: Savory, bright, and grassy, with some unctuous, pungent undertones.

For the main ingredient, potatoes are preferred because Yukon Golds are different from russets in that they have less starch and will hold together better as you mix the salad, but russets will work just fine. If you're using four to six large potatoes, you'll need a whole chicken — you can use any preparation you'd like, but it works great with rotisserie chicken or even leftovers. For breast meat, a pound should be plenty. You'll need about 1 cup of canned, fresh, or frozen baby peas (fresh or frozen will give a nice, firm texture), and four chopped hard-boiled eggs. If you generally make your potato salad with mayo, the preparation is pretty much the same, just leave out the mustard. However, you will need to add some olive oil, as well as some chopped cornichons and fresh lemon juice.

Simply mix them all together, let your salad chill in the refrigerator until cold, and you've got the best potato salad you may have ever sunk your teeth into. The lemon and cornichons add a nice sour zing, with some great crunchy texture from the latter. Sealed in an airtight container, Persian potato salad will keep in the fridge for up to four days. It's great served on a baguette, but really any bread will do, and it can make a whole meal. That said, you might find that you can't stop yourself from enjoying it right out of the bowl before it even makes it to the dinner table.