Tzatziki Potato Salad

February and I am doing a little better with it this year than last. I have the cooking projects and the new cookbooks and the coworker dinner to plan, and those things give the month structure. I also have Biscuit, who is not particularly helpful with structure but is excellent company and very committed to his role as the presence at the end of the couch when I sit down at the end of the day.

I cooked for Tamara and Ms. Wanda on Saturday. I made the butter chicken and the coconut dal and the basmati rice and a raita with cucumber and mint and toasted cumin, and I set my small kitchen table properly with cloth napkins and everything. They came over at six and stayed until nine-thirty and we ate everything and I was very pleased. Ms. Wanda said she had not eaten anything that tasted like this before and was that a bad thing and I said no, it is a new thing, and new things can become favorite things. She said this is a favorite thing. That is a very good review.

Tamara asked me how I learned to cook this and I told her some of it: Gloria teaching me Southern soul food from the time I was fourteen, and then me teaching myself from cookbooks over the past year. She said you had someone show you. I said yes. She said you can tell. The food tastes like someone cared about it. I have been thinking about that sentence all week. The food tastes like someone cared about it. That is the goal. That has always been the goal.

The raita I made that Saturday — cucumber and mint and toasted cumin stirred into cold yogurt — was the part of the meal that surprised people most, that creamy coolness against the warmth of everything else on the table. It made me think about how much yogurt-and-cucumber can do when you treat it like it matters. This tzatziki potato salad lives in that same spirit: the tang of good yogurt, fresh herbs, cool cucumber, all pulled together into something that belongs on a properly set table with cloth napkins and people you’re glad to feed.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes + chilling | Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 lbs small Yukon Gold or red potatoes, halved
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for boiling
1 cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt
1/2 English cucumber, grated and squeezed dry
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
Optional: a pinch of dried oregano, a few Kalamata olives for serving

Instructions

Boil the potatoes. Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold salted water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook 15–18 minutes, until fork-tender. Drain and let cool to room temperature, or spread on a sheet pan to speed cooling.
Make the tzatziki dressing. While potatoes cool, grate the cucumber on the large holes of a box grater. Gather it in a clean kitchen towel or several layers of paper towel and squeeze firmly to remove as much liquid as possible. In a large bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, squeezed cucumber, garlic, dill, mint, lemon juice, olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and black pepper.
Combine. Add the cooled potatoes to the bowl with the tzatziki dressing. Fold gently until every piece is coated. Taste and adjust salt, lemon, or herbs as needed.
Chill. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to let the flavors come together. The salad can be made up to one day ahead; stir gently before serving and add a small spoonful of fresh yogurt if it looks dry.
Finish and serve. Transfer to a serving bowl, scatter green onions over the top, drizzle lightly with olive oil, and add a small pinch of dried oregano if using. Serve cold or at room temperature alongside grilled meats, roasted chicken, or as part of a larger spread.

Nutrition (per serving)

Tzatziki Potato Salad — When the Table Feels Like It Means Something