This potato salad is a great way to add more dark leafy greens to your diet. And when new potatoes are in season this really simple salad is heaven!
New potatoes are only in season for a relatively short time, though. But don’t let that stop you. The addition of sun-dried tomatoes and roasted almonds make this salad a great side dish in any season.
WARM OR COLD POTATOES?
When new potatoes are in season I always make this salad with freshly cooked and still lukewarm potatoes, as per recipe below. New potatoes contain less starch than older ones and that is a good thing from a blood sugar management perspective. When the new season has come and gone I often switch to using cooked and cooled potatoes. This is because older potatoes, when eaten warm, have a rather high starch content which, if eaten in excess, can have a negative impact on your body’s ability to control blood sugar spikes. Repeated blood sugar spikes over a long period of time can lead to insulin resistance. However, when potatoes are cooked and properly cooled in the refrigerator they develop what is known as resistant starch. Resistant starch is a very handy tool to use when aiming for proper blood sugar management. You can read much more about resistant starch right here.
ALTERNATIVES TO SPINACH
Like other dark leafy greens spinach is a powerhouse of healthy nutrients like calcium, iron, folic acid, and quercetin, as well as vitamins A, C, and K1. It does, however, also contain high amounts of oxalates (oxalic acid). High oxalate foods can be a problem for people who are prone to developing kidney stones. If this is a problem for you then I suggest using one of the other dark leafy powerhouses. Kale, rucola (arugula), and watercress all work well as substitutes.
Potato and Spinach Salad
Ingredients
- 6-8 small/medium potatoes
- 3 large sundried tomatoes
- 1/4 cup raw almonds
- 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil for sauteing
- Large handful fresh spinash washed and dried well
- 2 tsp aged balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes in salted water until done, about 15-20 minutes. Let them cool down a bit before cutting in half.
- Heat a small frying pan over medium high heat and add the half teaspoon olive oil. Add the almonds and roast them, tossing often, until they start to crack and brown a bit. Be careful not to burn then – it happens really quick!. Sprinkle with salt and transfer to a paper towel. Let the almonds cool down before roughly chopping them.
- Mix the now lukewarm potatoes with the tomatoes and the almonds in a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix the vinegar with the extra virgin olive oil and pour over the potatoes, mix well. Immediately before serving mix in the spinach and toss to mix well.
