Key Points

• Martha Stewart's 5-ingredient potato salad is quick, simple, and perfect for summer gatherings.
• Steaming red-skinned potatoes enhances their creamy texture and sweet flavor in this deli-style recipe.
• A tangy vinegar-onion dressing and creamy mayo make this salad a versatile, crowd-pleasing side.

As a tried-and-true summertime side, it’s no mystery why potato salad has been adapted countless times. Whether it’s a loaded, creamy bowl or a simpler side that skips the mayo, there’s no wrong way to make this classic dish. When you’re running short on time or energy, however, we know there's beauty (and flavor) in the simple things.

So when Martha Stewart shared her family's potato salad recipe that boasts only five ingredients (excluding salt), we knew that the classic dish was the perfect quick and easy side of the season.

How can you be sure it’s a keeper? The recipe, which Martha calls a "deli-style potato salad," was passed down to her from her Aunt Catherine—proof that generational recipes don’t have to be complicated.

View this post on Instagram

For this salad, Martha specifically calls for red-skinned potatoes for their sweet and creamy flavor. Instead of boiling the potatoes, as is typical for potato salads, she steams them, peels them and slices them into 1/4-inch pieces while they’re still warm.

In a separate bowl, add a thinly sliced white onion and combine it with ½ cup white vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt and finally 1 teaspoon sugar.

Once combined, add that mixture over the potatoes and "wash it around," as Martha says, to avoid stirring and breaking up the potatoes. Don’t forget to let the potatoes sit for 10 minutes to soak up all the liquid.

Finally, add 1 cup mayonnaise to the bowl you mixed the dressing in—Stewart uses Hellmann’s—and toss the potatoes back in to combine everything together. To ensure the dish is ready for your potluck or summer gathering, make sure to refrigerate for at least two hours.

The super simple dressing brings some refreshing acidity, while the mayo adds that classic creaminess that you expect from potato salad. It’s clearly reminiscent of the New York and New Jersey delis that Martha grew up around, as she reminisces, "I'm reliving my time in Jersey City."

The unfussy flavor of this salad makes it the perfect accompaniment to so many mains, especially simple dishes you can make on the grill, like a favorite smash burger or some  flavorful grilled chicken.

If you’ve been waiting for the perfect opportunity to try making potato salad for the first time—or just want to take a break from your own family favorite—try out this recipe and see why Martha calls it "the best potato salad." Then expand your horizons with even more of our favorite summer cookout side dishes: