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This salad combines potatoes, carrots, sweetcorn and peas with a simple mayonnaise and lemon dressing. Cooking the potatoes and carrots separately helps the cubes retain their shape. The weights below are for prepared vegetables; weigh the sweetcorn and peas after draining.

About 6 side-dish portions. Approximately 35 minutes to prepare, plus cooling time and 1 hour in the fridge.

Ingredients

• 600 g peeled potatoes, cut into roughly 2 cm cubes
• 150 g peeled carrot, finely diced
• 100 g cooked or tinned sweetcorn, drained
• 100 g cooked or tinned peas, drained
• 180 g shop-bought mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (15 ml)
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Method

1. Put the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cold water and add a pinch of salt. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for about 10–15 minutes, checking with a fork: the cubes should be tender in the centre but still hold together. Cube size affects the cooking time.
2. In a separate saucepan, cook the carrot in boiling water for approximately 5–8 minutes, until tender. Drain separately. If using frozen peas, cook according to the packet and drain them too.
3. Spread the vegetables in shallow containers so they cool promptly. Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking and let them become cold before adding the dressing. Do not leave a full saucepan cooling on the worktop for several hours.
4. Mix the mayonnaise, lemon juice and parsley in a large bowl. Add the cold, well-drained potatoes, carrots, sweetcorn and peas. Fold with a spatula without crushing them.
5. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Cover and chill for about 1 hour before serving.

Creamy texture without excess water

Choose potatoes that hold their shape when cooked. Draining thoroughly is as important as measuring the mayonnaise. If the vegetables are overcooked, extra stirring will not firm them up: serve a softer salad and shorten the cooking time next time.

Optional additions

For extra crunch, add 50 g finely diced red pepper or 50 g deseeded, well-dried cucumber. For a thinner, tangier dressing, replace 50 g of the mayonnaise with 50 g plain unsweetened yoghurt. This changes the flavour and consistency; it does not automatically make the recipe suitable for dietary restrictions.

Storage

Keep covered in the fridge at 0–5°C and eat within 48 hours. Cool cooked food promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours, using shallow containers where needed. Mixing leftovers with new ingredients does not restart their storage time. Also follow any shorter use-by instructions on the packaging.

Storage guidance: Food Standards Agency.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use homemade raw-egg mayonnaise?

For this version, use shop-bought mayonnaise. This avoids introducing raw egg to the salad; refrigeration is still necessary.

Can I freeze it?

It is not ideal for texture: the potatoes and mayonnaise can become watery or separate. Make an amount you can eat within the storage time.

Vegetable cooking technique: Hellmann’s.