LEMONY GREEK-INFLUENCED POTATO SALAD WITH ARTICHOKES, WHITE BEANS, OLIVES AND FENNEL

Last Sunday I realized that I (gulp) hadn't made a potato salad yet this summer!  What is wrong with me?  I've made all sorts of grainy/beany/vegetable-y/fruity salads this summer, but no potato salads.  I needed to take something to a potluck meeting the next day (and DH needed something portable to bring for lunch)-- potato salad would be just the thing, I thought.  So,while we were walking our new doggy resident, Pheobe (see picture below), through the winding, up-and-down path in the woods, I was devising a new potato salad in my head.  I wanted it to be a-meal-in-itself, not too high in fat, to be lemony and have some Greek components, including something with a pleasant crunch (I thought that fennel would work well here, with it's pleasant anise-like fragrance).  As soon as we got home, I set to work on it with what I had in the house, scribbling down ingredients, measurements and instructions as I went.

Pheobe and the cats waiting for dinner

The happy result was the following recipe, which DH and the potluck-ers all heartily enjoyed, and I hope you will, too.

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S LEMONY GREEK-INFLUENCED POTATO SALAD WITH ARTICHOKES, WHITE BEANS, OLIVES AND FENNEL 
Serves 12 (approximately)

Fennel bulbs

4 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes
1/4 cup dry white wine OR dry white vermouth
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 cups coarsely chopped fennel bulb
One 19 oz. can white kidney or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups sliced marinated artichoke hearts, drained
1 cup whole pitted kalamata olives (smallish ones)
1/2 cup chopped green onion bottoms or chives
4 tablespoons chopped fresh dill weed OR 1 tablespoon dried
handful of chopped fresh Italian parsley
Lemon Salad Dressing (see below)
1 cup vegan mayonnaise (preferably reduced-fat) OR my homemade low-fat vegan mayo (hemp version here and new VEGG [yolk substitute] version here)  OR Tofu Mayonnaise
freshly-ground black pepper to taste
grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon
Lemon Salad Dressing:
1/3 cup aquafaba or Oil Substitute for Salad Dressings
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon smooth Dijon mustard
3/8 teaspoon salt
1 small clove garlic, crushed

Scrub the potatoes, but don't peel.  Cut into 3/4" chunks (more or less) and steam, pressure-steam or micro-steam them until just tender-- not mushy.  (Pressure-steaming or micro-steaming are the most energy-efficient [and nutrient-saving] methods, BTW.  Regular steaming is preferable to boiling because it conserves nutrition and uses less water, and.thus, less energy to heat up the water.)  Place the potatoes in a colander rinse briefly and let drain.

When well-drained, place the potatoes in a large bowl and toss with the wine and salt.  Add the fennel, beans, artichoke hearts, olives, green onions, dill and parsley, and toss gently.

Mix up the Lemon Salad Dressing and toss it with the salad.  Then fold in the mayonnaise, mixing evenly.  Taste for salt and add a liberal grinding of pepper and the zest and juice of the lemon.  Mix well.

It's best to let this sit in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving, so that the potatoes soak up some of the flavorful dressing.

Nutrition Facts (calculated using Reduced-Fat Vegenaise-- it would be lower in fat and calories if you use my lowfat vegan mayo, or the Tofu Mayonnaise, and slightly lower if you use the Spectrum reduced-fat mayo)

Nutrition (per serving): 417.9 calories; 28% calories from fat; 14.0g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 772.1mg sodium; 1648.2mg potassium; 62.0g carbohydrates; 12.6g fiber; 1.4g sugar; 49.4g net carbs; 14.8g protein; 8.7 points.

Enjoy!