Go Back

Italian Potato Salad

Italian salad flavor with tender red potatoes, salami, and cubed mozzarella tossed in Italian dressing. Chilled for 2 hours so the ingredients meld and the dressing clings to every bite.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 880
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Red potatoes
  • 3 lb red potatoes cubed
Salumi and cheese
  • 1 cup salami diced
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese cubed
Vegetables and briny peppers
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 0.5 cup pepperoncini sliced
  • 0.25 cup red onion finely diced
Dressing and seasonings
  • 0.75 cup Italian dressing
  • 0.25 cup fresh basil chopped
  • 0.25 cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Boil and cool potatoes
  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, then boil the cubed red potatoes until tender, about 12-15 minutes, with bubbling visible at the surface.
  2. Drain the potatoes and spread them on a sheet pan to cool until no longer steaming, about 10 minutes, until the cubes look dry and matte.
Assemble the salad
  1. In a large bowl, combine cooled potatoes with diced salami, cubed mozzarella, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced pepperoncini, and finely diced red onion.
  2. Pour in the Italian dressing and toss until every potato is coated, with an even glossy sheen across the mixture.
  3. Stir in chopped fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese so they distribute throughout and look speckled across the salad.
  4. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, then toss once more so the seasoning is evenly visible as fresh specks and balanced color.
Chill before serving
  1. Refrigerate the Italian potato salad for 2 hours to let flavors meld, keeping it covered so condensation doesn’t form on the surface.
  2. Serve cold straight from the refrigerator, with the salad looking set and lightly glossy from the dressing.

Notes

For best texture, cool the potatoes fully before combining so the mozzarella stays cube-shaped instead of melting. Refrigerate covered for up to 4 days; freeze is not recommended because potatoes and mozzarella can turn watery. For a lighter option, use part-skim mozzarella and a reduced-fat Italian dressing while keeping the same chilling time.