Armenian-Style Potato Salad

Potato salad is the first food I remember eating, so I really do have a deep emotional attachment, but every so often, I crave something completely different—and this Armenian-style potato salad is completely different. And completely delicious. Serve drizzled with more olive oil and garnished with more fresh mint.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, quartered, and sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, or more to taste
• 1 tablespoon dried mint, divided
• 0.5 cup mild olive oil, divided
• 1 large red onion, diced
• 0.5 cup diced red bell pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 0.3333333333333333 cup lemon juice, or more to taste
• 0.5 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 0.25 cup chopped fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 0.25 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 0.25 teaspoon Aleppo chili flakes
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper

Steps

1. Transfer sliced potatoes into a large pot with enough cold water to cover the potatoes by a couple of inches. Stir in 1 rounded tablespoon kosher salt and 2 ½ teaspoons dried mint. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and let cook until tender, about 15 minutes, checking every 5 to 6 minutes for doneness. Drain well.
2. Transfer cooked potatoes to a large mixing bowl and let cool slightly.
3. While potatoes cool, heat ¼ cup olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add red onion, red bell pepper, garlic, and a pinch of salt; cook and stir for just 1 minute. Turn off the heat and stir in remaining dried mint.
4. Drizzle freshly squeezed lemon juice into potatoes and toss gently with a spatula. Add green onions, red onion mixture, remaining olive oil, fresh mint, fresh parsley, salt to taste, black pepper, chili flakes, and cayenne. Mix with a spatula until combined.
5. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled and flavors have melded, 3 to 4 hours.
6. Unwrap; stir, taste, and adjust seasonings as needed to personal tastes. The salad almost always needs more salt stirred in once it's tasted after being chilled. Serve.