Dominican Potato Salad (Pink Potato Salad with Beets)

Dominican potato salad (pink potato salad) is a colorful twist on Russian potato salad (ensalada rusa). Made with russet potatoes, carrots, red onions, mayonnaise, and eggs, its famous pink color comes from beets. Quick and easy to make, it’s a side that’s delicious and stands out at any gathering.

Dominicans have two distinct takes on ensalada rusa. There’s this pink version made with beets, and there’s ensalada mixta — the white version of ensalada rusa, made with many of the same ingredients, finely chopped into uniform pieces.

In the Dominican Republic and throughout Latin America, potato salad isn’t just for summer. It’s served year-round, from cookouts to holiday gatherings. Its creamy, tangy flavors help balance rich, salty meats, making it the perfect side no matter the season.

Why you’ll love this recipe ❤️

• If you’ve ever been to a Dominican gathering, you already know — the potato salad is creamy, a little tangy, and always one of the first sides people reach for. And it goes with everything from rice to stews to grilled meats.
• It makes enough to feed your household – not the whole block. In island cultures, a lot of traditional recipes we grew up on were made to feed a lot of people, including extended family. When cooking for just your household, it’s nice to have some leftovers, but not so many that they go to waste.
• The ingredients are simple and easy to find — with the exception of beets, you likely already have everything you need to make this potato salad.  Beets are inexpensive and can easily be found with the other canned vegetables at your local supermarket.
• Easy to adapt — there are endless versions of Dominican potato salad. Add what you like, and skip what you don’t like. This recipe leaves room for you to make it your way.

Ingredients

Everyone makes Dominican potato salad a little differently. If this looks different from what you’re used to, adjust it to your taste by adding what you like or leaving out what you don’t.

• 2 pounds of russet potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces – Russet potatoes are my favorite for this recipe because they make the salad creamy. If you want uniform-sized pieces, waxier potatoes like Yukon golds tend to hold their shape well. Potatoes vary in size so don’t worry if they don’t measure exactly 2 pounds.
• Carrots and eggs – 2 medium sized carrots, peeled and cut into small pieces, added for sweetness and texture. 
• Canned beets and chopped red onion add crunch and sweetness. The beets give the potato salad its pink color so make sure you reserve some off the drained off liquid to mix in at the end. You can use fresh beets if you’d like, just boil them until soft and keep some of the liquid.
• Mayonnaise binds all of the ingredients together and gives the potato salad it’s creamy, whipped texture. Use whatever brand you like most.
• Freshly chopped cilantro is added for color and fresh flavor. Don’t skip it!
• White vinegar gives Dominican potato salad its unique, tangy taste. 

Recipe steps with photos

This potato salad is simple to put together, but I’ve included photos with each step to make it as easy as possible to follow.

Step 1: Place the diced potatoes, carrots, eggs, and 1 tablespoon of salt in a large pot. Fill with water, bring to a boil, and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots are tender.

Step 2: Use a slotted spoon to remove the eggs and place them in ice-cold water. Drain the carrots and potatoes in a strainer, transfer to a bowl, and refrigerate until fully cooled.

Step 3: Once the potatoes and carrots have cooled, peel and chop the eggs, and dice the beets.

Step 4: In a large bowl, combine the carrots, eggs, beets, and chopped onions. Add the mayonnaise, vinegar, and 2 teaspoons of beet juice, then toss until everything is evenly coated. 

Step 5: Serve right away or chill until ready to serve.

Helpful tips

Here are a few useful pointers:

• Boil the potatoes until they’re tender, but not so mushy that they completely fall apart. 
• The trick to peeling eggs is to place them in ice water after boiling them, and then peeling them under cold running water. Don’t stress out if they don’t look perfect, you won’t be able to tell after chopping and mixing them with the other ingredients.
• For tangier potato salad add more vinegar. For brighter pink color add 1 or 2 more teaspoons of beet juice. 

Serving suggestions

Dominican potato salad goes with so many dishes — and unlike American potato salad, it’s not just for summer cookouts. It can be served year round, and at indoor gatherings too.

• Serve chilled — keep it cold, and don’t let it sit out for long periods. Keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve it, place it in a bowl over ice, or store in a cooler to keep it fresh.
• With meat — potato salad is almost always served with a meat dish like Carne Guisada (stewed beef), Pollo Guisado (stew chicken), Pernil (roast pork shoulder), or Bistec Encebollado (steak with onions). 
• With rice — serving more than one starch in the same meal is very normal in Latin cultures. Typical rice dishes are Moro (rice and beans), Moro negro (rice with black beans), Arroz con Guandules (rice with pigeon peas), or Arroz Blanco (plain white rice).

Storing leftovers

Keep leftover potato salad in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The color of the beets might bleed into the other ingredients while it sits. Just mix it again before serving to even the color out. Freezing potato salad is not recommended.

More side dishes like this

• Ensalada Mixta (Dominican Potato Salad without beets)
• Platanos Maduros (Fried Sweet Plantains)
• Tostones (Fried Green Plantains)
• Yuca Fries
• Ensalada Verde (Fresh Green Salad)

 

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