Rainbow Potato Salad with Cilantro- Olive Vinaigrette

Cookout? Potluck? You need this Rainbow Potato Salad with Cilantro- Olive Vinaigrette on the table. Easy to make ahead and can be served chilled, warmed or best yet… at room temperature.

The mix of purple potatoes and orange sweet potatoes makes the table bright and cheery. All the guests will want to dig in! And between now the middle of July we have a lot of big events. And crowd pleasing food is a must.

The Cilantro- Olive Vinaigrette is a staple dressing in our house.  We use it on everything, but mainly this rainbow potato salad. So delish! Sweet, salty and savory. It is my potluck go-to.

Because the dish doesn’t need to be chilled it also makes for a great weeknight dinner or quick BBQ party. I almost always serve it with a green salad and our spice crusted grilled flank steak. Absolutely divine and totally simple.

How to Make Rainbow Potato Salad with Olive- Cilantro Vinaigrette?

Good news! The salad dressing can be made ahead. But I do find bringing it up to room temperature helps it coat the potatoes evenly.

When boiling the potatoes in salted water you can mix. But I prefer to ensure no color transfer so I typically boil in separate pots, water always salted.

For the roasted veggies, don’t salt. I know, strange. I find it hard to control the saltiness of the end dish. Olives vary in their saltiness and you don’t want to throw it off.  I pretty much always grill the vegetables. Yes, in the winter I oven roast. But nothing beats the charcoal char of summer.

Toss it all together and serve! Let us know how your crowd likes it!

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5 from 5 votes

Rainbow Potato Salad with Cilantro-Olive Vinaigrette

A new twist on your classic side dish perfect for pot lucks and picnics.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time40 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Sweet Potato Salad

Servings: 8 people

Ingredients

• 1 lb purple potatoes, cut into 1 in pieces
• 1 lb sweet potatoes, cut into 1 in pieces
• 1 red pepper, quartered and seeded
• 1 yellow pepper, quartered and seeded
• 1 red onion, sliced into large rounds
• 3 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil (melted)
• 1/2 c kalamata olives, halved
• 1 recipe Cilantro & Olive Vinaigrette
• cilantro, for garnish
• salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes, cooking until just soft. Drain and cool to room temperature.
  
• While the potatoes are cooking, roast the peppers and onion. Brush with olive oil. OPTION 1: grill on medium for 12-14 minutes until charred, turning often. OPTION 2:  Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roast on a sheet pan until charred, 20 minutes.
  

  Allow peppers and onion to cool to room temperature and then dice.
  
• Combine potatoes, peppers, onions and olives large bowl. Drizzle with the Olive & Cilantro Vinaigrette. Season to taste with salt and pepper, garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
  

Notes

1. To prevent a transfer of color you can boil the purple and sweet potatoes separately.
2. I do not salt the peppers and onions for roasting as the dressing can be rather salty depending on your olives. I salt and pepper at the end, if needed.
3. The peppers and onions can be made ahead, so I typically grill them when I have the grill on for other things.

Print Recipe

Cilantro and Olive Vinaigrette

A tangy dressing perfect for salads, roasted veggies or grilled chicken.

Prep Time5 mins

Total Time5 mins

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cilantro Olive Dressing, Salad

Servings: 1 cup

Ingredients

• 1/2 c Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/8 c Balsamic Vinegar
• 8 Kalamata olives
• 3 tbsp Cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp Honey
• 1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 clove Garlic

Instructions

• Blend all ingredients in a food processor. Season to taste with salt and pepper.