Potato Salad (Elementary School Portion)
【小学校】ポテトサラダ
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese elementary school lunch menu
Potato salad is a fixture on Japanese school lunch trays, and it is one of those side dishes that almost every child happily finishes. The Japanese version is softer and creamier than many Western potato salads, with the potatoes half-mashed and folded together with small pieces of carrot, cucumber and ham. This is the elementary school version, and it uses two little tricks from the school kitchen: drying the boiled potatoes in the pan for a fluffy texture, and seasoning them with vinegar while hot so the salad tastes full-flavored even with a modest amount of mayonnaise.
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Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese elementary school, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 55.5 gpotato
- 12.1 gcarrot
- 16.7 gcucumber
- 11.1 gham
Seasonings
- 1.7 gvinegar
- to tastesalt
- 9.9 gmayonnaise
- 0.2 gsalt
- to tastepepper
Directions
- 1
Cut the potatoes into quarter-rounds. Put them in a pot of cold water, bring to a boil, and boil for about 10 minutes. Drain in a colander, then return the potatoes to the empty pot and stir over medium heat for about 2 minutes until the moisture has evaporated.
- 2
Transfer to a large bowl and mash roughly, leaving some chunks. While still hot, mix in the vinegar and salt, then let cool until no longer steaming.
- 3
Cut the carrot into quarter-rounds and the cucumber into half-moons. Cut the ham in half lengthwise, then into thin strips.
- 4
Put the carrot in a pot of cold water and bring to a boil. After 2 minutes at a boil, add the cucumber and ham. Boil for 1 more minute, drain in a colander, and rinse under running water to cool.
- 5
Squeeze the vegetables well to remove excess water, then toss with the potatoes, mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Chill in the refrigerator to let the flavors blend.
Drying the boiled potatoes in the pan drives off excess moisture, which gives the salad a fluffy, floury texture. Mixing in vinegar first means the salad tastes delicious even with less mayonnaise.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 129.8 kcal | 259.5 kcal | 129.8 kcal |
| Protein | 3.5 g | 6.9 g | 3.5 g |
| Fat | 9.3 g | 18.6 g | 9.3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 11.9 g | 23.7 g | 11.9 g |
| Fiber | 5.6 g | 11.1 g | 5.6 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Calcium | 11.1 mg | 22.2 mg | 11.1 mg |
| Iron | 0.3 mg | 0.6 mg | 0.3 mg |
| Potassium | 330.8 mg | 661.5 mg | 330.8 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 129.8 kcal | 3.5 g | 9.3 g | 11.9 g | 5.6 g | 0.8 g | 11.1 mg | 0.3 mg | 330.8 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 259.5 kcal | 6.9 g | 18.6 g | 23.7 g | 11.1 g | 1.5 g | 22.2 mg | 0.6 mg | 661.5 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese elementary-school portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.
This is the elementary-school portion of Potato Salad (larger quantities, same method).
